Is there a way to use a Sharepoint List as a Merge Database source in Word
2003(without having to use Excel or Access as a "middle step"?)

I don't know of a way to do it directly in Word 2003, but I don't know for
sure that it cannot be done.

If information is all held in the sharepoint instance of SQL SERVER used on
the Sharepoint server /and/ external connectivity has been enabled for that
database (and I do not think it is enabled by default) /and/ you have the
necessary permissions to access the necessary database, in which case you
might be able to get the data directly using the SQL Server ODBC driver or
OLEDB provider.

You may be able to issue some Jet SQL in an OpenDataSource call directly
from Word, but if you can, I do not know how to do it. With other types of
provider used by Access, the table name is prefixed by some of the link
information, but I have not been able to deduce what is required in this
case, assuming it is even possible.

You may also be able to use ADOX to create a .mdb on-the-fly and set up a
linked table usig code similar to the code in

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326548/en-us

then connect to that .mdb. That is obviously a "middle step" but if it is
feasible then it only requires the user machine to have ADO, ADOX and Jet
(i.e MDAC+Jet) and does not require a .mdb to be distributed as you can
create it and destroy it on-the-fly. I haven't attempted that yet but it
looks a better bet than the Jet SQL approach suggested above.

Peter Jamieson
"funnybroad" wrote in message
...
Is there a way to use a Sharepoint List as a Merge Database source in Word
2003(without having to use Excel or Access as a "middle step"?)