Connect Word to SQL Database

[Guest]

I have a customer who would like to replace his ACT database with a MySQL
server and use the database server to insert stored information (names,
address,...) to fill his Word letter templates.

Could somebody provide me with some links where I can find details on how to
set this up. General SQL instructions are fine, too.

Or, can Word use a .csv file to fill Word forms?

 

[Peter Jamieson]

How does it work with the ACT database?

If the letter templates are Word MailMerge templates, you can select a table
or view in a MySQL database and use it as the data source, but the user must
have a MySQL ODBC driver (or perhaps there is also a MySQL OLE DB provider -
there used to be one) installed on their computer. Using Word VBA, it is
also possible to use a MySQL SQL query to specify the data source.

Or, can Word use a .csv file to fill Word forms?

It depends on what kind of form you mean - again, if it's a mail merge main
document, yes, you can use a .csv fiel as a data source, but MailMerge is
quite picky about what it will accept.

If the "forms" are Mail Merge main documents, then the user may need to
learn how to select the necessary record(s) and save the letter in a
reliable way. If they are not, you will probably need to use a programming
language such as Word VBA to populate the form. Why not have a look at the
MailMerge option?

 

[Guest]

A lot of searching and trying later, I have succeeded to get Microsoft Word
to write a few thousand promotional letters using my MySQL database table as
a source. This is so simple
I have written a guide which goes through the required steps how to create a
custom letter in Word 2003 and pull information from the database ......
enjoy...

http://www.workorderts.com/Virtual_Brain_Online/article/howto_setup_windows_odbc_workorder_mysql/

http://www.workorderts.com/Virtual_...onfigure_mail_merge_microsoft_word_workorder/