One of the most common needs of business database users is to create form letters, labels, envelopes, name tags, or other standard documents with data entered in the database. While all the latest versions of Word offer the option of using an Access Query or Table as the recordsource for mail merge documents, users frequently report problems learning to use the mail merge interface. Common troubles are finding the correct query in Access, setting the query for specific criteria, forgetting to merge the template with the records before performing edits or saving, and conflicts when more than one user wants to use a template at a given time. The following code will perform the basic function of setting the criteria in the bound query based on criteria found in a form, and opening the template in Word. Optional lines to fully automate the Word Mail Merge process from Access are available at the end of the code. The result of the optional code is that, with the click of a button, users see the desired document already merged to a new file where they can edit and print it as needed. The administrator may choose to save the merged document through code to a new file name. The original template is closed after merging, thereby preventing accidental editing or deleting and significantly reducing the problem of conflicts caused by more than one user at a time attempting to open and merge the template file.
Prior to using this code, youÆll need to do the following: 1. Set reference to the current version of Word. All users must have the same version of Word, or errors may occur. (From design view for your form, Choose View/View code, then choose Tools/References. Check the box for "Microsoft Word version x.x Object Library" 2. Set a reference to Microsoft DAO also , if your database does not currently reference it. 3. Create a query in Access that contains the records you want to merge. 4. Create the Word template (main document) in Word using the mail merge wizard, and set the template's recordsource to your Access query. 5. On your form, add a command button called cmdMergeIt. 6. In the code window, paste the following code:
CODE
Option Compare Database Option Explicit
Private Sub SetQuery(strQueryName As String, strSQL As String) On Error GoTo ErrorHandler 'set the query from which the merge ' document will pull its info Dim qdfNewQueryDef As QueryDef Set qdfNewQueryDef = CurrentDb.QueryDefs(strQueryName) qdfNewQueryDef.Sql = strSQL qdfNewQueryDef.Close RefreshDatabaseWindow Exit Sub ErrorHandler: MsgBox "Error #" & Err.Number & " occurred. " & Err.Description, vbOKOnly, "Error" Exit Sub End Sub
Private Sub cmdMergeIt_Click() 'creates an SQL statement to be used in the query def On Error GoTo ErrorHandler ' user enters a zip code in a text box on the form; ' the query's criteria is set to pull records for 'that zip code
Dim strPostalCode as string strPostalCode = txtPostalCode.value Dim strSQL As String 'replace the SQL statement below with the SQL statement 'from your query. This sample shows how to use single quotes 'to incorporate string values from the form's fields 'into the SQL statement. For dates, use # instead of the 'single quotes strSQL = "SELECT Contacts.LastName, Contacts.FirstName, Contacts.DistrictNo, Contacts.County, Contacts.Address, Contacts.Address2, Contacts.City, Contacts.StateOrProvince, Contacts.PostalCode, Contacts.Office, Title.Title, FROM Contacts WHERE Contacts.PostalCode = ' " & strPostalCode & " ' ;"
Dim strDocumentName As String 'name of the Word template document strDocumentName = "\Labels With Criteria Set In Access.doc" 'use your template document name above
Call SetQuery("qryLabelQuery", strSQL) 'use your query name above Dim strNewName As String 'name to use when saving 'the merged document 'this next line of code makes the document name pattern 'like this: Custom Labels January 11, 2005.doc strNewName = "Custom Labels " & Format(CStr(Date), "MMM dd yyyy") 'use your file name pattern above Call OpenMergedDoc(strDocumentName, strSQL, strNewName) Exit Sub ErrorHandler: MsgBox "Error #" & Err.Number & " occurred. " & Err.Description, vbOKOnly, "Error" Exit Sub End Sub
Private Sub OpenMergedDoc(strDocName As String, strSQL As String, strMergedDocName As String) On Error GoTo WordError 'opens an instance of Word, opens a merge template which has its data source 'already linked to a query in the database, 'optional code merges the template to a new document, 'saves the merged file with a descriptive name, 'then closes the merge template
'Set the directory for any labels generated Const strDir As String = "S: \Contacts" 'use your directory and folder name above Dim objWord As New Word.Application Dim objDoc As Word.Document objWord.Application.Visible = True Set objDoc = objWord.Documents.Open(strDir & strDocName) ' Make Word visible so that if any errors occur, ' you can close the instance of Word manually objWord.Application.Visible = True
'*optional code to merge to a new document, save the merged document, and close the template goes here*
'release the variables Set objWord = Nothing Set objDoc = Nothing
Exit Sub WordError: MsgBox "Err #" & Err.Number & " occurred." & Err.Description, vbOKOnly, "Word Error" objWord.Quit End Sub
Here is the optional code that can be inserted where the green comments are in the basic code
CODE
'*paste this optional code in the subroutine to 'merge the data with the template to a new document, 'save the merged document, and close the template. 'Otherwise, the above code will open the template (which 'already has the query set 'as its recordsource) and the user will need to merge the 'template to a new document using the toolbar in Word
'Merge to a new document 'if you are not sure of the SQLStatement to use in your 'OpenDataSource string, uncomment the following four 'lines to have the current SQLstatement print in the 'immediate window. You can then copy the returned string 'into your code 'Debug.Print objWord.Application.ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.QueryString 'objWord.quit 'set objWord = nothing 'exit sub
'replace the file path and query name below with the path 'to your database and your query name objDoc.MailMerge.OpenDataSource _ Name:="S:\Exec\Contacts\Contacts.mdb", _ LinkToSource:=True, AddToRecentFiles:=False, _ Connection:="QUERY qryLabelQuery", _ SQLStatement:="SELECT * FROM [qryLabelQuery]" 'notice that the SQLStatement above is not the SQL 'statement that makes up the QueryDef of the query. It is 'the SQL statement that tells Word whether or not to use all the records returned by the Query
objDoc.MailMerge.Destination = wdSendToNewDocument objDoc.MailMerge.Execute 'save the merged document with a descriptive name ' you can delete this next line if you don't want to save ' the merged document ' it will leave the document with the default name '"Labels 1" or "Letters 1" objWord.Application.Documents(1).SaveAs (strDir & "\" & strMergedDocName & ".doc") 'close the merge template without saving objWord.Application.Documents(2).Close wdDoNotSaveChanges
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