Very Challenging Project -- Preliminary Question

[Trey]

Hello,

I have undertaken a very challenging project -- the end goal is to merge
data from multiple sources into a single word document that will be e-mailed,
faxed and hand-mailed to different recipients based on a condition in an
excel field. I am really struggling with it and I have lots of questions. But
first: a preliminary question that may get me much further down the road.

Is it possible to set up a word doc (2003) for e-mail merge that will link
multiple documents at once? For example -- I may need to link to data from
two different excel sheets before I send my Word document out.

The mail merge wizard allows me to effectively filter and insert the
information I want from one document ... but I need to simultaneously take
info from a 2nd document.

Ideally, I'd also like to establish some way for Word to look for a common
piece of info from both external documents and only marry those documents if
they have that common piece of info. For example -- Excel Spreadsheet A has a
"Code Number" of A3 in a particular column and I need all the info from that
row.

Excel Spreadsheet B is set up differently but it also has a cell populated
with Code Number A3 and I need all of the information from that record as
well.

Then I'd like it if Word would marry the info. from those merge fields and
send it along on its happy way. Then it would look for the next "marriable"
records from the two external documents, bring that data in, repeat.

Thanks for any help in advance!!

 

[Doug Robbins]

Word can only use a single flat-file as a data source for mailmerge. Hence
your two spreadsheet idea is out.

On the other hand, combining the data from the two sources based on a
matching data such as your code number is a cinch in Access, so if you have
that, I would copy and paste the spreadsheets into Access and then use a
Select query that linked the two sets of data together based on a link
between the code number fields and then use that query as the data source
for your mailmerge.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Peter Jamieson]

If possible you should head in the direction that Doug suggests, but if
necessary you /may/ be able to do one of the following:
a. create an Access database containing links to the two spreadsheets you
need to use, then create a query that joins those linked tables
b. use ODBC to connect to Excel, and issue a query that joins the two
tables in a Word OpenDataSource call. If you want, you should be able to set
this up using MS Query (if it is installed it should be available from the
Tools drop-down in the top right of the Select Data Source menu in Word).

Peter Jamieson

 

[Trey]

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated! I'm sure more questions will ensue
but since I'm doing a lot of Access stuff right now -- these suggestions fit
more neatly into my current frame of mind.

Thanks again,

-Trevor