mail merge

[Mark Pearson]

i know I can use the word mail merge built in, but I want to do something a little more in my process to improve the user interface. Baically I can see how to open word using ole.create(). But, when I do this I want to attach the merge structure and also give a name to the document. Ican't seem to get the code correct under this function.


If I use a5_word_merge("New","datafile") I get half way there. This opens and simply gives the doc a name document1 which is the word default. I want to have it named to a user create name before this point. So I am trying to have a user:

1. Decide to add a template.
2. Give it a name before opening word
3. Open word and attach all the default merge fields
4. Save the document using the name at step 2
5. Close

Now my template is added without the user actually now having to attach the template as A5 requires.

Any ideas is appreciated.

Do not - DO NOT - let this stopping you have a great holiday period

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: mail merge

Below is a code snippet that I am sure will help. You need to set all the variables before executing the code, check that file to be saved does not already exist, etc, etc...

WrdApp       = Ole.Create("Word.Application")
WrdDoc       = WrdApp.Documents.Open(cTemplate)
wrdMailMerge = WrdDoc.MailMerge()

WrdMailMerge.OpenDataSource(cDataSource)
WrdApp.visible = .T.
WrdApp.Activate()

WrdMailMerge.Destination = 0
WrdMailMerge.DataSource.FirstRecord = 1
WrdMailMerge.DataSource.LastRecord = 1
WrdMailMerge.Execute()
WrdDoc.close()
WrdApp.ActiveDocument.saveas(cSaveAs)

In this case I have a template that is opened, merged with a datasource (a text file with tab separated values, first line is merge field names, next line is data) and I merge 1 record, in this case from a set, which I why I could not merge direct from Alpha. The script then saves the file with a pre-determined name and leaves the merged and saved document open on the screen.
As a tip, if you record a Macro in Word and look at the code you get a lot of hints as to what you need to do.
Hopefully this explanation is sufficient.
Garry

[Mark Pearson]

Re: mail merge

Thanks Garry,

I will give this all a try. I had actually looked at the record macro option as I have used this for solutions a lot, but I couldn't get the merge result to work in a5.

[Garry Flanigan]

Re: mail merge

The Word VBA commands and syntax do not translate directly to xbasic, but at least you can see what you are trying to achieve and the gap is not huge.
For what you have described my sample should be enouigh and you do not need to bother now with recording a Word macro, but this is a tip, especially if you start playing with sending data to Excel, Outlook, etc..
Garry

[Mark Pearson]

Re: mail merge

Thanks - I got there in the end with a little tweek to achieve what I needed. I wanted the word document to remain open and allow the user to put in their own merge fields - much in the same way as the create new word template works in A5, but I also wanted the document to be named by the user as a new template. so based on your help I have done the following which works.

dim mypth as c
dim mypth1 as c
dim WrdApp as p
dim WrdDpc as P
dim wrdMailMerge as p
dim mydoc1 as c

mydoc1 = "\" + the document name that I get from earlier variables

mydoc1 = a5.Get_Path() + mydoc1 + ".doc"

mypth = a5.Get_Path() + "\templates\mailoutexport.csv"
mypth1 = a5.Get_Path() + "\templates\blank.doc" 'Blank tempate with merge fields embedded alreay

WrdApp = Ole.Create("Word.Application")
WrdDoc = WrdApp.Documents.Open(mypth1)
wrdMailMerge = WrdDoc.MailMerge()

WrdMailMerge.OpenDataSource(mypth)
WrdApp.visible = .T.
WrdApp.Activate()

WrdMailMerge.Destination = 0
WrdMailMerge.DataSource.FirstRecord = 1
WrdMailMerge.DataSource.LastRecord = 1
'WrdMailMerge.Execute()
'WrdDoc.close()
WrdApp.ActiveDocument.saveas(mydoc1)