merge Word & Access & Outlook

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OK - so my 1st post was too wordy maybe - so I'll try again!
I have 3 places names are stored. To combine all names in minimum places,
should I: 1) export my list of names from Word to Access 2) export from
Outlook to Access 3)combine all Access tables. 4)Delete Original Outlook
contacts 5)Create query in Acess so that only names with e-mail addresses can
be imported to Outlook from Access?
I will post this in Access questions also because I do realize this is a
combination question. Thanks in advance!
 
I am into Outlook and am able to use it well.... so I would import them all
into Outlook. Even the ones without email addresses.


I hope this helps you at least a little bit!

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we
can find information on it.
Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), quoted in Boswell's Life of Johnson
 
Thanks Judy -
Part of the problem is - I'm new to Outlook & am not sure that it can handle
all that I want it to do. Once the names are in one or 2 places, I will need
to print a report with birthdays, another with family, friends & probably
many others, I will also need to design these reports to print with different
layouts along with labes & envelopes. I know that Access can handle that
task & am just concerned that Outlook will be too limiting. I have been
checking with the Access pros & have a possiblity of linking Access & Outlook
so that they will both be updated with a change in only one.
I am sure that my Word doc will be eliminated.
I am just not sure if Oulook is the only place that I should have all of
these names in order to accomplish what I want. Let me know what you think!
 
You haven't stated what you want to be able to do with the Database and
that's what I feel you should base your decision on. You may well be
correct that Outlook is too limiting.

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we
can find information on it.
Samuel Johnson (1709 - 1784), quoted in Boswell's Life of Johnson
 
I must admit - I'm cannot foresee everything that will all be needed but here
is best I can do: This is a job that my boss assigned to me, for his
mother, because I am the only one in the office that has much Access
knowledge.
Currently - I have her Christmas card "list" in Access & am able to print
envelopes & labels. Right now, there is a Word document with a list of her
frequently called #'s that she has posted near her phone. Mom recently got
a laptop computer & she has been using Outlook to email her friends. She has
saved these email addresses in Outlook.
Presumably many of these name overlap.

The original assignment from my boss was to put ALL of her "contacts" into
an Access data base combined with her Christmas card list.

I think it would be best to eliminate as many of the "double entries" as
possible.

My thought is: format the Word document so that I can export it to Outlook
&/or Access . That gets rid of one of the "double" entries. That leaves me
with: Can Outlook print out a report of names to post near her phone? &
quite possibly print a Birthday List? If Outlook can handle that, then most
of the hurdles are jumped & I need go no further. I am new to Outlook but do
not believe that it has "report" like features. So -
I know Access can do these reports. so I'm thinking that I can enter all
names into Access & export to Outlook. BUT
if she makes an e mail address change in Outlook (the only one she is a
little bit comfortable with), then that leaves me with obsolete information
in Access. So THEN I need to find out IF ( & how) I can link Outlook to
Access.
So - I'd love to have you answer all of the above, But at the very least can
you confirm that Outlook does or does not have any "report" like features.
Sorry so long - thanks for your time & will appreciate any/all answers you
can provide.
 
Report like functions is Outlook are actually Views. They can be filtered
and you can make views on her PC that are easy for her to use.

1. Try out making a New Field (turn on the Advanced Toolbar and use the
Field Chooser) for YES/NO Christmas Card.

2. Have a play around with the Define View function in the Contacts folder.
It's easily accessible from the Current View window on the Advanced Toolbar.
For example you can show (and print) only the YES entries, or only Category
= friend.

3. What you see on screen is what you get when you print from Contacts.
Play with Print Preview.

I think you may well be fine with Outlook. Especially as that's what she's
comfortable with.

I hope this helps you at least a little bit!

Judy Gleeson
MVP Outlook
Outlook trainer and author of Productiv_IT with Outlook
www.acorntraining.com.au
Canberra, Australia

Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual
way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of
complaining.
Jef Raskin, interviewed in Doctor Dobb's Journal
 
Wow - Yes - Most helpful. Will do as you instruct when I start this project.
Might be couple of weeks but if I need more help, you'll be hearing form me
again. I may actually prefer Outlook for my personal use. I will be playing
with it to find out more & get more comfortable with Outllok. Access is not
as user friendly as Outlook appears to be. I think that Outlook will be way
better for Mom to work with as compared to Access. With what you wrote, I'm
thinking that while Access has it's own value, Outlook as used for
contact/friend/phone list is the better option. I believe that I will be
skipping over Access in the future for this type of info.
 
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