Mail merge requring user input.

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projectmergeleader - 22 Aug 2007 10:42 GMT

I have created a mail merge that creates letters using information from a
query that needs input from a user. It needs a start and an end date and then
uses that to select from a database. The query works fine if I double click
on it but when I do a mail merge it just starts word and then asks for a
table so I select the temp one and then it complains that it cant find the
field. Access doesn't ask me the questions and then just says command failed
when I close word. I use a where claus in the design view and a criteria
saying Between [start] and [end].

Thanks,

S

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Peter Jamieson - 22 Aug 2007 11:54 GMT

To get Access to ask for the parameters, Word has to connect to the Access
data source using DDE - that's the default in Word 2000 and earlier, but in
Word 2002 and later you need to check WOrd Tools->Options->General->"Confrm
conversions at open@, then go through the process of selecting the data
source agina, and select DDE when offered. In Word 2007, the same option is
in Word Office Button->Word Options->Advanced->General->Confirm file format
conversion on open

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Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

>I have created a mail merge that creates letters using information from a
> query that needs input from a user. It needs a start and an end date and
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> S

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projectmergeleader - 22 Aug 2007 14:20 GMT

I've done that but i have to open the word template and then open the data
source. When I do that I get some unexpected behaviour. Each entry in the
query has a tick box but it always returns -1 instead of true or false,
everything else works fine.

S

> To get Access to ask for the parameters, Word has to connect to the Access
> data source using DDE - that's the default in Word 2000 and earlier, but in
[quoted text clipped - 19 lines]
> >
> > S

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Peter Jamieson - 22 Aug 2007 18:04 GMT

> I've done that but i have to open the word template and then open the data
> source.

Yes, unfortunately you have to do this once for each mail merge main
document. But as long as you save the Mail Merge Main document after you
have set up the connection and any sorts/filters you need, you should not
need to do it again.

> When I do that I get some unexpected behaviour. Each entry in the
> query has a tick box but it always returns -1 instead of true or false,
> everything else works fine.

Each connection method (DDE, ODBC, OLEDB) returns the value of an Access
YesNo (bolean) field in a different way. OLE DB returns True and False. DDE
should return -1 and 0, I think. Off the top of my head I can't remember
which way around, but yu can experiment for yourself. If you are using an IF
field with a boolean value from Access, with DDE you have to do something
like

{ IF { MERGEFIELD myvalue } <> 0 "True" "False" }

Alternatively if you want to get the values through to Word as the texts
"True" and "False", you can write an Access query that converts the boolean
value to those values and use that query as the data source for the merge.

Signature

Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

> I've done that but i have to open the word template and then open the data
> source. When I do that I get some unexpected behaviour. Each entry in the
[quoted text clipped - 36 lines]
>> >
>> > S

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