Re: Word mail merge with foxpro

From: Peter Jamieson (pjj_at_KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk)
Date: 10/14/04


Date: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 12:17:16 +0100

Understood. As far as I can tell, most of MS's data access attention is
given to ADO.NET (no use to Word mailmerge users!) and SQL Server these
days, but assuming the OLEDB provider is still supported and you can use it
in your application it could be worth pursuing this problem directly with
MS.

Incidentally, to go back to your original question about the list of file
types, I did come across an article about using FoxPro with earlier Word
versions which claims that you need an Installable ISAM for the extension to
appear in the list of file types. I don't know if that is actually correct,
and it's not relevant since there isn't an IISAM for FoxPro and AFAIK there
is no documentation on how to build your own IISAM even if you wanted to,
but the article is at

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;277772

-- 
Peter Jamieson
"susan crookshank" <susancrookshank@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
message news:7D2198A1-9138-4B7B-9AC0-B8F073B79473@microsoft.com...
> The dbf is not attached to a dbc as I have always found that more
unreliable.
> I have been fighting with ODBC and word for years as I have an application
> tht I sell written in foxpro that then controls wrod to produce mail merge
> letters. The MDAC 2.5 installaion helpded greatly I am just a bit worried
> that now they have taken the foxpr bit out of recent MDAC installaions it
> will fall aprat soon again, just do not knwo when.
>
> "Peter Jamieson" wrote:
>
> > > Unfortunately with no error messages to give us a
> > > clue what the problem is.
> >
> > Yes, the only way I know to generate any debug information in this
situation
> > is to switch on ODBC logging in the ODBC administrator. That gives you a
log
> > of all the ODBC calls made, which may be hard to intepret. Probably
worth a
> > look in case something really obvious shows up.
> >
> > Would it be possible to try connecting to a .dbc? Or does Word crash no
> > matter what you do?
> > Does the problem occur even with a newly created test .dbf?
> >
> > One thing I am unsure of in FoxPro these days is whether dbf have the
same
> > structure regardless of whether they are associated with a .dbc or not -
> > i.e., if they are associated with a .dbc, maybe you /have/ to go the
.dbc
> > route.
> >
> > > Does anyonw know how to unistall versions of mdac as it seems that may
be
> > > where the problem is.
> >
> > I don't know - you may need to ask in another group - but as far as I
know
> > mdac is supplied as part of more recent versions of Windows so you may
not
> > be able to uninstall it. I suspect the best you will manage is to
reinstall
> > the version you have, or install a later version.
> >
> > -- 
> > Peter Jamieson
> >
> > "susan crookshank" <susan crookshank@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> > message news:9D965367-C16F-44D6-AF60-4EAE60D62EFC@microsoft.com...
> > > I am trying to connect to a dbf fine not the database. I have aslo
tried
> > with
> > > the command method you have described but word crashes out as soon as
t
> > tries
> > > to connect to the file. Unfortunately with no error messages to give
us a
> > > clue what the problem is.
> > >
> > > Does anyonw know how to unistall versions of mdac as it seems that may
be
> > > where the problem is.
> > >
> > > "Peter Jamieson" wrote:
> > >
> > > > > Does anyone know how to define what appears in the files of Type
list.
> > > >
> > > > I do not thnk there is any way to change this.
> > > >
> > > > I'm not particularly familiar with FoxPro any more but
> > > > Are you trying to open a .dbc? If so, the following may help.
> > > >
> > > > I do not think you will be able to open a .dbc using ODBC by
selecting
> > the
> > > > ..odc in this dialog box. I suspect the problem is that there is too
> > much
> > > > source-specific hardcoding in the component that connects to these
> > files.
> > > >
> > > > If you are actually getting data from a .dbf file, you should be
able to
> > > > select the .dbf directly in the usual way, selecting the appropriate
> > ODBC
> > > > driver in the Confirmation dialog.
> > > >
> > > > Otherwise, if you need to However, you can connect programmatically
> > using
> > > > OpenDataSource, e.g. using a User/System DSN called vfpdbc, a .dbc
at
> > > > c:\fp\fp.dbc, fetching data from a table called t, you can use
> > > >
> > > > ActiveDocument.MailMerge.OpenDataSource _
> > > > Name:="", _
> > > > connection:="DSN=vfpbc;SourceType=DBC;SourceDB=C:\fp\fp.dbc", _
> > > > sqlstatement:="SELECT * FROM t"
> > > >
> > > > You do not seem to need the Subtype:=wdMergeSubtypeWord2000 that is
> > usually
> > > > needed when Name:=""
> > > >
> > > > As long as you have MS Query on your system, you can connect to the
.dbc
> > > > using that approach (in the Select Data Source dialog, open the
Tools
> > menu
> > > > at the top right and use the MS Query option). However, in that case
you
> > may
> > > > have to create the ODBC DSN so that it points to a specific .dbc, or
you
> > > > could perhaps create a File DSN for each .dbc and use that.
> > > >
> > > > Finally, if you have the VFP OLEDB provider installed, you could
> > consider
> > > > connecting using that. Perhaps the easiest way is to create a .udl
file
> > > > using the Microsoft Data Link editor - Word 2003 recognises that as
a
> > data
> > > > source file type so you do not even need to check
> > > > Tools|Options|General|Confirm conversion at open. If you leave the
> > database
> > > > name blank, you should be prompted for it; If you fill it in, you
should
> > be
> > > > taken straight to the table selection dialog. You can probably use
the
> > ..odc
> > > > approach instead.
> > > >
> > > > FWIW, this sort of stuff seems to work a lot more smoothly in Word
2003
> > than
> > > > 2002, at least in part because of some fixes, but the point is that
if
> > you
> > > > also need to use Word 2002 you may have more difficulty.
> > > >
> > > > -- 
> > > > Peter Jamieson
> > > >
> > > > "susan@soulbury" <susan@soulbury@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in
> > message
> > > > news:FE4438C6-A5B8-4D8B-BD02-85E01156A9DD@microsoft.com...
> > > > > I have the foxpro ODBC driver version 6.1.8629.1 loaded on my
machine
> > with
> > > > > word version 2003. I am trying to use mail merge to merge with
foxpro
> > data
> > > > > but when opening the data source in the mail merge helper I hit
> > problems.
> > > > >
> > > > > Firstly the files of type drop down does not give a foxpro option.
So
> > I
> > > > try
> > > > > and link to a foxpro table using all file types hoping to get a
> > confirm
> > > > > conversion type. Then word crashes with no error message at all. I
> > have
> > > > > before now used foxpro coding to control word to perform a
mailmerge
> > > > > defining the DSN name and it works even if foxpro does not appear
in
> > the
> > > > > list. But this fails aswell.
> > > > >
> > > > > Does anyone know how to define what appears in the files of Type
list.
> > > > >
> > > > > Does anyone have any idea why it may be crashing and I cannot
create
> > the
> > > > > merge.
> > > > >
> > > > > Thank you in anticipation, I have gone through all of MSDN to no
avail
> > and
> > > > I
> > > > > am now stuck
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> >
> >
> >


