Word in Access

[djreyrey]

Hey all!

I have a question to ask you all. This has been killing me I have not been able to find an answer.

Lets say I have a form open. In this form, there are text boxes that have a persons name, address, an account number, and phone number. This part is the easy part.

Now, what I would like to do is some how when you click on the account number, (it doesn't have to be a link) it will open up another form that shows available Word Documents for only that account number.

Different account numbers will have different Word Documents available to them. When this new form opens, then the user can pick a Word Document that is available to them.

Please help! Your help would mean a lot!

 

[gromit]

Hi -

Here are some basic ideas

1. You will have to associate the Word documents with the account numbers some how. E.g. the filenames are generated from the account number - "Balance Report 12345.doc" or something.
2. On the form, set up an event procedure for clicking the Account Number control.
3. Write the VBA so that OnClick for the control opens the Word document. This can use the filename and a filter to restrict the available documents.

There are code samples out there that show how to handle opening a file. Check the FAQ's for some recent postings or let me know if you can't locate something.

HTH,

- g

 

[djreyrey]

Word docs in Access

Thanks for replying. Your attention to this matter does mean a lot. I tried searching the FAQ's but was not able to find anything. Maybe you can point me to the right direction.

I found a form on the internet that allows me to specify a path to the document and then opens the document when pressing a command button. I need more than just that though.

Ultimately what I want to happen is this: If account number 2 or 3 was entered, the same documents would appear for all account numbers. Lets say document "Alpha" showed up for all account numbers, but when document "Alpha" was opened for account number 2, the merge fields would correspond to account number 2 only. And when the same document "Alpha" was opened for account number 3, the merge fields would correspond to that account number only. So, it's the same documents for all account numbers, but the merge fields should correspond to each account number only.

I am not sure if this makes sense. Let me know if it does not. I would like an answer so much that I will pay you if I need to. Thank you lots!

 

[gromit]

Let me see if I am understanding....

So document "Alpha" has information internally that applies to multiple accounts and you want to filter the documents internally so that only the appropriate parts of the document are shown?

Whew, if this is what you are trying to accomplish, it is probably beyond me. Depending on what you need from the document, there might be alternative approaches, such as -
1) Convert the data in the word documents to Access and then generate Access reports rather than Word documents. You could print the Access information, but not edit like a Word document.
2) Get the information into Access and generate a template for use in Word.

What is the end result that you are needing Word for? Are you generating mailing information? Using the Word documents to store customer information?

I think that I'd try to look at the problem from a different angle before going down this path.

- g

 

[djreyrey]

More info...

Yeah, I can see why you are confused. Maybe I should tell you exactly what I am doing.

This whole thing has to do with realty. So, what I want to happen is this:
Let’s say that Escrow Officer Tom needs to print out a Power of Attorney for account number 5. There should be a form that allows Tom to pick from a list of documents. So, he sees the Power of Attorney form from the list, selects it, and hits process button, or OK button, or what ever. Access will now look in the master document folder, grab the document from the master document folder, create a folder for this account number somewhere, and place the copied document from the master folder inside the account numbers newly created folder. If the folder already exists, then it should only copy the document over. So, after all this shebang, after the copying and all, the document will finally open up. The document itself will have merge fields. These merge fields will pull the information from Access for this account number. Creating the merge fields is the easy part. So, if Tom enters account number 10, then this whole process should repeat itself for account number 10 only.

There are other things that will display in the form in text boxes, like the clients basic information, but this stuff is easy. That's just a matter of creating a query and a table.

Please let me know if you need more info. If there are examples that I can download and work with, point me in that direction. Thanks again for your attention on this.

 

[GaryPanic]

possible solution

I saw some software that was a halfway breed towards what you are after - it basically became a Access letter writer - opened up a form within access - and certain fields where avaiable to merge (you could cherry pick which ones) and then merge - it stamp the letter time/date and tied it to the record

I just opened the help file - heres the info within - don't know where your based - but for the sake of a couple of £/$ - could save a bit of time (Their is a free demo on a down load ) -





---------------------------------------------------------------------
PRODUCT NAME AND VERSION NUMBER
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LetterMerger for Access 97, 2000, 2002/XP, and 2003
v1.2

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COMPANY NAME
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Peter's Software - Microsoft Access Shareware and Freeware for Developers
http://www.peterssoftware.com

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DESCRIPTION
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LetterMerger is an add-in for Microsoft Access that allows you to merge your data with single page block letter templates that your users can create and modify. Intended as an alternative to the Microsoft Word mail merge tool, LetterMerger makes it easy to print and maintain form letters, and envelope addresses from Access without relying on an external word processor.

This version is distributed as shareware.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NEW AND SPECIAL IN THIS RELEASE
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Version 1.2
· Delete button bug fix
· Enhanced error checking added.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Requires Windows and either MS Access 97, MS Access 2000, MS Access 2002/XP, or MS Access 2003.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS, GETTING STARTED TIPS, AND DOCUMENTATION
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[djreyrey]

So there is no real way of doing this in Access?

 

[djreyrey]

That program you supplied is kewl and all, but I already have all the documents I need and they all contain merge fields already. Now I need a way for Access to open up the documents the user selects and merge in the data to the Word documents depending on which account is selected.

 

[gromit]

I think it could be possible, given the amount of automation in MS Access and Word, but beyond me - sorry!

 

[djreyrey]

You have any good places to point me to?

 

[gromit]

You might try posting at the UtterAccess forum -
http://www.utteraccess.com/forums/index.php?Cat=