Retrieving external data into Winword form field

A

Allen Mizner

I have created a form that we will use for proposal
creation. I would like to have dropdowns in the
description fields which contain the proper descriptions
for our every changing inventory. How to I retrieve
external data into a winword template for use in such a
scenario?
Examples would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks
Allen
 
D

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

Hi Allen,

See the article "How to create a Userform" at:

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Userforms/CreateAUserForm.htm

This routine loads a listbox on a userform with client details stored in a
table in a separate
document (which makes it easy to maintain with additions, deletions etc.),
that document being saved as Clients.Doc for the following code. It will
work just as well for a combobox.

On the UserForm, have a list box (ListBox1) and a Command Button
(CommandButton1) and use the following code in the UserForm_Initialize() and
the CommandButton1_Click() routines

Private Sub UserForm_Initialize()
Dim sourcedoc As Document, i As Integer, j As Integer, myitem As Range,
m As Long, n As Long
' Modify the path in the following line so that it matches where you
saved Suppliers.doc
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
' Open the file containing the client details
Set sourcedoc = Documents.Open(FileName:="e:\worddocs\Clients.doc")
' Get the number or clients = number of rows in the table of client
details less one
i = sourcedoc.Tables(1).Rows.Count - 1
' Get the number of columns in the table of client details
j = sourcedoc.Tables(1).Columns.Count
' Set the number of columns in the Listbox to match
' the number of columns in the table of client details
ListBox1.ColumnCount = j
' Define an array to be loaded with the client data
Dim MyArray() As Variant
'Load client data into MyArray
ReDim MyArray(i, j)
For n = 0 To j - 1
For m = 0 To i - 1
Set myitem = sourcedoc.Tables(1).Cell(m + 2, n + 1).Range
myitem.End = myitem.End - 1
MyArray(m, n) = myitem.Text
Next m
Next n
' Load data into ListBox1
ListBox1.List() = MyArray
' Close the file containing the client details
sourcedoc.Close SaveChanges:=wdDoNotSaveChanges
End Sub

Private Sub CommandButton1_Click()
Dim i As Integer, Addressee As String
Addressee = ""
For i = 1 To ListBox1.ColumnCount
ListBox1.BoundColumn = i
Addressee = Addressee & ListBox1.Value & vbCr
Next i
ActiveDocument.Bookmarks("Addressee").Range.InsertAfter Addressee
UserForm2.Hide
End Sub

The Initialize statement will populate the listbox with the data from the
table and then when a client is selected in from the list and the command
button is clicked, the information for that client will be inserted into a
bookmark in the document. You may want to vary the manner in which it is
inserted to suit our exact requirements, but hopefully this will get you
started.

To make it easy for you, the code has been written so that it will deal with
any number of clients and any number of details about each client. It
assumes that the first row of the table containing the client details is a
header row.

--
Please respond to the newsgroups for the benefit of others who may be
interested.

Hope this helps
Doug Robbins - Word MVP
 

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