Excel / Word Interaction

[Guest]

Dear All,

I am looking at using an Excel spreadsheet to trigger a letter, based on a
template.

The spreadsheet will have a vertical list of clients, with certain set
stages in the annual cycle being posted in columns. As I move along a row for
a particular client, I shall log progress through stages; it would be great
if I could call the Word application and 'tell it' to pull a Word template,
which includes 'intelligent fields,' which in turn pull information from that
client's row in the spreadsheet. e.g. a standard letter acknowledging receipt
of payment, of a certain amount, on a certain date, etc.

Perhaps a Command Button or a 'tick box' on each row, in the relevant
column? Or a menu button which 'senses' which row (therefore client) is
currently active?

Is this more of a Word query than an Excel query? I am not sure. I am
personally far happier in Excel, if it's a matter of choice.

I know that other apps. can be called through the 'Shell' command, as I have
read a little bit about it but my nose began to bleed once the book started
talking about early -v- late binding...

Does anyone know of an idiot's guide to how to make this work, or even
worked examples, which I could have a look at?

I'd be grateful for any pointers, or if anyone has any better ideas.

Many thanks,

Lambs

 

[NickHK]

Lambs,
Word has a MailMerge function that may do what you want.

NickHK

 

[Guest]

Thanks N,

I have used the mail merge facility in Word before. However, I want to do it
for one client at a time, rather than a bulk mailshot. How, from within
Excel, would I fire up Word, fire up the mail-merge and select the correct
client? I could do it manually in Word, but it isn't just for me, it's for a
number of colleagues so it needs to be a click of a button and that's about
it.

Regards,

Lambs

 

[NickHK]

Lambs,
I'm don't use Word much, but record a Word macro and see if it leads in a
useful direction.
Otherwise you could set Word bookmarks (or is it fields ??) to Excel values.

NickHK