[subhasis]

Hi,

I am using text file as a datasource for mail merge in Word 2007. When I
changed the location of the file to another directory and at the time of
reassigning that path to the mail merge document a Dialog box is being show
asking for the Tab delimited value option. Even after saving and agian
opening the same document the dialog box still shows.

Please help me how can that dialog box will be avoided once after changing
the datasource and saving it ?

Thanks in advance

[Peter Jamieson]

Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", where
you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?

If not. please can you describe the dialog box you are seeing.

If it is, the only explanation I know is that Word sets up the
connection differently depending on whether or not it asked you to
"Confirm Data Source" after you originally selected the data source. The
two known reasons that Word would display the "Confirm Data Source"
dialog a
a. you checked Word Office Button-WOrd
Options-Advanced-General-Confirm File Format Conversion on Open
b. Word did not recognise the file type and format of the file you
were trying to use (it might do that if the file had an extension you
did not recognise)

If you didn't do (a), and Word recognises the file type, then when you
set up the data source the first time, Word does not display the Confirm
Data Source dialog box and does not prompt for a delimiter. When you
close and re-open the file, Word only displays the "SQL warning" (and in
this case, it will probably show the real data source file path). It
doesn't ask for the delimiter.

If you did 9a) or Word odes not recognise the file format, after you
select the file when you set up the data source, you will see the
Confirm Data Source dialog. The chances are that here will only be one
option, namely "OLE DB Databases". You can't avoid selecting it, click
OK, then see the "Text File Connection Parameters" box (twice, usually).
Then, when you save and re-open the document, you see the "SQL warning"
(probably showing a temp pathname rather than the real file path),
followed by the "Text File Connection Parameters" box.

So to fix that, you can try:
a. open your mail merge main document and go through all the
connection stuff.
b. select Mailings tab-Start Mailmerge-Normal Word Document
c. save and close the document
d. Uncheck Word Office Button-Word
Options-Advanced-General-Confirm File Format Conversion on Open
e. re-open your mail merge main document
f. re-connect to your data source
g. save and close your document.

(steps (a) to (c) may not be needed but are here just in case).

I wouldn't be surprised if that was not enough to fix the problem but
a. it's what I'd try first
b. it would be useful to know whether it does or does not do the
trick, so please post back either way.
c. if it does not work, there are one or two other possibilities.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 08/01/2010 12:34, Subhasis wrote:
Hi,

I am using text file as a datasource for mail merge in Word 2007. When I
changed the location of the file to another directory and at the time of
reassigning that path to the mail merge document a Dialog box is being show
asking for the Tab delimited value option. Even after saving and agian
opening the same document the dialog box still shows.

Please help me how can that dialog box will be avoided once after changing
the datasource and saving it ?

Thanks in advance

[Subhasis Hota]

The dialog box appears once you save the document after changing the text datasource in a mailmerge ddocument and again re-opening the document.

The mentioned way didnot work for me. Do you have any other way of doing the same.



Peter Jamieson wrote:

Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", whereyou get
08-Jan-10

Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", where
you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?

If not. please can you describe the dialog box you are seeing.

If it is, the only explanation I know is that Word sets up the
connection differently depending on whether or not it asked you to
"Confirm Data Source" after you originally selected the data source. The
two known reasons that Word would display the "Confirm Data Source"
dialog a
a. you checked Word Office Button-WOrd
Options-Advanced-General-Confirm File Format Conversion on Open
b. Word did not recognise the file type and format of the file you
were trying to use (it might do that if the file had an extension you
did not recognise)

If you did not do (a), and Word recognises the file type, then when you
set up the data source the first time, Word does not display the Confirm
Data Source dialog box and does not prompt for a delimiter. When you
close and re-open the file, Word only displays the "SQL warning" (and in
this case, it will probably show the real data source file path). It
does not ask for the delimiter.

If you did 9a) or Word odes not recognise the file format, after you
select the file when you set up the data source, you will see the
Confirm Data Source dialog. The chances are that here will only be one
option, namely "OLE DB Databases". You cannot avoid selecting it, click
OK, then see the "Text File Connection Parameters" box (twice, usually).
Then, when you save and re-open the document, you see the "SQL warning"
(probably showing a temp pathname rather than the real file path),
followed by the "Text File Connection Parameters" box.

So to fix that, you can try:
a. open your mail merge main document and go through all the
connection stuff.
b. select Mailings tab-Start Mailmerge-Normal Word Document
c. save and close the document
d. Uncheck Word Office Button-Word
Options-Advanced-General-Confirm File Format Conversion on Open
e. re-open your mail merge main document
f. re-connect to your data source
g. save and close your document.

(steps (a) to (c) may not be needed but are here just in case).

I would not be surprised if that was not enough to fix the problem but
a. it is what I'd try first
b. it would be useful to know whether it does or does not do the
trick, so please post back either way.
c. if it does not work, there are one or two other possibilities.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 08/01/2010 12:34, Subhasis wrote:

Previous Posts In This Thread:

On Friday, January 08, 2010 7:34 AM
Subhasis wrote:

Mail Merge Data source
Hi,

I am using text file as a datasource for mail merge in Word 2007. When I
changed the location of the file to another directory and at the time of
reassigning that path to the mail merge document a Dialog box is being show
asking for the Tab delimited value option. Even after saving and agian
opening the same document the dialog box still shows.

Please help me how can that dialog box will be avoided once after changing
the datasource and saving it ?

Thanks in advance

On Friday, January 08, 2010 11:31 AM
Peter Jamieson wrote:

Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", whereyou get
Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", where
you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?

If not. please can you describe the dialog box you are seeing.

If it is, the only explanation I know is that Word sets up the
connection differently depending on whether or not it asked you to
"Confirm Data Source" after you originally selected the data source. The
two known reasons that Word would display the "Confirm Data Source"
dialog a
a. you checked Word Office Button-WOrd
Options-Advanced-General-Confirm File Format Conversion on Open
b. Word did not recognise the file type and format of the file you
were trying to use (it might do that if the file had an extension you
did not recognise)

If you did not do (a), and Word recognises the file type, then when you
set up the data source the first time, Word does not display the Confirm
Data Source dialog box and does not prompt for a delimiter. When you
close and re-open the file, Word only displays the "SQL warning" (and in
this case, it will probably show the real data source file path). It
does not ask for the delimiter.

If you did 9a) or Word odes not recognise the file format, after you
select the file when you set up the data source, you will see the
Confirm Data Source dialog. The chances are that here will only be one
option, namely "OLE DB Databases". You cannot avoid selecting it, click
OK, then see the "Text File Connection Parameters" box (twice, usually).
Then, when you save and re-open the document, you see the "SQL warning"
(probably showing a temp pathname rather than the real file path),
followed by the "Text File Connection Parameters" box.

So to fix that, you can try:
a. open your mail merge main document and go through all the
connection stuff.
b. select Mailings tab-Start Mailmerge-Normal Word Document
c. save and close the document
d. Uncheck Word Office Button-Word
Options-Advanced-General-Confirm File Format Conversion on Open
e. re-open your mail merge main document
f. re-connect to your data source
g. save and close your document.

(steps (a) to (c) may not be needed but are here just in case).

I would not be surprised if that was not enough to fix the problem but
a. it is what I'd try first
b. it would be useful to know whether it does or does not do the
trick, so please post back either way.
c. if it does not work, there are one or two other possibilities.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 08/01/2010 12:34, Subhasis wrote:


Submitted via EggHeadCafe - Software Developer Portal of Choice
XML/XPath Query On Attributes
http://www.eggheadcafe.com/tutorials...on-attrib.aspx

[Peter Jamieson]

Can you answer two questions please?

----------------
1. Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters",
where you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?

2. Are you saving as .docx or .doc ?
----------------


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 29/01/2010 11:08, Subhasis Hota wrote:
Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", where
you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?

[subhasis]

(1)Yes the dialogbox is showing that only.
(2)I am saving as .docx.

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Can you answer two questions please?

----------------
1. Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters",
where you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?

2. Are you saving as .docx or .doc ?
----------------


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 29/01/2010 11:08, Subhasis Hota wrote:
Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", where
you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?
.

