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Mail merge with Word

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    Mail merge with Word

    I can't get this feature to work. I am using this is the sequence of selections:

    Tools
    Mail merge with word
    New Word template
    Current record only
    OK

    This produces the message "establishing communication with word"

    Followed immediately by the error message box "Could not open data source"
    and a "wait" message box stating "Word is opening the merge data source" with a blue progress bar which repeats again and again.

    This blue progress bar cannot be closed without closing Alpha.

    #2
    Re: Mail merge with Word

    it does take a while for a5 to merge to word, i use mail merge daily you have to make sure that the logged in user for the computer has read and write permission the first time i got it to work after hours it was a slow go just let it run and walk away, it will pop a dialog saying an ole object is taking longer than expected yada yada click ok to wait, then walk away
    make sure to use taskmanager to close WINWORD.EXE after a fail attempt maybe even a reboot.
    https://www.housingeducator.org
    k3srg

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Mail merge with Word

      I use Mail Merge also, and had the same frustration at the beginning. If you are trying to merge a "SET" you will get this error. Word CAN NOT merge with a set, must be a flat file, in other words one row. I was able to make work by first doing a join and then a merge and use the merge table to use with my word. I created a button they hit to create the document, but behind the scenes you do the two operations and then the merge. No getting around it being slow, but it works without errors and hanging up.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Mail merge with Word

        Hi All,

        I have just tested the connection to Word and can confirm I had the same dialogs as Steve M. However my patience was rewarded after waiting for some time Word did open and allowed Mail Merge.

        I also went back and tested Word against a Set. This time Word opened instantly and all fields were available. Word will work off a Set as well as a single table.

        It seems that after the first time a link is built to Word it is held in memory and then works as expected.

        I dont know what will happen after a reboot yet.
        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


          #5
          Re: Mail merge with Word

          Hi Keith,

          I have been having difficulties with Mail merge from A5 v9 to Word 2003. The data is in a 3 table set, and Word shows all the correct fields in the set while I ma creating the template, but when I do the Mail Merge, only the data from the parent table populates the template. I was just searching on here to see if I could find an answer... any thoughts? Gerry

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Mail merge with Word

            I've found the answer, thanks.... Alpha doesn't export the one - many link child table data. I'll have to figure a way round

            Gerry

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Mail merge with Word

              Depending on the desired outcome, you can create a copy operation to copy records from a set to a new table using fields from any/all of the tables in the set. Then merge with that table...........
              There can be only one.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Mail merge with Word

                I do this a lot - the best work around(and for your FYI this isn't an Alpha limitation, but a Word limitation - it can only merge one line of record - a flat table) used Mapped tables - works great and you can just limit the actual table you merge from to the fields you use for the merge - its seemless -

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Mail merge with Word

                  That sounds great, thankyou. I've setup a mapped table, but I'm not sure how to switch from the set to the mapped table:

                  I'm using Alpha 5 V9 and I have a Client table which links 1 - many with Agreements table using client_id. Agreements table links to Lender with 1 - 1 link Lender_id.

                  Basically, each client has between 4 & 15 agreements, and each of those agreements has one Lender. The Client and Agreement tables each have about 35 fields, and Lender has about 15.

                  I have got a main input form which uses a set with Clients as the parent and agreements & Lender tables as child. The main tab on the form allows the user to add/amend clients then a second tab allows user to add and amend agreements. So, on the first tab, using pre-defined buttons, the user can step through or browse by client. The second tab uses a sub form by agreement, so the user can then see all the agreements for the selected client.

                  The idea is that the user adds a new client, then adds the agreements for that client. A "Send a letter" button then updates the relevant date field in the agreements table, and does a mail merge with Word for the single record. The data for the merge comes from the Clients, agreements and lenders tables - hence the problem.

                  Finally, my question - do I re-write the forms to be based on the mapped table, or do I leave the input forms based on the existing set. If so, how do I get to the same record on the mapped table to create the mail merge. Is there an easy way, preferably without having to write code - I am trying to use just action scripting.

                  I could use one huge flat file to replace the three tables, but I need to be able to select by or skip through the records by client. One flat file or mapped file would inevitably be by agreement not client.

                  Hope that makes sense - fingers crossed - Gerry

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Re: Mail merge with Word

                    Hi Gerry,

                    Just use the flat table for your merge, everything remains the same.

                    I would suggest that Stan's recommendation works best.
                    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


                      #11
                      Re: Mail merge with Word

                      I am having an issue getting AA to merge with Office 15. The path to the executable is:
                      "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office 15\root\office15\WINWORD.EXE"
                      I am trying to merge one record from a table (not a set) and the "Wait" "Word is opening the merge data source." dialog box just keeps looking.
                      Any thoughts?
                      Thanks,
                      Jay
                      Jay Talbott
                      Lexington, KY

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Mail merge with Word

                        Well, that was easy, and this is embarrassing. I had Open Office as my default, and when I changed the default word processor to Work, it worked.
                        Thanks for watching from home (and not laughing too loud).
                        Jay
                        Jay Talbott
                        Lexington, KY

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Mail merge with Word

                          Now I have a client who is having the same issue as I was. He has Word 2013 as the default program to open .doc and .docx files.
                          From a default browse, clicking on the Excel button will export the data to an Excel spreadsheet, but trying to do a mail merge results in Alpha not being able to find Word and not being able to complete the mail merge. From that point on, the program just hangs.
                          Just for yucks, I changed the default program for .doc files to Wordpad, and then changed it back, but that was futile.
                          Any thoughts on why this may be happening?
                          Thanks,
                          Jay
                          Jay Talbott
                          Lexington, KY

                          Comment

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