This article shows you how to use Visual Basic for
Applications to run a Microsoft Word mail merge in Microsoft Access.
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By using Visual Basic for Applications, you can perform a
mail merge in a Microsoft Word document from a Microsoft Access module. The
example in this article uses the
OpenDataSource and
Execute methods of the
MailMerge object in Word. It also demonstrates how to send a mail merge
document directly to the printer.
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Example: Mail Merge a Microsoft Access Query with a Word Document
The following example opens a Word document called C:\MyMerge.doc
and runs a mail merge by using the Customers table in the Microsoft Access
sample database Northwind.mdb as its data source. The following sample code
assumes that the main document for the merge, C:\MyMerge.doc, already exists.
| 1. | Start Microsoft Access and open any database, or create a
new one. |
| 2. | Create a module and type the following procedure:
Function MergeIt()
Dim objWord As Word.Document
Set objWord = GetObject("C:\MyMerge.doc", "Word.Document")
' Make Word visible.
objWord.Application.Visible = True
' Set the mail merge data source as the Northwind database.
objWord.MailMerge.OpenDataSource _
Name:="C:\Program Files\Microsoft " & _
"Office\Office\Samples\Northwind.mdb", _
LinkToSource:=True, _
Connection:="TABLE Customers", _
SQLStatement:="SELECT * FROM [Customers]"
' Execute the mail merge.
objWord.MailMerge.Execute
End Function
objWord.MailMerge.Destination = wdSendToNewDocument
objWord.MailMerge.Execute
'The following line must follow the Execute statement because the
'PrintBackground property is available only when a document window is
'active. Without this line of code, the function will end before Word
'can print the merged document.
objWord.Application.Options.PrintBackground = False
objWord.Application.ActiveDocument.PrintOut
|
| 3. | With the module still open in Design view, click References on the Tools menu. Add the Word 9 Object Library to the list of available
references. If the Object Library is not on the list, click the Browse button and locate the file Msword9.olb. |
| 4. | To test this function, type the following line in the
Immediate window, and then press ENTER: ?MergeIt() An instance of Word opens, displays MyMerge.doc, and then merges
it with the Customers table in the sample database Northwind.mdb. |
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For more information about
creating mail merge documents, click
Microsoft Word Help on the
Help menu, type
use mail merge to create form
letters in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then
click
Search to view the topics returned.
For more information
about using data from Microsoft Access tables or queries in mail merge, click
Microsoft Access Help on the
Help menu, type
merge data from a table or query by using
the microsoft word mail merge wizard in the Office Assistant or the
Answer Wizard, and then click
Search to view the topics returned.
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