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Dixie - 25 Jun 2005 03:54 GMT

I just need to know at this stage if this is possible. Can I automate Word
2000 mailmerge from Access 2000 such that the automation code has the
location of the merge data in it and the mailmerge letter does not itself
need to know where to look for its merge data? I know you can tell it where
the data is in the automation code in Access, but I don't seeem to be able
to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a destination for the
data to merge.

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Doug Robbins - 25 Jun 2005 06:39 GMT

It certainly is. Take a look at the information on fellow MVP Albert
Kallal's website at

http://www.members.shaw.ca/AlbertKallal/wordmerge/index.html

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Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

>I just need to know at this stage if this is possible. Can I automate Word
>2000 mailmerge from Access 2000 such that the automation code has the
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
>able to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a destination for
>the data to merge.

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Dixie - 25 Jun 2005 12:38 GMT

I read all that Doug and I must admit that I don't see how it relates to my
problem. I am happy with my automation code, but just need to be able to
build many templates for my automated letters which receive the instruction
for where their merge data file is located from the automation code itself
and not have it inserted in the mailmerge template. This way, it doesn't
matter which directory the data text file is sent to, the mailmerge will
still find it.

dixie

> It certainly is. Take a look at the information on fellow MVP Albert
> Kallal's website at
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>>be able to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a destination
>>for the data to merge.

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Doug Robbins - 25 Jun 2005 13:27 GMT

Check out OpenDataSource in the Visual Basic help file. It attaches a data
source to the specified document, which becomes a main document if it's not
one already.

Here is the example that is given there:

With docNew.MailMerge
.MainDocumentType = wdFormLetters
.OpenDataSource _
Name:="C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office" & _
"\Office\Samples\Northwind.mdb", _
LinkToSource:=True, AddToRecentFiles:=False, _
Connection:="TABLE Orders"
End With

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Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

>I read all that Doug and I must admit that I don't see how it relates to my
>problem. I am happy with my automation code, but just need to be able to
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>>>seeem to be able to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a
>>>destination for the data to merge.

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Dixie - 26 Jun 2005 02:13 GMT

My main problem is how do I get the fields into the mailmerge document in
the first place if it has no source for the mailmerge data nominated inside?

dixie

> Check out OpenDataSource in the Visual Basic help file. It attaches a
> data source to the specified document, which becomes a main document if
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>>>>seeem to be able to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a
>>>>destination for the data to merge.

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Doug Robbins - 26 Jun 2005 05:42 GMT

Using the Fields item from the Insert menu, you can insert mergefields.
They will not work of course until there is a data source attached to the
document and the names of the fields that were inserted manually by this
method must match the names of the fields in the data source.

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Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

> My main problem is how do I get the fields into the mailmerge document in
> the first place if it has no source for the mailmerge data nominated
[quoted text clipped - 39 lines]
>>>>>seeem to be able to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a
>>>>>destination for the data to merge.

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Graham Mayor - 26 Jun 2005 06:04 GMT

As long as you know the field names, you can manually insert fields into
your document without first attaching a data file using CTRL+F9 to set the
field boundaries and the following syntax - {Mergefield fieldname}

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

> My main problem is how do I get the fields into the mailmerge
> document in the first place if it has no source for the mailmerge
[quoted text clipped - 55 lines]
>>>>> a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a destination for the
>>>>> data to merge.

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Dixie - 26 Jun 2005 06:54 GMT

Ah, the light goes on. Thankyou. I am embarassed I didn't think of that.

Thankyou Graham and Doug. I will play around with these concepts and see
what comes of them. Unfortunately, I am up to my hair clips in work right
now, but as soon as I can, I will devote some time to it.

dixie

> As long as you know the field names, you can manually insert fields into
> your document without first attaching a data file using CTRL+F9 to set the
[quoted text clipped - 59 lines]
>>>>>> a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a destination for the
>>>>>> data to merge.

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Dixie - 26 Jun 2005 02:16 GMT

My visual basic help file does not have a reference to OpenDataSource - it
is the Office 2000 one.

dixie

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Doug Robbins - 26 Jun 2005 05:44 GMT

In the visual basic editor, type

ActiveDocument.MailMerge.

After typing the period after MailMerge, the intellisense will display a
list of options which will include OpenDataSource or something equivalent (I
don't have access to 2000 so cannot check). If you select that item and
then press F1, you will get the help information for it.

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Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

> My visual basic help file does not have a reference to OpenDataSource - it
> is the Office 2000 one.
[quoted text clipped - 38 lines]
>>>>>seeem to be able to build a mailmerge Word template that doesn't have a
>>>>>destination for the data to merge.

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