Re: Word 2000/2002 - Proper Mail Merge steps for ODBC?

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From: Peter Jamieson (pjj_at_KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk)
Date: 09/01/04 

Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2004 19:03:15 +0100

> Here, you first said that I should go the ODBC route if I
> want to get this to work in both Word 2000 and Word 2002,
> but then you go onto say that an "ODBC connection set up
> in Word 2000 are discarded when you open the .doc in Word
> 2002". I am a little confused here. Will this method
> (ODBC) work in both Word 2000 and Word 2002?

WHat I mean is that the OLEDB connection is simply not available in Word
2000. So the only option (other than DDE) that will work in both is ODBC.
However, that does not mean that Word 2002 will correctly recognise an ODBC
data source which has been set up in Word 2000 and vice versa. So...

> I will be
> needing this work with both versions, where I will
> probably end of creating the final Word Mail Merge .doc
> using Word 2000 because about 90% of the users have Office
> 2000, whereas the rest of Office XP (Word 2002).

...you /may/ need to create Word 2000 and Word 2002 versions of each mail
merge app. I can't remember off the top of my head so you will need to
check. I would also take a bit of time to ensure that your users can do what
they need - e.g. if they need to apply their own filters/sorting, you may
need to confirm that this approach allows them to do so.

> In regards to using ODBC, you mentioned "Unfortunately,
> the route you have taken in your example actually uses
> OLEDB, using the ODBC provider for OLEDB". If I wanted to
> use the ODBC method, what should I have done so that I can
> be certain that I am using the OLEDB method?

Assuming you meant "certain that I am using the ODBC method", then you
either need to go via MS Query, or go the VBA OpenDataSource route, or check
Word Tools|Options|General|"Confirm conversions at open", go through the
Select Data Source dialog, pick your .mdb, then select the User/System DSN
from the list of possible connection options. If you don't see it there, you
will need to use MS Query or VBA. 

