Can Filemaker interface with MS Word

[socks]

I developed a db for a cliet that was using MS Works. They wanted a Filemaker or Access database because they needed it to be multi user, and Works can not be used on a network with more than one person at a time.

With Works the database fields can be easily inserted right inside the Works wordprocessor, and they would type numerous letters and do mail merges, and put fields into the text. The word processor had word wrap and was a decent word processor (much better than the Filemaker word processing within the layouts).

I put together a database that is far superior as far as database capabilities, but does not make it as easy to do word processing and insert field. They need more word processing and less database. They keep changing their form letters based on the individual circumstances of each case. So, they are not pleased with what I did for them.

I did tell them they can create a letter in MS Word and cut and paste it into a new layout in Filemaker. But, they lose the formatting and do not like taking these extra steps.

Is there anyway I can have Filemaker interface with a word processor so that all records are automatically available within the word processor. They would not want to export the records, so it would have to be an automatic type of interface or relationship?

Thanks, Jeff Norensky

[karl88]

i know this is not the answer you were hoping for - if you do get that answer i'd like to hear it also - but... i have a similar situation. FM database full of contacts. the person needs to send out "deal" letters to people in the database. sometimes the letters need to be customized/edited a bit for that particular person. fortunately in my case, there is a one contact --> one letter at a time, rather than a batch of contacts --> one letter for each... so

i made a script that finds only the record that they are looking at in FM, then they click an "export this record" button. the export scripts sends all the fields they could possibly use in the letter to a .mer (merge) file format (no dialogs, it just does it) then when they open the deal letter with the usual merge fields all ready in place all they have to is point the form letter to the "justexportedfromfilemaker.mer" file and it works... they can then make a new document with the merged data in place, and edit as needed. if the original word doc is re-used later, it all ready points to the "justexportedfromfilemaker.mer" data file, they don't have to do anymore clicking to connect the word doc to the right data file... i suppose it would work with multiple contacts - sending the same form letter to everyone in the multi-record export. we just don't need to do that, as each letter must be tweeked for that contact.

i thought about them making their letter in filemaker itself, but the fomatting capabilities are too limited, etc.

hope this is helpful. they grumbled a bit at first, but once they got used to it - learned how to point the word doc to the data file, and insert new merge fields in a word doc (based on the field names in the exported .mer file) they don't grumble anymore, as they are so please with the filemaker part being so so

[ck]

When I export the fp5 database to .mer files, all the records are exported. Is there any methods to let the user select which records to export?

[Vaughan]

Perform a find before doing the export. Only the found records get exported.

[ck]

Thanks for your reply.

I am a greedy person =P I want to implement a database which has the ability to let the user select which records to export by pressing a button, e.g. I have a same layout for all the records, record A uses layout A, record B uses layout A, etc.... I plan to implement a export button in layout A, so when the user wanna export record A, he can just click the button. When he wanna export record B, he can do the same. Is it possible to save all the records, which user selected, into one file,e.g. .mer? Since I wanna to merge those records with one MS Word File.

I should say I am a verrrrrrrrry greedy person =P Thanks in advance.

[andygaunt]

Hi --

If you have version 6 of FileMaker then you may be interested in this application

http://www.chapsoft.com/ezxslt/

[ck]

Thanks for the link!

But I am using FP5

[EllenG]

I have 2 different approaches to this. I use export and merge for labels and other "standard" formats that the user does not have to change. But, I took this one step further, by creating a macro in the Word doc. It's all scripted (in FM 5), so the user can select the records in FM, then the Word doc opens and the user presses the defined macro button (that I put in the Word toolbar) and the rest is automatic...

I have another format that I use that combines text and variable fields. The use can enter the "letter" info into defined text fields and the variable data (such as name, address, etc.) is "linked" together in the layout using a calc field. Ie. CalcLetter = GreetingField & " " & NameField & ";" ... etc. You can use the paragraph return character or your layout to control line and paragraph breaks. You can also hard-code some of the text in the layout, if that is static text.

Both approaches have worked well for me, though they seem a bit "clunky."

I don't know how to concatenate individual records into your merge file, unless you create a new FM file (MergeData) and then have an import script that you call from your database after each record is selected. But then you need another button to "Send" or "Finish" once all the records have been selected. That will run another script in MergeData to export the records, open the word doc, and then delete all the records.