Home |
Search |
Today's Posts |
#1
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
SQL Message
I have noticed that since being converted to Word XP, performing a mail
merge usually (maybe always?) produces the following dialog box: "Opening this document will run the following SQL command: SELECT * FROM '{gives data file name}' Data from your database will be placed in the document. Do you want to continue? Yes No" Can someone explain to me what all this means? If I client YES, the merge proceeds. However, I don't know how to explain this behavior to others. Thanks! |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
SQL Message
Microsoft has a Knowledgebase article about this:
"Opening This Will Run the Following SQL Command" Message When You Open a Word Document" at http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=825765 However, its explanation is geared to people who know what SQL is and why you might be getting messages about it at this point. I do not work for Microsoft and can only surmise why their software displays this message, but... The overview is that when Word gets data from a data source, it may invoke another program (for example, Access) to do it. It uses the programming language SQL to tell the other program what data it wants. But Word has no control over what that program does - it could in theory do anything within the security constraints imposed by Windows. In other words, you might think you have requested a list of customers with addresses in "Chicago", but a rogue data source might e-mail all those customers, or do something else that has nothing to do with those customers. By prompting before it connects to the data source, Word is in effect saying "what this other program I'm about to invoke does is not my responsibility - are you sure it's going to do what you think?" Precisely what value that has, and what you do about it, is another question. How on earth can an end user know what is going to happen if they click the "Yes" button? (In fact, it's not completely clear from the message what happens if they click the "No" button either :-) ). Chances are, they just try to get to the next step, or ask their supervisor, who probably can't be sure either. In the end, someone in the "chain of command" ends up making a judgment call as to whether executing that SQL query is "safe" or not. In a well-administered system, it probably is. In a well-administered system, it may make sense to suppress the prompt by applying the registry changes described in the article I mentioned. Just by way of example, as far as I know, I have never invoked any unexpected rogue code as a result of answering "Yes" to that question, and tend to apply the KB article so I don't see the question any more. When I suddenly start getting demands for $1000 fom everyone in the world whose name begins with "B" perhaps I will regret it... Peter Jamieson "Brenda Rueter" wrote in message ... I have noticed that since being converted to Word XP, performing a mail merge usually (maybe always?) produces the following dialog box: "Opening this document will run the following SQL command: SELECT * FROM '{gives data file name}' Data from your database will be placed in the document. Do you want to continue? Yes No" Can someone explain to me what all this means? If I client YES, the merge proceeds. However, I don't know how to explain this behavior to others. Thanks! |
#3
Posted to microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields
|
|||
|
|||
SQL Message
Thank you for the explanation. I surmised something similar and decided to
ask the group at large for confirmation. Thanks again. I appreciate your response. "Peter Jamieson" wrote in message ... Microsoft has a Knowledgebase article about this: "Opening This Will Run the Following SQL Command" Message When You Open a Word Document" at http://support.microsoft.com?kbid=825765 However, its explanation is geared to people who know what SQL is and why you might be getting messages about it at this point. I do not work for Microsoft and can only surmise why their software displays this message, but... The overview is that when Word gets data from a data source, it may invoke another program (for example, Access) to do it. It uses the programming language SQL to tell the other program what data it wants. But Word has no control over what that program does - it could in theory do anything within the security constraints imposed by Windows. In other words, you might think you have requested a list of customers with addresses in "Chicago", but a rogue data source might e-mail all those customers, or do something else that has nothing to do with those customers. By prompting before it connects to the data source, Word is in effect saying "what this other program I'm about to invoke does is not my responsibility - are you sure it's going to do what you think?" Precisely what value that has, and what you do about it, is another question. How on earth can an end user know what is going to happen if they click the "Yes" button? (In fact, it's not completely clear from the message what happens if they click the "No" button either :-) ). Chances are, they just try to get to the next step, or ask their supervisor, who probably can't be sure either. In the end, someone in the "chain of command" ends up making a judgment call as to whether executing that SQL query is "safe" or not. In a well-administered system, it probably is. In a well-administered system, it may make sense to suppress the prompt by applying the registry changes described in the article I mentioned. Just by way of example, as far as I know, I have never invoked any unexpected rogue code as a result of answering "Yes" to that question, and tend to apply the KB article so I don't see the question any more. When I suddenly start getting demands for $1000 fom everyone in the world whose name begins with "B" perhaps I will regret it... Peter Jamieson "Brenda Rueter" wrote in message ... I have noticed that since being converted to Word XP, performing a mail merge usually (maybe always?) produces the following dialog box: "Opening this document will run the following SQL command: SELECT * FROM '{gives data file name}' Data from your database will be placed in the document. Do you want to continue? Yes No" Can someone explain to me what all this means? If I client YES, the merge proceeds. However, I don't know how to explain this behavior to others. Thanks! |
Reply |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Forum | |||
Fields? | Formatting Long Documents | |||
Disable a startup message in Microsoft Word | Microsoft Word Help | |||
footnote continued message causes line numbers to disappear | Page Layout | |||
I have an error message when I try to use page setup | Page Layout | |||
I get the message Microsoft Office 2000 premium error 1706 | Microsoft Word Help |