-- 
Peter Jamieson
"Tony_VBACoder" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:010001c4904a$5f303130$a401280a@phx.gbl...
> Peter, thank you for all your insight...it will take me a
> little while to absorb it and test it out with both Word
> 2000 and 2002.  I do have one question in regards to
> something you mentioned:
>
> > First, if you want to connect the same way in Word 2000
> and Word 2002, you have to use ODBC (or the old DDE
> method).....But in addition, you may find that ODBC
> connections set up in Word 2000 are discarded when you
> open the .doc in WOrd 2002 and/or vice versa.
>
> Here, you first said that I should go the ODBC route if I
> want to get this to work in both Word 2000 and Word 2002,
> but then you go onto say that an "ODBC connection set up
> in Word 2000 are discarded when you open the .doc in Word
> 2002".  I am a little confused here.  Will this method
> (ODBC) work in both Word 2000 and Word 2002?  I will be
> needing this work with both versions, where I will
> probably end of creating the final Word Mail Merge .doc
> using Word 2000 because about 90% of the users have Office
> 2000, whereas the rest of Office XP (Word 2002).
>
> In regards to using ODBC, you mentioned "Unfortunately,
> the route you have taken in your example actually uses
> OLEDB, using the ODBC provider for OLEDB".  If I wanted to
> use the ODBC method, what should I have done so that I can
> be certain that I am using the OLEDB method?
>
> Thanks
>
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >> Question: Is this the proper way of getting a Word
> >> Document to connect to a Secured Access Database, by
> >> having to create a separate Connection File for each
> Mail
> >> Merge Letter I am wanting to create?
> >
> >IMO there is no "proper" way. At best, there may be a way
> that works for
> >your application and minimises problems if you need to
> distribute your
> >solution to mutliple systems.
> >
> >There are a number of issues here and unfortunately I
> don't think I can give
> >you reliable suggestions in all cases, but here goes.
> >
> >First, if you want to connect the same way in Word 2000
> and Word 2002, you
> >have to use ODBC (or the old DDE method). OLEDB is only
> supported in Word
> >2002 and later. Unfortunately, the route you have taken
> in your example
> >actually uses OLEDB, using the ODBC provider for OLEDB.
> Any connection that
> >uses a .odc (or .udl, as we will see) is actually using
> OLEDB. So those
> >connections won't work with Word 2000. But in addition,
> you may find that
> >ODBC connections set up in Word 2000 are discarded when
> you open the .doc in
> >WOrd 2002 and/or vice versa.
> >
> >> This brings up the "Select Data Source" dialog box.
> Here,
> >> the "My Data Sources" is selected in the "Look in:"
> combo
> >> box and all my ODBC entries are showing EXCEPT my newly
> >> created Access ODBC entry I created in my above steps
> (a-
> >
> >The reason (probably) that some ODBC entries appear here
> and some do not is
> >that there are three types of ODBC DSN, as follows:
> >
> >FIle DSNs: these are just text files in "INI" format that
> contain the
> >connection information you provided in the ODBC
> administrator. Typically
> >they have a .dsn extension. These are probably the ones
> you can see
> >
> >Machine DSNs: these DSNs are not stored in text files.
> They are stored in
> >the Windows registry, so I do not think you will see them
> listed in "My Data
> >Sources". There are two types of Machine DSN:
> > a. User DSNs. These are intended to be visible to a
> single user on a
> >machine which may have several different users. They are
> stored in the
> >per-user part of the registry.
> > b. System DSNs (the type you created). These are
> intended to be visible to
> >all users on a particular machine.
> >
> >Neither Word 2000 nor Word 2002, as far as I know, lets
> you open a .dsn file
> >directly (in the Open/Select Data Source dialog box).
> Word just tries to get
> >the data directly from the .dsn file, not from the
> database it refers to. If
> >you are trying to open a file data source such as a .mdb
> in Word 2000, you
> >can select the .mdb in the Open Data Source dialog,
> check "Select method",
> >and click Open. If the DSN is a Machine DSN you will
> probably see it in the
> >list of connection methods. Otherwise, you have to use MS
> Query to select
> >the DSN (of any type) and set up the connection. You can
> do the same in Word
> >2002, although MS Query is a little harder to find - it's
> on the Tools menu
> >in the top right hand corner of the Select Data Source
> dialog. (You may also
> >find you need to install MS Query to get what you want).
> >
> >In both Word 2000 and 2002, you should only need one DSN
> to allow you to use
> >all the tables and queries in your database that are
> accessible via ODBC.
> >But you will need to go through the MS Query route to
> choose the table/query
> >or define your own.
> >
> >An alternative to all this is to write, or macro record,
> a short macro
> >containing an OpenDataSource command that uses an ODBC
> connection string in
> >the Connection parameter. Then you have to work out the
> corrct SQL to get
> >the data you want, and insert it in the SQLStatement
> parameter, then run the
> >macro. You will find examples I've posted if you search
> this newsgroup, e.g.
> >using Google. One of the problems here is that Word 2002
> requires an
> >additional parameter (Subtype) if you want to connect via
> ODBC.
> >
> >If you are /only/ concerned with Word 2002 and prefer to
> use OLEDB, there
> >are a couple of ways you can proceed without creating an
> ODBC DSN.
> > a. use a .udl file. If you create a Notepad (.txt) file
> and rename it to
