Auto Update (Linking) Report Exports

[rarmont]

I designed an Access 2007 employee database that only has certain authorized
users so not everyone can get on it. Here's my problem: since switching over
to the database, we no longer update our archived spreadsheet with the
current employees' phone numbers, so my administrative staff is repeatedly
asking me for a current list. I created a query and ran a report, which is
OK for now (I need to format the print layout a little different, I have it
sorted by district, then department, then LName and FName, right now when it
prints - two columns per page - the first district is on the first page and
the second district starts on the first page then continues on the second
page and the third district starts in the middle of the second page and goes
on to print three or four remaining cells on a third page, plus the header
prints across the first page but only across half of all pages after that),
but I need to find out if there's a way to create a file that all of my
employees can open and print that updates every time the file is opened.
I've imported the query and linked it to excel and it updates how I want it
to fine but I lose the format from my report.

Any suggestions?

 

[Clifford Bass]

Hi,

You are asking for something that is impossible. At least strictly
from Access. To update a spreadsheet every time it is opened by anyone
requires that everyone have access to the data. But you are restricting
access. Now, an alternative might be to use a web page that, behind the
scenes, has its own account to the database and pulls the data for the
report. Another alternative might be to generate the report on a regular
basis (daily, hourly, whatever) and store it out to a shared location that
everyone can get to. The best report output format is the Snapshot format.
For those without Access you could provide the free Snapshot viewer. This
could be automated so that no one has to do it manually. Actually, as I am
thinking on it, you might be able to output it in HTML format to your server.
No need to provide for the web server pulling the data. Anyway, there are
several ideas there with which to start.

Hope this helps,

Clifford Bass