Access query as a mailmerge source

[Stephen Glynn]

I understand how to use an Access query as a data source, but how do I
handle it when my query is going to return an indeterminate number of
results in particular fields? For example, if I'd written a query that
returned the names and addresses of all students in a year and the
courses for which each student was enrolled, how would I do a mail-merge
to send an individual letter to each student confirming the courses?

Would I have to insert fields to accommodate the maximum number of
courses for which a student could possibly be enrolled, and then let
Merge suppress blank lines if a student wasn't carrying a full course
load, or is there a neater way to do it?

I can understand how I could use bookmarks to send such a letter to
particular students whom I'd selected using a form in Access but I'm not
sure how I could get that to work so I could send the letter to all the
students at once.

Or should I be asking this in an Access group?

Steve

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

I would use and Access Report, not mail merge.

But, if you want to use mail merge, See the "Group Multiple items for a
single condition" item on fellow MVP Cindy Meister's website at:

http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister/mergfaq1.htm#DBPic

Or take a look at the following Knowledge Base Article:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;211303

--
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

 

[Stephen Glynn]

Thanks, Doug. Those resources look exactly what I need. An Access
Report, though, does, as as you suggest, seem the best way to do it,
even though they're a pain in the neck to lay out as letters.

Thanks again.

Steve