> >something.udl, then double-click on the file name, you
> should see the
> >Datalink editor. This is like, if not identical to, the
> editor you used to
> >select your DSN in your point 2. However,
> > a. in the Provider tab, select the Jet provider rather
> than the ODBC
> >provider
> > b. in the Connection tab, you may need to check Blank
> password and Allow
> >saving password
> > c. in the All tab, you will need to edit the valueJet
> OLEDB:System databse
> >to be the pathname of your workgroup file.
> > d. When you click OK, you do not see the questions that
> come at the end of
> >the dialog you used to set up your .odc
> >
> >If you select this file as your data source, you should
> be presented with a
> >list of tables, so you only really need one .udl for all
> your documents. It
> >may be possible to use it to connect to a specific table
> or query, but
> >that's for you to discover if you want.
> >
> >Alternatively, you can set up a .odc using much the same
> process you used
> >before in your point (2), but choose the Other/Advanced
> option instead of
> >ODBC DSN. Then fill in the datalink dialog options in the
> same way as for
> >the .udl file above. When you get to save the .odc, there
> is a checkbox that
> >lets you specify whether your .odc should cause Word to
> display a list of
> >tables/queries within your .mdb, or whether Word should
> connect to a
> >prespecified table/query. Again, if you use the former,
> you should be able
> >to use a single .odc for all your mailmerge documents.
> >
> >-- 
> >Peter Jamieson
> >
> >"Tony_VBACoder" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com>
> wrote in message
> >news:42db01c49037$6c339f60$a601280a@phx.gbl...
> >> I am new at setting up a Word document as a Mail Merge
> to
> >> an Access Database.  My situation involves a secured
> >> Access 2000/2002 Database, with a Word 2000/2002 Mail
> >> Merge Letter.  My Access Databases are secured with a
> MDW
> >> Security File required to open my Database.  I have
> >> various queries within my Access database are specific
> for
> >> each Word Mail Merge document.  In my Access DB
> workgroup
> >> security file, I have created a user called "WordUser"
> >> whose sole purpose is to be able to run the Word Mail
> >> Merge Letters.  This user has no password and only
> >> has "Read" permission on all the tables/queries required
> >> for each letter and nothing else.  I have had no luck
> >> being able to get my Word 2002 letter to connect to my
> >> secured Access database with the Mail Merge Wizard
> within
> >> Word (I have posted a few questions in the newsgroups,
> but
> >> have not gotten any responses).  So instead, I have
> tried
> >> to go the ODBC route, where I would create a new DSN
> entry
> >> that points to my Access database, in hopes that I could
> >> use this ODBC entry as my datasource for my Word Mail
> >> Merge document.  However, this method has also raised
> some
> >> questions that I hope someone can answer for me or help
> in
> >> the right direction.
> >>
> >> 1) To create a new ODBC entry, I do the following:
> >>    a) click on "System DSN" Tab in the ODBC Data Source
> >> Administrator
> >>    b) click the "Add" button
> >>    c) select "Microsoft Access Driver (*.mdb)"
> >>    d) click the "Finish" button
> >>    e) In the "ODBC Microsoft Access Setup" Form I:
> >>    f) enter "MyDB" in the "Data Source Name:" text box
> >>    g) click the "Select..." button in the "Database"
> Frame
> >> to located my Access Database
> >>    h) click the "Advanced..." button
> >>    i) enter my "WordUser" in the "Login name:" text box
> in
> >> the "Set Advanced Options" form and click the "OK"
> button.
> >>    j) select the "Database:" radio button in the "System
> >> Database" frame
> >>    k) click the "System Database..." button to select my
> >> MDW file for my secured database
> >>    l) click the "OK" button on the ODBC Microsoft Access
> >> Setup form to complete setting up my new ODBC entry
> >>
> >> 2)  Now, once my ODBC entry has been created, I go to my
> >> Word 2002/2000 letter and select Tools>Letters and
> >> Mailings>Mail Merge Wizard.  At the Wizard's Step #3, I
> >> select "Browse" from the "Use an existing list" option.
> >> This brings up the "Select Data Source" dialog box.
> Here,
> >> the "My Data Sources" is selected in the "Look in:"
> combo
> >> box and all my ODBC entries are showing EXCEPT my newly
> >> created Access ODBC entry I created in my above steps
> (a-
> >> l).  However, there are 2 entries that I am not familiar
> >> with: "+Connect to New Data Source.odc" and "+New SQL
> >> Server Connection.odc".  I selected the "+Connect to New
> >> Data Source.odc" option and it took me into a new "Data
> >> Connection Wizard" where I did the following:
> >>    a) Select "ODBC DSN" from the "What kind of data
> source
> >> do you want to connect to?" list and clicked the "Next"
> >> button
> >>    b) Now my newly created ODBC entry shows up in
> >> the "ODBC data sources" list.  I selected it and clicked
> >> the "Next" button
> >>    c) At this point, all my tables and queries were
> >> listed.  From the list, I selected my query for the
> letter
> >> I am creating and clicked the "Next" button.
> >>    d) Now, the "Save Data Connection File and Finish"
> >> dialog box is shown, prompting me to save this as a
> >> connection file (*.odc).  I entered a name and clicked
> >> the "Finish" button.
> >>
> >> Question: Is this the proper way of getting a Word
> >> Document to connect to a Secured Access Database, by
> >> having to create a separate Connection File for each
> Mail
> >> Merge Letter I am wanting to create?
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
> >.
> >
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