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#1
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Missing tables and queries in mail merge
Our firm uses Office 2003 (Access and Word)
We have general database with client and other information that was programmed by an outside firm. I created several smaller databases with tables linked to this general db. We have letters and forms where I want to use the information from these smaller dbs to do a mail merge. However, when I create the document and then try to link the recipients to these smaller dbs, none of the linked tables or queries based on these linked tables appear in the dialog box as data sources. The only tables and queries that appear as choices are those tables unique to that smaller db and the queries based on those tables. Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it is? Is there any solution as I cannot create the necessary queries in the main db. Rick |
#2
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Missing tables and queries in mail merge
One way around the problem would be to change the type of query to a "Make
table query" so that a table with the data is created in the smaller data base. If the data in the main data base changes, you would then need to re-run that query to replace/update the table however. -- 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 "Richard" wrote in message ... Our firm uses Office 2003 (Access and Word) We have general database with client and other information that was programmed by an outside firm. I created several smaller databases with tables linked to this general db. We have letters and forms where I want to use the information from these smaller dbs to do a mail merge. However, when I create the document and then try to link the recipients to these smaller dbs, none of the linked tables or queries based on these linked tables appear in the dialog box as data sources. The only tables and queries that appear as choices are those tables unique to that smaller db and the queries based on those tables. Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it is? Is there any solution as I cannot create the necessary queries in the main db. Rick |
#3
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Missing tables and queries in mail merge
Thanks Doug. The solution is less than ideal as you note. We would have to
remember to run the query before opening Word to prepare the document. Is this a situation of which Microsoft is aware and just doesn't care? Our system worked flawlessly in Office 97. Now we are really stuck. I thought an upgrade was supposed to improve productivity, not lessen it. Rick Youngman "Doug Robbins - Word MVP" wrote: One way around the problem would be to change the type of query to a "Make table query" so that a table with the data is created in the smaller data base. If the data in the main data base changes, you would then need to re-run that query to replace/update the table however. -- 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 "Richard" wrote in message ... Our firm uses Office 2003 (Access and Word) We have general database with client and other information that was programmed by an outside firm. I created several smaller databases with tables linked to this general db. We have letters and forms where I want to use the information from these smaller dbs to do a mail merge. However, when I create the document and then try to link the recipients to these smaller dbs, none of the linked tables or queries based on these linked tables appear in the dialog box as data sources. The only tables and queries that appear as choices are those tables unique to that smaller db and the queries based on those tables. Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it is? Is there any solution as I cannot create the necessary queries in the main db. Rick |
#4
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Missing tables and queries in mail merge
There were lots of changes to mailmerge between Word 2000 and 2003 - you are
simply coming to the table a little later than most. -- Graham Mayor - Word MVP My web site www.gmayor.com Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org Richard wrote: Thanks Doug. The solution is less than ideal as you note. We would have to remember to run the query before opening Word to prepare the document. Is this a situation of which Microsoft is aware and just doesn't care? Our system worked flawlessly in Office 97. Now we are really stuck. I thought an upgrade was supposed to improve productivity, not lessen it. Rick Youngman "Doug Robbins - Word MVP" wrote: One way around the problem would be to change the type of query to a "Make table query" so that a table with the data is created in the smaller data base. If the data in the main data base changes, you would then need to re-run that query to replace/update the table however. -- 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 "Richard" wrote in message ... Our firm uses Office 2003 (Access and Word) We have general database with client and other information that was programmed by an outside firm. I created several smaller databases with tables linked to this general db. We have letters and forms where I want to use the information from these smaller dbs to do a mail merge. However, when I create the document and then try to link the recipients to these smaller dbs, none of the linked tables or queries based on these linked tables appear in the dialog box as data sources. The only tables and queries that appear as choices are those tables unique to that smaller db and the queries based on those tables. Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it is? Is there any solution as I cannot create the necessary queries in the main db. Rick |
#5
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Missing tables and queries in mail merge
That's interesting, because although I do not see the linked tables here, I
do see queries based on the linked tables (either a simple SELECT * FROM linked_table_name, or (marginally) more complicated queries based on multiple linked tables) That's in the list of tables and queries presented by the OLE DB provider, which is titled "Select Table" and just shows the tables and queries it sees, plus "OK" and "Cancel" buttons. So if that's the dialog box you are seeing and you can't even see the /queries/, perhaps there is another issue. The usualy reason why you don't see queries via OLE DB is because they are parameter queries, but there are other reasons - e.g. I don't think you will normally see queries with the financial "series" functions in them, or Union queries. However, if you are seeing a dialog box titled "Select Table" but with a drop-down showing the database path name, and "Options...", "OK" and Cancel, then you are seeing the ODBC dialog box. By default in Word 2003 you should only see that if the OLE DB provider has failed to connect at all, and in fact I would expect you to see a "Datalink dialog box" in that case, but if you are seeing the ODBC dialog box you probably won't see any queries at all - make sure the correct database is listed (if you can - if the pathname is too long it's difficult to see), then click Options..., check all 4 boxes in there, and the queries /and/ the links should show up. You can also choose ODBC by checking Word|Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversions at open" - when you go through the data source selection process, you see an additional dialog box that lets you pick the ODBC option, as long as a suitable ODBC DSN exists, which by default, it should. However, there are some gotchas when using ODBC, e.g.: a. you won't see non-ANSI Unicode characters in the data b. some of the default formatting (e.g. with date fields) is different from what you normally see when using OLE DB, and you would typically have to use Word field formatting switches to fix it. I agree about the ease of use issue, but unfortunately, we are stuck with it. I've often been tempted to write a replacement connection routine to try to make it easier for the users but the trouble with that is that it would have to be able to do everything Word can do, would have to do it at least as well, and you also have to incorporate it into Word in a way that seems at least as seamless to the user as the built-in method. Otherwise, it just makes things worse. And people such as yourself probably have to be able to distribute it, quite probably in hostile administrative backgrounds (i.e. no-one wants to allow additional risks onto their network). Then you have to support it :-) Peter Jamieson "Richard" wrote in message ... Our firm uses Office 2003 (Access and Word) We have general database with client and other information that was programmed by an outside firm. I created several smaller databases with tables linked to this general db. We have letters and forms where I want to use the information from these smaller dbs to do a mail merge. However, when I create the document and then try to link the recipients to these smaller dbs, none of the linked tables or queries based on these linked tables appear in the dialog box as data sources. The only tables and queries that appear as choices are those tables unique to that smaller db and the queries based on those tables. Am I doing something wrong or is this just the way it is? Is there any solution as I cannot create the necessary queries in the main db. Rick |
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