Mail Merge Design

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Plucky - 30 Dec 2004 07:05 GMT

I want to create a mail merge that would use data from two separate
datasources. Is this possible in Word?

Can i build an application in ASP.NET that will take advanatage of Microsoft
Word?

Thanks

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Doug Robbins - Word MVP - 30 Dec 2004 10:41 GMT

No, mailmerge can only draw data from a single "flat" file. Use a query in
Access to join the two datasources and then use that query as the datasource
for a mailmerge.

I think that the answer to the second question is "technically" yes.
Whether you can do it is another question.

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Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP

>I want to create a mail merge that would use data from two separate
> datasources. Is this possible in Word?
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Thanks

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Joseph N. - 30 Dec 2004 15:45 GMT

> Use a query in
> Access to join the two datasources and then use that query as
> the datasource for a mailmerge.

Is there a source for further understanding what it means to "use
that query as the datasource"?

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JN

jbn 'won'oh'won'six'won' at fastmail.fm
Remove spaces, and substitute digits for the words between " ' "

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Doug Robbins - Word MVP - 30 Dec 2004 22:27 GMT

When you go to attach a datasource to the mailmerge main document, and you
select an Access database as the source, you will be presented with a list
of the tables and queries in the database to use as the datasource.

If the list does not include the queries, from the Tools menu in Word,
select Options and then go to the General tab and check the box against the
item "Confirm conversions at open", then try using the different connection
methods that will be presented to you when you go to attach the data source.

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>
>> Use a query in
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> Is there a source for further understanding what it means to "use
> that query as the datasource"?

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Plucky - 30 Dec 2004 20:13 GMT

Thanks for the reply, I tried creating an AddIn for Microsoft Word, but i am
lacking information. Does microsoft provide any sample application or addin
projects?

Thanks

> No, mailmerge can only draw data from a single "flat" file. Use a query in
> Access to join the two datasources and then use that query as the datasource
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
> >
> > Thanks

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Patrick Heilman - 30 Dec 2004 20:46 GMT

Microsoft article 211802 may help you.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;211802

Patrick

> Thanks for the reply, I tried creating an AddIn for Microsoft Word, but i am
> lacking information. Does microsoft provide any sample application or addin
[quoted text clipped - 17 lines]
> > >
> > > Thanks

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Plucky - 31 Dec 2004 04:03 GMT

I have no trouble creating a "flat file",

my problem is, i want to create a mail merge that will merge to 300 people,
and each person has a list of items from the database that need to be
displayed.

so if i outerjoin the person's record to their list of 15 items, i would
have that person's name in 15 records.

Seems like mail merges are only meant to use 1 data source...so i'm thinking
i just need to use ADODB to connect to SQL and just put the data on 300 pages
recursively.

Does this sound like a messy solution?

Thanks,
JP

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Doug Robbins - Word MVP - 04 Jan 2005 10:19 GMT

See the "Multiple items per condition" item under the "Special merges"
section of fellow MVP CIndy Meister's website at

http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister/MergFram.htm

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>I have no trouble creating a "flat file",
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> Thanks,
> JP

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