Autorun a report?

[sierra467]

Hi there,

I have a list of registered customers that will sign up for a weekly Saturday seminar. Is there a way to auto-run a report 5 days before each Saturday, so that a courtesy call can be made to them. I have the report made, I am just not so sure how to make it print out 5 days before each Saturday. Can anyone help?

 

[pbaldy]

Numerous ways. Usually when I need to do something on a schedule like this, I create a little utility mdb that would automatically print this report when it opened, then close itself. Then I'd open that mdb from Scheduled Tasks on the required schedule.

Alternatives include using the timer event of a form (the db would have to be left open) and including code when the db opens (2 potential problems: either nobody opens it on the required day and you get no report, or many people do and the report is printed multiple times).

 

[sierra467]

pbaldy,
Thanks, can you you expand what you mean by a "utility mdb"? Is this a copy of the db that I have already? Is this a special type of db? Do I have to duplicate info? Sorry to be so ignorant but I have not heard of this.

 

[pbaldy]

In your case, I'd start with a copy of the existing db, and delete everything not required to run the report (leaving the table/query/report or whatever). Tables would of course have to be linked to the live data. Then either with code or an autoexec macro, you print the report and then quit. That way when the db is opened by Scheduled Tasks, it simply prints the report and closes.

 

[sierra467]

Thanks for the explanation, I will give that a try.