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Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

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    #1

    Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

    Hi,

    I'm new at A5 so I'll start from the beginning.

    I want to take an existing "postcard" and merge it with my A5 database. What I want to happen is, when I start the merge I will prompted for a "date". I'll input this date and the A5 databse will return only that criteria for the printing of the postcards.

    So first thing first. What do I need to do in A5 to create a dbf file and do I creat a query in A5 that prompts for the date.

    Thanks
    Steve
    Tags: None
    #2
    Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

    Need some clarification. In Alpha, a database is a holder for tables, reports, layouts, etc. A table contains your data. You can view it as a browse or via a form. You normally create a report to print out your data.

    Based on what I just said, could you rephrase your question using the appropriate terminology?

    I'm lost in regards to the postcard and the date.

    Comment

      #3
      Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

      Alpha supports mail merge with Word templates but I doubt you can do the same with Publisher.

      I don't have Publisher to try but you can probably use Alpha's ole methods to drive Publisher.
      There can be only one.

      Comment

        #4
        Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

        HI,

        Sorry for the confusion, let me explain.

        In Publisher you can create a customized post card using their templates. I have done this and I can print 4 postcards per a 8 1/2" x 11" sheet.

        Also in publisher when you want to print a number of different postcards using this template you can integrate this printing with a database, such as, Access or any db4 database (similar to a mail merge) . During the process you choose the fields to integarte with and the printing will print out 4 postcards per sheet with different names and addresses if those were the fields you chose.

        The first thing I tried to do was choose my Alpha 5 Version 9 database (A5v9) but it didn't recognize the extension .adb which I quickly recognized was wrong. I then went to the (one) table that I created in the .adb file which ended in an extension of .dbf.

        According to publisher it should be able to open this type file and read what's in it, i.e. fields, and allow me to choose the fields for integration with this table.

        There's the first problem , it doesn't. This could be an issue with Publisher, or maybe there's an add-on I need to install, I'm looking into that. I was just wondering if anyone else had tried the same thing in the past.

        Once I can integrate with the A5v9 table then my next effort would be to sort the table by a date (or date range) by being prompted for a date (or range) , have the results integrate into the post card template in Publisher and then print out.

        But first the integation!

        Any thoughts?

        Thanks
        Steve

        Comment

          #5
          Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

          Hi Everyone,

          UPDATE !!!

          I now know why the dbf file won't integrate with Publisher. The table that I created had a name longer than 8 characters. Once I shortened the name to 8 characters, Publisher recognized the table and all the fields came up for me to choose. I'm going to play with this a little bit to see if i can figure out how to prompted for date as explaine din my last post.

          Thanks
          Steve

          Comment

            #6
            Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

            What prompts you for a date? Publisher?

            Comment

              #7
              Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

              I'm thinking that Publisher probably won't recognize the order or selection you perform in Alpha. Try copying records from your table to a new temporary table that you use with Publisher. In the copy operation you can specify a filter and an order.

              The temporary table would be emptied before each "run".
              There can be only one.

              Comment

                #8
                Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

                Originally posted by robert View Post
                What prompts you for a date? Publisher?
                Hi,

                No. In the past when I did this, the prompt came from Access. Back then when you ran the query it asked for me to input the date. When I put the date in it would return any records that matched that date and then insert that data into any of the fields that I da chosen for the post card.

                My assumption is that I can simulate this in A5.

                Thanks
                Steve

                Comment

                  #9
                  Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

                  Hi Steve,
                  My assumption is that I can simulate this in A5
                  Your assumption is correct.

                  What Stan is suggesting is that you have a temp table that you print your cards from. You could name this temp table Postcard.

                  This temp table would have records appended to it from an append operation that was filtered from a dialog that asked for the date first.

                  As Stan said, the temp table would have to be Zapped (emptied) first.
                  Last edited by Keith Hubert; 12-03-2009, 01:28 PM.
                  Regards
                  Keith Hubert
                  Alpha Guild Member
                  London.
                  KHDB Management Systems
                  Skype = keith.hubert


                  For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

                  Comment

                    #10
                    Re: Integrating Publisher with Alpha 5 V9

                    Deleted.
                    Last edited by robert; 12-03-2009, 04:18 PM. Reason: Redundant with what Keith said.

                    Comment

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