Can I create form letters using Access 2000?

[Guest]

Can I create form letters using Access 2000?

I am trying to create a "mail merge" type letter and want to use Access 2000
where my data is located instead of using Word' s mail merging feature. I
have seen it done before, I just can't figure out how to do it myself. Any
suggestions, because I have tried creating the letter through Forms and
Access Data Page and I must be doing something wrong, because neither worked
well.

Please help! Thank you!

 

[Guest]

You can do this as an Access report by careful layout of textboxes and
labels, but having tried it that way, I encourage you to use Word mail merge,
since it allows for much easier layout. My primary use is to send
personalized annual dues statements. I tried the Access report the first
time, and have used Word mail merge ever since.

JMHO,
Bruce

 

[Larry Linson]

Can I create form letters using Access 2000?

I am trying to create a "mail merge" type letter and want to use Access
2000
where my data is located instead of using Word' s mail merging feature. I
have seen it done before, I just can't figure out how to do it myself.
Any
suggestions, because I have tried creating the letter through Forms and
Access Data Page and I must be doing something wrong, because neither
worked
well.

You create printed material with Access' Reporting features. It is quite
difficult to put your "boilerplate" in one Control and the "merged" data in
another and ensure that it looks good, so you likely will have to use VBA
code to assemble the text strings, concatenating the "boilerplate" text and
the "merged" data to be displayed in one control per paragraph.

How easy that will be, and whether you may miss the additional formatting
flexibility of Word will depend on the nature of your letters. I've done a
few "form letter" type reports that were appropriate to the needs just with
Access reports. I've had others which needed more formatting than was easily
accomplished with Access that were more appropriate for mail merge or COM
Automation with Microsoft Word.

If you wish, you can use SendObject to e-mail the data (which can, but
doesn't have to, be a report) instead of printing, doing envelopes,
stamping, and snail-mailing. But, you should be sure that the method you
choose is appropriate for the material you are sending, and for the audience
to which you are sending it.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP