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#1
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Using Excel as source data - can't edit
I have an excel spreadsheet that is setup with the fields across the top
row. I can use it as the source data for my word merge, but I cannot edit from Word, nor can I open the data source from within Word. I have to open it separately, make the changes, then reopen the Word document. Is there a way to make this work more smoothly. |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
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Using Excel as source data - can't edit
If you're using Excel as a datasource, the only really congenial approach
that allows editing+merging without having to close your Excel file is to use the old DDE method to connect to Excel. However, this has other potential disadvantages (e.g. it favours connection to the first sheet in your workbook and does not let Unicode characters through). But to do it, in Word 2002/2003, check Tools|Options|general|"Confirm conversion at open", go through the process of connecting to your data again, and select the DDE option in the additional prompt that appears. Then ,what should happen is that when Word opens your mail merge main document, it a. sees if Excel is already open. If not, Word tries to open Excel b. asks Excel via DDE whether the workbook you specified is open. if not, Word asks Excel to open it c. asks Excel for the data on the worksheet. Because the sheet is open, you can edit the data. but in Word, you may need to refresh Word's view of the data. In this case I can't tell you any more what you have to do, but d. Word may do it automatically from time to time e. if not, if you open Word's Mail merge Recipients dialog box, you may be able to click a Refresh button f. if you added columns or made really significant changes to data types or structures in Excel, you might have to re-connect to your data source to get Word to see the changes. Peter Jamieson "Cowtoon" wrote in message ... I have an excel spreadsheet that is setup with the fields across the top row. I can use it as the source data for my word merge, but I cannot edit from Word, nor can I open the data source from within Word. I have to open it separately, make the changes, then reopen the Word document. Is there a way to make this work more smoothly. |
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