[Peter Jamieson]

You can try the following. Before you do, it may be worth verifying that
the other approach I described does not work. To do that, I would start
with a completely blank document, and ensure that the "Confirm
conversions on open" option is unchecked. If you find that that works,
then it is possible that there is something wrong with your existing
document, and it may be worth copying its contents to that new document
and trying again. Also, if the file is not a .txt or .csv file, try
renaming it to .txt and try again.

The overview:
a. you create a .odc (Office Data(base) Connection) file that
specifies connection info. for your text file.
b. you create, or edit, a schema.ini file that tells OLE DB that your
file is tab-delimited
c. you go through the connection process again, and connect to the
..odc instead of your text file.

The details. Let's suppose your data source is called mydata.txt and is
in a folder called c:\myfiles.

First, edit/create schema.ini:-
a. In the folder that contains your data source file (e.g.
c:\myfiles), look for a file called "schema.ini". If there isn't one,
use Notepad to create one - when you first save it, put double quotes
around the name "schema.ini", otherwise Notepad will probably name the
file schema.ini.txt.
b. if there is already an entry that starts with
[mydata.txt]
then edit that entry. Otherwise, create that entry (say, at the bottom
of the list). NB. it is possible that other software on your system also
uses this entry - for example, if the file is imported into Access or
exported from Access, someone else may have set up the schema.ini entry,
and in that case you should probably leave it alone.
c. If your file is Tab-delimited, the entry needs to look something
like this:

[mydata.txt]
ColNameHeader=True
Format=TabDelimited
MaxScanRows=25

If it is Comma-delimited you would need

[mydata.txt]
ColNameHeader=True
Format=CSVDelimited
MaxScanRows=25

If it is something else, for example ";", you can use

[mydata.txt]
ColNameHeader=True
Format=Delimited(
MaxScanRows=25

d. save and close SCHEMA.INI.


Next, create a suitable .odc file. There are two approaches:
a. use Word's built-in procedure
b. copy an existing one and edit it by hand in Notepad.

I will try to lead you through (a):
- Open a blank Word document
- Choose Mailings tab-Start Mail Merge group-Select Recipients-Use
Existing List...
- Don't bother to select anything in the list of files
- click New Source...
- select Other/Advanced and click Next
- in the list of providers, choose
Microsoft Office 12.0 Access Database Engine OLE DB Provider
(i you do not see that,use
Microsoft Jet 4.0 OLE DB Provider)
- click Next
- In the Connection tab, in the Data Source field, insert the
pathname of the /folder/ that contains your text file (e.g. c:\myfiles).
The provider regards the folder as a "database" and the text files in it
as "tables"
- click on the All tab
- double-click Extend Properties and enter the following in the
dialog box:
HDR=YES
- click OK to exit that dialog box
in the Mailings tab, click
- further down the list, double-click on
Jet OLE DB:Engine Type
- enter 96 and accept the value. This tells the provider that our
database is a folder of text files.
- go back to the Connection tab and click Test Connection. If the
connection does not succeed, we won't be able to get any further.
- if the test succeeds, click OK.
- You should now see a "Select Database and Table" dialog. Your text
file should be listed, although instead of the usual "." before the
extension, you will see a #, e.g. mydata#txt (Sorry, I should have asked
what the file extension is - if it is not one of a small number of
prespecified extensions then you will need to rename it).
- select that, and proceed through the remainder of the wizard. I
suggest you name the .odc "mydata.odc"
- eventually, Word will prompt you for the file to connect to and you
choose mydata.odc.

Now try connecting your real document to the .odc data source, and see
if that fixes the problem.

No, I don't like it much either.

Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 01/02/2010 09:48, Subhasis wrote:
(1)Yes the dialogbox is showing that only.
(2)I am saving as .docx.

"Peter Jamieson" wrote:

Can you answer two questions please?

----------------
1. Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters",
where you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?

2. Are you saving as .docx or .doc ?
----------------


Peter Jamieson

http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk

On 29/01/2010 11:08, Subhasis Hota wrote:
Is this the dialog box titled "Text File Connection Parameters", where
you get to choose between Tab, Comma, or Other?
.