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Old 06-18-2010, 10:11 AM
Mr_Luke Mr_Luke is offline Windows 7 Office 2007
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Default Mail Merge question: Using fields connected to a CSV file in Word 2007

Hello,

I’m not sure if this is a mail merge question or not. I am wondering if I can “link” fields in word to CSV files and have the fields in word automatically change, on a reopen or refresh, when the CSV files change. Or is Word only capable of doing this with MySQL or MS Access?

I tried doing this in Open Office but became so frustrated I switched to Word 2007.

I’m trying to create a document which contains data from about 9 different CSV files and includes about 16 different fields. I would like to stick with CSV because that is the output of a few different programs from which I am getting the data.

Unlike a mail merge I do not require separate data from each “tab” in a CSV file to then be placed into separate labels (like addresses) or separate documents to print (for example salutations; one letter to Mr. Smith, the next to Mr. Adams ect.).

I just want to be able to have a form letter, rich with fields linked to CSV, in which I can change the CSV files and not have to manually mess with the fields in my word document. As well, preserve all the neat formatting features of my fields—including what “cells” to include.

Or is the only way to do this to:

1.) Buy MS Access

2.) Create a database in MS Access made up of my 9 CSV files

3.) Manually reload the CSV files into MS Access after each change in data

4.) Have my Word fields linked to my one MS Access database.

It seems that it should be easy for Word to reload data from a bunch of different CSV files after I reopen my document. I understand a “real time” refresh linking to a simple tax comma delimitated file is unrealistic, but why isn’t there a button like reload “all field data sources”?

Spreadsheet software seems to often include a button like “refresh all data sources” which works fine In Open Office calc for reloading data from multiple CSV files. Shouldn’t it be the same in Word?

Thank you so very much for your time, it is very much appreciated. I apologize in advance if I’m writing too much about a very simple question.

Best, Luke

P.S. Perhaps there is another open source software solution I have not thought of? I’m still in the trial of Word and would like to avoid buying both Word and MS Access.
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