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How to use a recordset to send Outlook e-mail to multiple recipients in Microsoft Access

Article ID: 318881 - View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q318881

Advanced: Requires expert coding, interoperability, and multiuser skills.

SUMMARY

This article describes how to use Automation to send a Microsoft Outlook e-mail message to multiple recipients whose addresses are listed in a Microsoft Access table. This article also uses Access form controls to add the message body, to fill in the Cc field, and to fill in the Subject field. Additionally, this article describes a programmatic method that you can use to include e-mail attachments and to resolve e-mail addresses against the Outlook Address Book.

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MORE INFORMATION

To create an Outlook session from Access and to use a recordset to send e-mail messages to multiple recipients, follow these steps:

Create a text file that you can use as an attachment. Save the text file as "TestAttachment.txt" in the root of drive C. For example, you can save the text file as C:\TestAttachment.txt.
Create a new database that is named Db1.mdb.

Create a new table with the following information in Db1.mdb:

Table: tblMailingList
----------------------
Field Name: EmailAddress
Data Type:  text

Type several valid e-mail addresses in the EmailAddress field.

Create a form with the following information:

Form: frmMail
   ----------------------
   RecordSource: tblMailingList

   Text box
   ---------------------------
   Name: CCAddress
   ControlSource: Unbound
   Label Caption: CC Address
   
   Text box
   ---------------------------
   Name: Subject
   ControlSource: Unbound
   Label Caption: Subject

   Text box
   ---------------------------
   Name: MainText
   ControlSource: Unbound
   Label Caption: Message Body

Open the form in Form view, and then type sample data in the appropriate boxes. Press ENTER after each entry, and then leave the form open when you are finished.

Create a new module. Add the following code sample to the new module.

Option Compare Database
Option Explicit

Sub SendMessages(Optional AttachmentPath)

  Dim MyDB As Database
  Dim MyRS As Recordset
  Dim objOutlook As Outlook.Application
  Dim objOutlookMsg As Outlook.MailItem
  Dim objOutlookRecip As Outlook.Recipient
  Dim objOutlookAttach As Outlook.Attachment
  Dim TheAddress As String

  Set MyDB = CurrentDb
  Set MyRS = MyDB.OpenRecordset("tblMailingList")
  MyRS.MoveFirst

  ' Create the Outlook session.
  Set objOutlook = CreateObject("Outlook.Application")
  
  Do Until MyRS.EOF
  ' Create the e-mail message.
  Set objOutlookMsg = objOutlook.CreateItem(olMailItem)
  TheAddress = MyRS![EmailAddress]

     With objOutlookMsg
        ' Add the To recipients to the e-mail message.
        Set objOutlookRecip = .Recipients.Add(TheAddress)
        objOutlookRecip.Type = olTo

        ' Add the Cc recipients to the e-mail message.
        If (IsNull(Forms!frmMail!CCAddress)) Then
        Else
           Set objOutlookRecip = .Recipients.Add(Forms!frmMail!CCAddress)
           objOutlookRecip.Type = olCC
        End If
   
        ' Set the Subject, the Body, and the Importance of the e-mail message.
        .Subject = Forms!frmMail!Subject
        .Body = Forms!frmMail!MainText
        .Importance = olImportanceHigh  'High importance
        
        'Add the attachment to the e-mail message.
        If Not IsMissing(AttachmentPath) Then
           Set objOutlookAttach = .Attachments.Add(AttachmentPath)
        End If

        ' Resolve the name of each Recipient.
        For Each objOutlookRecip In .Recipients
           objOutlookRecip.Resolve
           If Not objOutlookRecip.Resolve Then
             objOutlookMsg.Display
           End If
        Next
        .Send
      End With
      MyRS.MoveNext
   Loop
   Set objOutlookMsg = Nothing
   Set objOutlook = Nothing
End Sub

In the Visual Basic Editor, click References on the Tools menu.
In the Available References list, click Microsoft Outlook 8.0 Object Library, and then click OK.

Note You have to select the correct Microsoft Outlook Object Library. The Microsoft Outlook Object Library that you select depends on the version of Outlook that is installed on your computer. For example, if you have Office Outlook 2003 installed on your computer, click Microsoft Outlook 11.0 Object Library.
Press CTRL+G to open the Debug window.
To send the e-mail message with an attachment, type the following command in the Debug window:
SendMessages "C:\TestAttachment.txt"
Press ENTER.

Alternatively, to send the e-mail message without an attachment, omit the argument when calling the procedure. Type the following command in the Debug window:
SendMessages
Press ENTER.

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REFERENCES

For additional information about how to use Automation to control Outlook, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

161088

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/161088/ )

Using Automation to send a Microsoft Outlook message

160502

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/160502/ )

Using Automation to add appointments to Microsoft Outlook

161012

(http://support.microsoft.com/kb/161012/ )

How to create a new contact item in Outlook with Automation

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