Pre-set Query Conditions that cannot be changed

[Charity Event Secretary]

While preparing to print labels from a Works 8.5 database (a process that has
worked successfully many times) Word has suddenly refused to show the full
set of records. Word acknowledges the existence of the full set but shows
only a subset. The remaining records are blank both in the 'Mail Merge
Recipients' box and after a properly processed merge to a new document. In
the latter instance the labels are there (in other words it is _not_ just one
page) but they are blank.
Invoking the MailHelper button as suggested in other threads reveals that
'Query Options have been set', but trying to change them reveals a Filter and
Sort dialogue that is blank. And yet the program behaves as though it is
stuck in an earlier Query condition.
This has happened before and I have spent hours copying records a few at a
time into a blank database. This worked in the end, though an easier method
was to save in csv format and reopenthe data. But both methods required
re-defintion of fields and reports.
Has anyone else experienced this symptom? And is there a remedy?
PS I may not be able to read replies for two weeks, but will watch this
space eagerly on my return!

 

[Graham Mayor]

I suspect (though cannot confirm) that the problem relates to the fact that
the Works database is incompatible with Word and that some interoperability
has been introduced by the Works add-in which is notoriously problematical.

You could try rolling back Windows to a date when you know it was working
correctly, but if it was my system, I would uninstall the Works add-in (see
http://www.gmayor.com/multiple_mail_merge_entries.htm ) and export the data
to a CSV file and then convert that CSV file in Word to a table, as Word is
happiest with tables. See
http://www.gmayor.com/convert_labels_into_mail_merge.htm then change the
table header to match your merge document field names (or re-insert the new
names)

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Charity Event Secretary]

Thank you for a thoughtful response. It would be good to find a robust
answer because the database is intended to be maintained by several
volunteers at different locations, most of whom are 'home users' unfamiliar
with switching between formats. Here's hoping that someone may report that
they have found out how to unlock the hidden Query Options.
Apropos your suggestion about winding-back Word, I have tried using the same
Works data file on three different PCs using three different versions of
Word. And the result was identical.
This suggests that the problem lies in the Works file, and perhaps the
thread should be cross-posted?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

You may be able to find out what filtering etc. is being applied by doing
one of the following (I'd attempt this myself but my Works system is
elsewhere at the moment):

1.
a. open your mail merge main document
b. start the VB Editor
c. open the Immediate window (it is often already open)
d. type the following commands, one at a time, and copy the results into a
message to post here::

Print Acrivedocument.Mailmerge.DataSource.Name
Print Acrivedocument.Mailmerge.DataSource.Connectstring
Print Acrivedocument.Mailmerge.DataSource.Querystring

Unfortunately, if you are using Word 2002, executing those commands may
cause Word to crash (and even more unfortunately, before it displays the
results). Or you may not have the VB development environment. In that case,
try...

2. If you have a version of Word that can save in HTML format
a. open your mail merge main document
b. save it as HTML format
c. use Notepad to open the HTML document, and look down to see the
mailmerge settings- look for the following, which should be in a single
block near the top of the file

w:MailMergeDataType
w:MailMergeConnectString
w:MailMergeQueryString
w:MailMergeDataSource

Typically it would be the query string that reflects where any sorts or
filters have been defined, but there are other possibilities, e.g. if people
have selected individual records. When Word is merging from Works, it uses
an intermediate file which maes things a bit more complicated.

Peter Jamieson


If you are able to start the Visual Basic Editor in Word while your mail
merge main document is open,

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Now I've been able to look at what the Works add-in is actually doing with
the merge I can see that my other nearby message is not going to help,
because the information Word stores about the mail merge data source is
completely different when Works has set up the Mail Merge from the "normal",
non-Works scenario I had assumed.

I'm actually looking at Works Suite 2004, which is basically Works 7 but
with Word XP.

The stuff I said about Word connecting using a temporary intermediate file
when it is mail merging from a Works database is correct. Word actually
connects to a temporary Jet database which contains a table called
MergeImportTable and a query called MergeQuery. Word connects to the query.

Also, as far as I can tell, the reason why you see the message "Query
options have been set" in The Mail Merge Helper is simply because your
document is connecting to the (temporary) data source using OLEDB. It always
seems to show the message in that case - I do not know why.

Unfortunately I suspect that doesn't get you any further.

I don't think the following description of how things seem to work with a
Works mail merge says anything that will help someone debug problems in this
scenario, but it seems worth describing just in case.

When a MailMerge Document is set up in a "Non-Works" environment and saved
in a format where you can see the mailmerge-related info., such as HTML or
RTF, the information is saved in a special block of items concerned with
Mailmerge. When the Mail Merge Main Document has been created using the
/Works/ Mail Merge wizard, no such block is saved. Instead, the information
is set up by the Works mail merge wizard in a number of Word Document
Variables. The variables include
a. a flag (WorksMailMergeDoc=1) saying it's a works mail merge document
b. a numeric "Works Task ID"
c. a numeric "Connection type"
d. a list of field names and their values in the first record in the data
source (I think)
e. The pathname of the Works database, in "MMPmmdMainrgcstr0"
f. The pathname of the temporary Jet ("Access") database that Word is
actually currently connected to. These temp databases are created in the
folder specified in the TEMP environment variable (i.e. in the usual way).

As far as I can tell based on tests so far,as long as (a) and (d) exist,
when you save a document, Word saves it the "Works" way, despite the fact
that the mail merge main document is actually connected to a temporary Jet
database. When you re-open such a document, Word
a. recognises that is is a Works mail Merge Main document
b. recreates - presumably using the Works Add-in - the temporary database
from the Works data source
c. recreates all the document variables.

However, I don't know exactly what triggers Word to work in this way - my
guess is that it looks for certain document variables when it saves or opens
the mail merge main document, then looks for the Works add-in - if it
doesn't find it when it is trying to load the document, it just treats the
document as a Normal, non-mail merge document. Further experiments could
probably confirm/deny that.

Another bit of info. that may be useful to the regulars in this group is
that when Works initiates a merge, it attaches the document to a template
(wizard) called mrgwdus.wiz (in the US version, anyway). As far as i can
tell, all that contains is a Document_New() sub that looks for a specific
menu option in the Word Tools menu, "Address Book Mail Merge" option, and
executes it. I assume that if Word's Normal template did not contain that
particular option, the wizard would do nothing and there would be no merge.

Peter Jamieson