Help Understanding Code - Access to Word

[alpinegroove]

I am using code I pieced together from a few different sources online, but I am having trouble understanding how it works.

The main idea is to merge data from an Access query into a Word template. This specific method required me to first set up the mail merge in Word (designate data source and fields), and then run the code from Access.

But it looks like the Access code first copies the query results to a designated location in my network and if I understand it correctly, the Word template draws the data from that document rather than directly from the query, as it was set up to do in the mail merge wizard in Word.

Why does this code copy the data to an rtf format and saves it on the network rather than just tell word to execute the merge that had been set up?

Thank you.

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    
        Dim strPath As String
        Dim strDataSource As String
        Dim conTemplate As String
        Dim conQuery As String
        Dim doc As Word.Document
        Dim wrdApp As Word.Application
     
        conTemplate = "Contract Template.doc"
        conQuery = "qryComp"
     
        On Error GoTo HandleErrors
        
        ' Delete the rtf file, if it already exists.
        strPath = "H:\"
        strDataSource = strPath & conQuery & ".doc"
        Kill strDataSource
     
        ' Export the data to rtf format.
        DoCmd.OutputTo acOutputQuery, conQuery, _
        acFormatRTF, strDataSource, False
     
        ' Start Word using the mail merge template.
        Set wrdApp = New Word.Application
        Set doc = wrdApp.Documents.Add(strPath & conTemplate)
     
        ' Do the mail merge to a new document.
        With doc.MailMerge
            .OpenDataSource Name:=strDataSource
            .Destination = wdSendToNewDocument
            .SuppressBlankLines = True
            With .DataSource
                .FirstRecord = wdDefaultFirstRecord
                .LastRecord = wdDefaultLastRecord
            End With
            If .State = wdMainAndDataSource Then
                .Execute
            End If
        End With
     
        ' Display the mail merge document.
        wrdApp.Visible = True
        
        ' Run Word macro that splits merge into separate documents and saves them
        ' File name comes from a catalog table prepared in advanced
        ' Word macro prompts user for the catalog file location.
        
        With wrdApp
        .Run "SplitMergedLetter"
        .Quit
        End With
   
ExitHere:
        Set doc = Nothing
        Set wrdApp = Nothing
        Set doc2 = Nothing
        Set wrdApp2 = Nothing
        Exit Sub
     
HandleErrors:
        Select Case Err.Number
            Case 53         ' File not found.
                Resume Next
            Case Else
                MsgBox Err.Number & ": " & Err.Description
                Resume ExitHere
        End Select
        
     
End Sub