Relevant Pages

  • Re: Word mail merge with foxpro
    ... is to switch on ODBC logging in the ODBC administrator. ... Would it be possible to try connecting to a .dbc? ... One thing I am unsure of in FoxPro these days is whether dbf have the same ... Unfortunately with no error messages to give us a ...
    (microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields)
  • Re: Problem Linking Foxpro 9 .DBC in Access 2003
    ... I am sure the DBC has Foxpro 7+ features as the vendor that produces this ... new data features have been added to FoxPro DBFs. ... If there is a DBC file present, point your ODBC connection ...
    (microsoft.public.access.externaldata)
  • Re: import data from FoxPro database (ISIS)
    ... you've got Visual FoxPro files. ... The DBC table is a "database container" ... that don't have the new features are still compatible with ODBC. ... A typical OLE DB connection string is ...
    (microsoft.public.access.externaldata)
  • Re: import data from FoxPro database (ISIS)
    ... the table or DBC has moved relative to the other one. ... VFP ODBC: http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/vfoxpro/bb190233.aspx ... I'm a little confused about setting up the OLE DB stuff, ... you've got Visual FoxPro files. ...
    (microsoft.public.access.externaldata)
  • Re: Word mail merge with foxpro
    ... The dbf is not attached to a dbc as I have always found that more unreliable. ... I have been fighting with ODBC and word for years as I have an application ... The MDAC 2.5 installaion helpded greatly I am just a bit worried ...
    (microsoft.public.word.mailmerge.fields)