Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
How to get Word using sharepoint list?
Not sure if this is the right place to post this.
I have a sharepoint list with userinfo data eg. email, street, phonenumber and so on. Is there a way to get Word connection to the sharepoint list as data source for mail merge? Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
How to get Word using sharepoint list?
Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003
Can you also use Access 2003/2007, or set up an Access database using them? (The simplest approach is to create a linked table to a Sharepoint list using Access, then use that as the data source for a Word MailMerge). Peter Jamieson "Sren Dalhoff" wrote in message ... Not sure if this is the right place to post this. I have a sharepoint list with userinfo data eg. email, street, phonenumber and so on. Is there a way to get Word connection to the sharepoint list as data source for mail merge? Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 |
#3
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
How to get Word using sharepoint list?
To me it does not make sence. Sharepoint is running on a SQL database and
then having another DB pointing to it. This shounds not like the right appoarch. "Peter Jamieson" wrote: Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 Can you also use Access 2003/2007, or set up an Access database using them? (The simplest approach is to create a linked table to a Sharepoint list using Access, then use that as the data source for a Word MailMerge). Peter Jamieson "Søren Dalhoff" wrote in message ... Not sure if this is the right place to post this. I have a sharepoint list with userinfo data eg. email, street, phonenumber and so on. Is there a way to get Word connection to the sharepoint list as data source for mail merge? Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 |
#4
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
How to get Word using sharepoint list?
To me it does not make sence. Sharepoint is running on a SQL database and
then having another DB pointing to it. This shounds not like the right appoarch. My understanding of Sharepoint is that its SQL database is for internal use and that accessing it directly rather than going through Sharepoint interfaces is poor practice and likely to compromise security. I have managed to do it before, but I'm not sure I can work it all out again. If you already have an OLEDB (or ODBC) connection string that works for another application on the system you want to use, it may be possible to re-use that to make an office .odc that will connect correctly. If you don't, it's probably better to ask in a Sharepoint group if anyone has examples of such stuff. Otherwise, I think the following connectivity problems have to be considered and solved: a. do you have access to the Sharepoint SQL Server database at all (I mean, when logged in as the user who will be doing the merge)? As I understand it, Sharepoint has access, but no-one else does. b. if you do have access, fine. If you don't, you are probably going to have to grant general permissions to that user, or specific permissions for lists you want to use in MailMerge. So you need to know how to connect to the Sharepoint SQL Server instance, log in with administrator rights, and change stuff c. you may also find that the Sharepoint SQL Server has been configured so that it will not allow remote access at all, in which case you would have to be in a position to change that setting. That may only apply to stuff based on SQL Server 2005. d. if you've done all that then you'll have a chance of making a connection - in Word the simplest approach is probably to use a .odc file to do it. Which is why I said that connecting via an Access database is probably the simplest approach. All the facilities are there to make connections to Sharepoint lists - as far as I know these connections are not directly to the SQL Server instance that Sharepoint uses, but via some WSS framework (probably uses SOAP calls or some such). Once you have created a linked list in Access, theonly problem Word has is that when it tries to connect it defaults to OLEDB, which doesn't see the linked table - or any query that does "SELECT * FROM [mylinkedtablename]". But if you make the connection using VBA, it seems to work anyway, e.g. ActiveDocument.MailMerge.OpenDataSource _ Name:="c:\mywssdbs\wssdb.mdb", _ SQLStatement:="SELECT * FROM [mylinkedtablename]" I even have some code here to create a linked WSS table using ADO/ADOX, but the problem I came across is that you have to know the internal list name for the Sharepoint list. These names are some form of GUID and whereas the Access WSS stuff obviously knows how to go and find them, I don't (yet). Peter Jamieson frankly, for the amount of data you would typically have to store /its/ data and that direct access to that database should be and is restricted. Sharepoint users see the interfaces that Sharepoint presents, not its valuable data store. So to make a connection to that Sharepoint store you have to solve all the connectivity issues, which will include: a. Identifying the correct SQL Server server and instance name b. discovering how database security is set up (I assume it's always integrated security these days) In other words, if you want to wade through all the connectivity issues associated with connecting to the correct Sharepoint server instance on the correct server, that's up to you. I have managed to do that before, but it was a non-trivial exercise and I'm not sure I can do it again with the current version of SharePoint. For example a. the user making the connection will need the necessary permissions to access the list data. I doubt if any users in a typical configuration have those permissions b. If you want to connect directly to the Sharepoint SQL Server database, So you already know how to do it in theory - create a .odc file that points to the Sharepoint SQL Server database and connect to that. "Sren Dalhoff" wrote in message ... To me it does not make sence. Sharepoint is running on a SQL database and then having another DB pointing to it. This shounds not like the right appoarch. "Peter Jamieson" wrote: Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 Can you also use Access 2003/2007, or set up an Access database using them? (The simplest approach is to create a linked table to a Sharepoint list using Access, then use that as the data source for a Word MailMerge). Peter Jamieson "Sren Dalhoff" wrote in message ... Not sure if this is the right place to post this. I have a sharepoint list with userinfo data eg. email, street, phonenumber and so on. Is there a way to get Word connection to the sharepoint list as data source for mail merge? Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 |
#5
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
How to get Word using sharepoint list?
