Ad hoc reporting and envelopes from an address book Access databas

[Guest]

I'm looking for a feature that's been present in, of all things, Lotus
Approach for ages. I that software, I can define a report (or address labels
or envelopes). I can do a query on one tab and then use those results to
print my report/labels/envelopes. I can do any sort of query and it doesn't
have to be saved. This means, for example, that one day I can print up
envelopes for everyone in a certain zip code in my db ... or everyone on my
Christmas letter list ... or everyone in my family ... etc.

So here's the new user question: I can see how to set up predefined reports
and predefined queries. I see how to do ad hoc queries. But I haven't found
any way to pass my ad hoc results to predefined reports (they always seem to
want to use a predefined query). The closest I've come is to define a form
letter in MS Word, marry that to my Access db, and do some gymnastics every
time I want to print random sets of envelopes. Not nearly as easy as Lotus.

Surely there's something simple I'm missing. Can anyone suggest the
solution? (Or better yet, point to an Approach sample db I can download and
use?)

Thanks,
Paul

 

[Larry Linson]

I'm looking for a feature that's been
present in, of all things, Lotus
Approach for ages. I that software, I
can define a report (or address labels
or envelopes). I can do a query on one
tab and then use those results to
print my report/labels/envelopes.

One of the most frustrating things anyone can face is expecting one product
to BE another product, or to work identically. It is rather easy to set up a
report in Access (which you do in the process you describe); it is rather
easy to create a Query that extracts the name/address/etc. information you
want (which you do in the process you describe). It is rather easy to copy
the original report and change the Record Source to the new Query (this is
equivalent to "sending the results" to...). Actually, if you simply open the
copy of the Report in Design View, you can use the Query Builder to modify
the RecordSource, so it may not be any more work at all.

Frankly, once you have done the original report and query, that is almost as
easy as what you seem to be describing (I haven't used this feature in other
databases). But, Lotus Approach does get high marks for usability in some
comparative reviews.

I think Microsoft has publicly stated that end-user usability is going to be
an emphasis of the Microsoft Access development team for the next version.
Whether that is a particular area they'll address, I wouldn't know.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP

 

[Guest]

See my comments under the title "Report Filters." I too am a frustrated
ex-Approach user. I can't believe that I can't do ad hoc filtering by form
and then report on the subset in Access!

 

[Duane Hookom]

If you filter your open form using the Access filter by form or right-click
and choosing to filter, this stores a value in the filter property of the
form. If you have a report that is based on the same (or a similar) record
source, you can generally use code to apply the same filter to your report
like:

Dim strWhere as String
If Me.FilterOn = True then
strWhere = Me.Filter
End If
DoCmd.OpenReport "rptYourReport", acPreview, , strWhere

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Duane. I'll give it a try!

If you filter your open form using the Access filter by form or right-click
and choosing to filter, this stores a value in the filter property of the
form. If you have a report that is based on the same (or a similar) record
source, you can generally use code to apply the same filter to your report
like:

Dim strWhere as String
If Me.FilterOn = True then
strWhere = Me.Filter
End If
DoCmd.OpenReport "rptYourReport", acPreview, , strWhere