Hi Peter,
Thanks for the response.
I did use your solution of creating a separate table for the merge data in
Access. This does work a little better. But as for the HTML format problem,
why does an individual email letter sent from Word 2000 send it out in HTML
format to Outlook Express??
thanks Dweezil
"Peter Jamieson" wrote:
In addition to Doug's comments about HTML, FWIW Word 2000 cannot merge to
e-mail using HTML format and no version of Word can merge to e-mail using
HTML format via any version of Outlook Express.
On the issue of getting the data, if the query is the one you describe that
references your Form's category field, then I do not think you will be able
to get the data that is currently selected in the Form (you might be able to
get it via DDE, but I don't know how you guarantee that it is the currently
selected data. As for ODBC, the thing is that Access really consists of two
parts: the thing you can see, i.e. (1) a program that lets you design and
run all those forms and reports, and (2) a data engine called Jet that
stores and supplies all the data. Queries that reference things like
Forms![MyDataEntryForm]![CustomerCategory] make sense to (1) (at least when
the relevant form is open). DDE gets its data via (1). However, ODBC only
looks at (2) and this sort of query is essentially meaningless as far as it
is concerned.
So what can you do to get the data you need? Well, what you probably need is
a button on the form that lets the user export the data they are currently
looking at, either to a table in Access (e.g. you clear the table, then
re-populate it), or to an external file that Word can open. I can't tell you
exactly how to do that, but if you export to a table within Access you need
to be sure that only one person is doing this at a time.
--
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
"Dweezil38" wrote in message
...
I always thought this was easy but evidently not!
Here's what I'm trying to do:
I have an Access 2000 Database with a query that runs and gets Customer
records based on a record showing on a Data Entry Form, eg: Get all
records
where Customer Category = Forms![MyDataEntryForm]![CustomerCategory]
Now I want to create a Word 2000 Form Letter that will merge the data from
the query results and email it out to each individual that has an Email
address. (The Access Query only selects Customers that have a valid email
address)
The Email needs to be sent in HTML Format.
I'm using Outlook Express 2000!
Problems: I understand that my Access Database can not have a unique
Application Title. I also know that when selecting the Data Source for the
Word Form Letter that I should use "MS Access Database via ODBC (*.mdb)".
This should set up the Word document to not open another copy of the
Database
but instead use the copy that is currently open. Is this right?? Should I
use
the "MS Access Database via DDE(*.mdb: *mde)"??? I have found that I get
an
error when I select the "Database via ODBC" and choose the query (View)
that
I want to use. The error says "Word unable to open data Source"?
If I use "MS Access Database via DDE(*.mdb: *mde)" it will link and merge
the data but when I go to the Merge Dialog box in Word, it does not
indicate
that I can specify HTML Format for the email. When I do click on the Merge
button to initiate the merge and send each email letter, I get a message
for
each letter to be sent saying "A program is attempting to send the
following
email message on your behalf, with button to Send and another to Do not
Send.
How can I get around this message poping up for each email letter?
Lastly, once I get to the point of having the email to go the Outbox in
Outlook Express it is not in an HTML Format but instead in plain text????
Wordy question I know but.... how to I get an Access Query and Word to do
an
email mail merge and send out each letter in HTML Format without either
program blowing up and having the user click on some dialog box message
for
each letter????
Thanks in advanced. Dweezil