I see what you are saying now that is has been pinpointed all the aspects. Defiantly do not want Word access SQL directly even that I have the full control of SQL. That will make a security issue out of it especially if others are going to use this Word doc. Honestly I havent used Access at all and it sounded strange that Word didnt have the same features to connect to the SharePoint list. So I started Access and less than a split second (not more than a minute or 2 ) I could see all live data from the Sharepoint list. I didnt believe it could be that easy. Now trying to figure out to save so Word can use it. Thanks Peter "Peter Jamieson" wrote: To me it does not make sence. Sharepoint is running on a SQL database and then having another DB pointing to it. This shounds not like the right appoarch. My understanding of Sharepoint is that its SQL database is for internal use and that accessing it directly rather than going through Sharepoint interfaces is poor practice and likely to compromise security. I have managed to do it before, but I'm not sure I can work it all out again. If you already have an OLEDB (or ODBC) connection string that works for another application on the system you want to use, it may be possible to re-use that to make an office .odc that will connect correctly. If you don't, it's probably better to ask in a Sharepoint group if anyone has examples of such stuff. Otherwise, I think the following connectivity problems have to be considered and solved: a. do you have access to the Sharepoint SQL Server database at all (I mean, when logged in as the user who will be doing the merge)? As I understand it, Sharepoint has access, but no-one else does. b. if you do have access, fine. If you don't, you are probably going to have to grant general permissions to that user, or specific permissions for lists you want to use in MailMerge. So you need to know how to connect to the Sharepoint SQL Server instance, log in with administrator rights, and change stuff c. you may also find that the Sharepoint SQL Server has been configured so that it will not allow remote access at all, in which case you would have to be in a position to change that setting. That may only apply to stuff based on SQL Server 2005. d. if you've done all that then you'll have a chance of making a connection - in Word the simplest approach is probably to use a .odc file to do it. Which is why I said that connecting via an Access database is probably the simplest approach. All the facilities are there to make connections to Sharepoint lists - as far as I know these connections are not directly to the SQL Server instance that Sharepoint uses, but via some WSS framework (probably uses SOAP calls or some such). Once you have created a linked list in Access, theonly problem Word has is that when it tries to connect it defaults to OLEDB, which doesn't see the linked table - or any query that does "SELECT * FROM [mylinkedtablename]". But if you make the connection using VBA, it seems to work anyway, e.g. ActiveDocument.MailMerge.OpenDataSource _ Name:="c:\mywssdbs\wssdb.mdb", _ SQLStatement:="SELECT * FROM [mylinkedtablename]" I even have some code here to create a linked WSS table using ADO/ADOX, but the problem I came across is that you have to know the internal list name for the Sharepoint list. These names are some form of GUID and whereas the Access WSS stuff obviously knows how to go and find them, I don't (yet). Peter Jamieson frankly, for the amount of data you would typically have to store /its/ data and that direct access to that database should be and is restricted. Sharepoint users see the interfaces that Sharepoint presents, not its valuable data store. So to make a connection to that Sharepoint store you have to solve all the connectivity issues, which will include: a. Identifying the correct SQL Server server and instance name b. discovering how database security is set up (I assume it's always integrated security these days) In other words, if you want to wade through all the connectivity issues associated with connecting to the correct Sharepoint server instance on the correct server, that's up to you. I have managed to do that before, but it was a non-trivial exercise and I'm not sure I can do it again with the current version of SharePoint. For example a. the user making the connection will need the necessary permissions to access the list data. I doubt if any users in a typical configuration have those permissions b. If you want to connect directly to the Sharepoint SQL Server database, So you already know how to do it in theory - create a .odc file that points to the Sharepoint SQL Server database and connect to that. "Søren Dalhoff" wrote in message ... To me it does not make sence. Sharepoint is running on a SQL database and then having another DB pointing to it. This shounds not like the right appoarch. "Peter Jamieson" wrote: Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 Can you also use Access 2003/2007, or set up an Access database using them? (The simplest approach is to create a linked table to a Sharepoint list using Access, then use that as the data source for a Word MailMerge). Peter Jamieson "Søren Dalhoff" wrote in message ... Not sure if this is the right place to post this. I have a sharepoint list with userinfo data eg. email, street, phonenumber and so on. Is there a way to get Word connection to the sharepoint list as data source for mail merge? Product using Word 2007, Word 2003, SBS 2003 |
Reply |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Word 97 in Windows XP to maintain formatting | Microsoft Word Help | |||
Converting WordPerfect 12 files to Word 2003 | New Users | |||
Why dont MS just f**king re-write Word from scratch? Its dogsh*t | Microsoft Word Help | |||
How to put graphics on envelopes? | Microsoft Word Help | |||
Word & WordPerfect | Microsoft Word Help |