Word 2003 & ODBC

[Fr. Robert]

I'm trying to connect to a MySQL database using ODBC. Neither Word or Excel
can connect using ODBC .
Microsoft Query can connect to MySQL through the ODBC driver.
In fact if I save the query then ask Word to use the stored Microsoft query.
Word will get the data but for some reason every time I try to use the odbc
connection in word or excel it fails.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Fr. Robert

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Usually, the way to get Word to connect to "server" type ODBC data sources
(e.g. MySQL, SQl Server, Oracle, as opposed to Jet .mdb, Excel files etc.)
is to set up a suitable DSN and go via MS Query, which you can do from Word
2003 in the Tools menu in the top right-hand corner of the Select Data
Source dialog box.

In Word 2002/2003, if you check Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversion at
open", you should start seeing ODBC options in the additional dialog that
appears when you select the data source. However, as far as I know, that
only works if you are connecting to a /file/ data source, for example, if
you connect to a Jet .mdb file using ODBC. But since servers such as SQL
Server, MySQL and Oracle don't work that way, there is no file to choose.
Also, although Word 2003 offers ".dsn" type files in the drop-down list of
data source file types at the bottom of "Select Data Source", I do not think
selecting a file DSN and trying to use it as a data source actually works.
However, although I don't use Excel much, I noticed that selecting a file
DSN when trying to get External data did actually work, but maybe that only
works with "file" type ODBC data sources.

Peter Jamieson

 

[Fr. Robert]

Thanks Peter,

Usually, the way to get Word to connect to "server" type ODBC data sources
(e.g. MySQL, SQl Server, Oracle, as opposed to Jet .mdb, Excel files etc.)
is to set up a suitable DSN and go via MS Query, which you can do from Word
2003 in the Tools menu in the top right-hand corner of the Select Data
Source dialog box.

In Word 2002/2003, if you check Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversion at
open", you should start seeing ODBC options in the additional dialog that
appears when you select the data source. However, as far as I know, that
only works if you are connecting to a /file/ data source, for example, if
you connect to a Jet .mdb file using ODBC. But since servers such as SQL
Server, MySQL and Oracle don't work that way, there is no file to choose.
Also, although Word 2003 offers ".dsn" type files in the drop-down list of
data source file types at the bottom of "Select Data Source", I do not think
selecting a file DSN and trying to use it as a data source actually works.
However, although I don't use Excel much, I noticed that selecting a file
DSN when trying to get External data did actually work, but maybe that only
works with "file" type ODBC data sources.

Peter Jamieson