Is there any easier way to do this?

[Guest]

Hello everyone, I am really new to Access, so forgive the rookie question(s).

Here's the scenario.

My whole goal is to print out shipping labels to those people w/ addresses
from a certain category in Outlook. I have a list of 1000+ contacts in
Outlook 2003. Some of which have addresses, and some dont. Some have
categories, some dont. I export the entire list as a CSV.

In Access 2003, I create a database and import the CSV as a table. Then I
create a report using the Label Wizard (Avery 5164). I design the label as a
shipping label.
It successfully brings over the the contact info and addresses just fine.
Formatting and everyting comes over fine.

The question is, the only items I want to appear in the report are the
contacts that have a certain value in the Categories field in Outlook (i.e.
Business Contact). In otherwords, the report is displaying ALL my contacts
regardless if they have a address or not. So basically the query is
something like: "if <string of text> exists in Categories field, then display
Home Address..." So that's the first question.

Second Question: Some of the contacts that have addresses are business
addresses and not home address, how would I create a query that says
something like, "If home address doesn't exist, then show business address"

Final Question: My problem is, i am constantly adding and updating info in
my contacts list in OUtlook. Since that's the case, I have to constantly
export, and redo the report in Access. Is there any easier way to do
this??? I know from Outlook I can export directly into Access.

I guess I could continue to export the contacts... that's no problem. iT's
the report that needs help.

Thanks in Advance everyone.

brian
(e-mail address removed)

 

[Guest]

It's just a thought but have you tried doing as a mail merge from Outlook
rather than Access?

SHeila

 

[Guest]

I have not. How would I do that? Would that be easier than what i'm doing?
would I be able to accomplish what I outlined in the questions below?

thanks for your time,
Brian

 

[Guest]

Hmmm i'm trying it right now, and there doesn't seem to be a way to make it
so that i can limit the merge to only those that have the certain text in the
categories field. unless i'm dong it wrong. Might just stick with Plan A
and the Access db.

Shed some light?
Brian

 

[Guest]

I kinda figured it out.

You have to go to the table, create a filter by form, then I selected IS NOT
NULL for the home address and Categories field, save the filter as a query.

Then go to the query, go to NEW REPORT...select Label Wizard, Avery 5164,
then design the report (label) to my preferences... viola!

The only thing it doesn't satisfy is the if there is a business address
instead of a home address, then it won't show up in the report. i guess i
have to go back into my contacts and make sure all the addresses are entered
as home addresses....

 

[Guest]

If you are working in Access you could try an update query, set the criteria
for home address to Is Null then set to Update To business address. This will
only affect records in Access so your source data in Outlook will be OK if
you make a mistake!

Hope this helps, Sheila

 

[Larry Linson]

The Query you use as RecordSource of the Report (that prints the labels)
should include criteria for the particular category you want -- that should
be easy to create using the Query Builder.

You can make it more flexible with a Form where the user chooses a/some
category/ies, but that will require a bit of VBA code to create the
"WhereCondition" argument of a DoCmd.OpenReport statement from information
the user has entered/selected on the Form.

Larry Linson
Microsoft Access MVP