Sync Access Table to Microsoft Outlook

[chuckcoleman]

I've done quite a bit of searching and I haven't been able to find anything that helps me. In my Access 2016 database I have a table with client information in it. I want to sync that table with Microsoft Outlook's Contacts so when a client is added in Access, it also shows up in Outlook. The Outlook Contacts folder should be a new folder, separate from the standard Contacts folder.

Has anyone see a posting that will allow me to do this? Any ideas?

Thanks,

Chuck

 

[isladogs]

See item 49 here:
http://www.helenfeddema.com/Code%20Samples.htm

 

[MarkK]

I would always avoid this approach to any problem. Store your data in one place. Synchronizing data between two systems, when you completely control both systems, and when users are capable of editing both, seems like unnecessary complexity. Synchronization is overhead and represents a significant cost to you in the time you are going to have to spend to make it work. The other risk, and it will happen if you have two systems, data will be in conflict with itself, and you will have to decide which system to trust, which vastly complicates your synchronization problem. Say one user edits a record in Outlook, and another user edits the matching record in Access. Now, which edits do you discard? How do you decide that? How does your code decide that?

I would look into only using Outlook as your data store for data that Outlook is good at storing. Then write an interface in Access that automates Outlook for that data.

Maybe, if you need to, dump that Outlook data to temp Access tables for statistical processing--like to run monthly stats or something--but avoid maintaining parallel authoritative systems.

hth
Mark

 

[chuckcoleman]

I don't have any code to offer but you have to use VBA to run an append query do this. There is no automatic sync. After the record is added in your Access app, you would use an append query to copy the new data and append it to the linked Outlook Contacts table.

Start by linking to the Contacts table if you haven't already. Then make an append query that copies a specific record from your contacts table and appends it to the Outlook contacts table Then use the Form's AfterInsert event to run the append query.

Pat, thank you. I've written the Access code to append new contact information to an Access table that is used only for the "new" Outlook Contacts folder. That part was easy. In your reply to me, you said, "Start by linking to the Contacts table if you haven't already." Can you describe how you link an Access table to an Outlook Contacts table? I assume that's what you meant.

Chuck

 

[chuckcoleman]

See item 49 here:
http://www.helenfeddema.com/Code%20Samples.htm

Colin, thank you. I'll look at the code and we will see where that takes me.

Chuck

 

[chuckcoleman]

I would always avoid this approach to any problem. Store your data in one place. Synchronizing data between two systems, when you completely control both systems, and when users are capable of editing both, seems like unnecessary complexity. Synchronization is overhead and represents a significant cost to you in the time you are going to have to spend to make it work. The other risk, and it will happen if you have two systems, data will be in conflict with itself, and you will have to decide which system to trust, which vastly complicates your synchronization problem. Say one user edits a record in Outlook, and another user edits the matching record in Access. Now, which edits do you discard? How do you decide that? How does your code decide that?

I would look into only using Outlook as your data store for data that Outlook is good at storing. Then write an interface in Access that automates Outlook for that data.

Maybe, if you need to, dump that Outlook data to temp Access tables for statistical processing--like to run monthly stats or something--but avoid maintaining parallel authoritative systems.

hth
Mark

Mark,

Thank you. I do agree with your thoughts that there should only be one place for your data. I've heard over the years if you don't, it's the old, "Who's on first base?"

To better explain, the system I built is for a single user who owns a small business. He's out of his office all day long, gets home at night, updates the system, goes to bed, and starts over the next day. His request was since my Access application has all of his customers in it, was there a way for him to have a list of his customers with key information on his Android phone. He needs only to be able to look at his customers on the phone, (along with address and telephone information), but not make any changes to the customer list. He has on his desktop computer Access 2016 and Outlook 2016. I wrote some simple code in his Access system that will append to an Access table to be used just for this request, any new customers that he adds to the system. Since he has Outlook on the desktop and he uses Outlook on his Android phone, I felt if there was a way for Access to communicate with his desktop Outlook, any changes there would also be reflected in the Outlook on his Android phone.

So, if you have any additional feedback or ideas, I'm open to that.

Thanks,

Chuck