Mac Forum / Applications / Word / February 2007

Re: Email Merge with First Name in body & SubjectI don't know how WordBasic is implemented on either platform but on the Windows side it's presented as an Object that's a property of the Global/Application objects, and about which the Object Browser holds no further info. It's not clear whether every WordBasic command that manipulates Word actually invokes Word's COM object (or however it works on Mac) and that the reason why some WordBasic commands (such as the ones we're talking about) are not available in VBA is simply because they have not been exposed via the object library or some such. Nor is it completely clear /why/ some of these things have been implemented via Wordbasic rather than the published object model - perhaps it's precisely to avoid publishing a new interface because the longterm plan is not to have those objects, or maybe it's to circumvent some security problem or other.

In order to be able to use the WordBasic stuff I assume that the next version of (Mac) Word is either going to need to
a. provide access to the WordBasic object (I don't see that facility in the AppleScript dictionary at the moment, for example, but perhaps it is there). In addition, any language using that object would have to be syntactically capable of doing so. Or
b. provide direct access to the objects that WordBasic is using. At the moment I don't see that in AppleScript either in this case, but perhaps it's there somewhere.

Otherwise MS would be saying "you won't be able to automate that any more", and of course they may have their reasons for doing that too.

My own experience is that any developer including MS is quite capable of forgetting this kind of stuff until very late in the development day so I only mention it because I hear that the MacBU is watching :-)

Peter Jamieson

 If my understanding is correct (based on Word's help file) WordBasic is not compiled. It's just a collection of about 900 commands. Since it is not compiled there is at least a chance it will survive the upgrade.

 -Jim Gordon
 Mac MVP

 Quoting from "Peter Jamieson" <pjj@KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk>, in article O2arFrQWHHA.388@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl, on [DATE:

   Hi Jim,

   Yes, I hope the various things that rely on WordBasic will still be do-able in the next release.

   Peter Jamieson

     "Jim Gordon MVP" <goldkey74@WarmerThanWarmMail.com>  wrote in message news:C2071C4A.17263%goldkey74@WarmerThanWarmMail.com...
     Hi  Peter,

     Office 2004 is the last version of Office that will support  Visual Basic for Applications directly. In the future you'll need to run VBA  via a compiled executive file such as AppleScript or  RealBasic.

     -Jim

     Quoting from "Peter Jamieson"  <pjj@KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk>, in article  OO9kmeNWHHA.480@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl, on [DATE:

     

       Jim,

       Thanks! Good  old WordBasic, eh? I think they've even added stuff to the WordBasic object  in Word 2007.

       Peter  Jamieson

         "Jim Gordon MVP"  <goldkey74@WarmerThanWarmMail.com>  wrote in message  news:C2064A26.171AC%goldkey74@WarmerThanWarmMail.com...
         Hi   Peter,

         I confirm that the execute command as used in your  example  causes Word to crash. I tested Word 2004 and Word 2001. Both   crashed.

         After I made a slight modification, however, the  code runs  just fine.  I think you can choose the format of the  outgoing message.  Here goes:

         Sub  ProduceOneEmailPerSourceRec()
         '

         ' NB, needs  bettor error  management and doubtless other things a VBA expert
         ' will  point  out.

         Dim intSourceRecord
         Dim objMerge As   Word.MailMerge
         Dim bTerminateMerge As Boolean

         ' If no data  source  has been defined, do it here using OpenDataSource.
         ' But  if it is already  defined in the document, you should not need to  define it here.

         '   .OpenDataSource _
         '     Name:="whatever"

         ' Need  to set up this  object as the ActiveDocument changes when the
         ' merge is   performed. Besides, it's clearer.

         Set objMerge =   ActiveDocument.MailMerge
         With objMerge

         ' I don't use  FirstRecord,  LastRecord because they do not behave
         ' the way you  expect in all data  sources.

           intSourceRecord =  1
           bTerminateMerge  = False

           Do Until   bTerminateMerge
             .DataSource.ActiveRecord  =  intSourceRecord

             ' if we have  gone past the  end (and possibly, if there are no  records)
             ' then  the Activerecord will not  be what we have just tried to set it   to

             If .DataSource.ActiveRecord  <>  intSourceRecord  Then
               bTerminateMerge =   True
             ' the record   exists
             Else

               objMerge.DataSource.FirstRecord   =   intSourceRecord
               objMerge.DataSource.LastRecord   =  intSourceRecord
               'objMerge.Destination   = wdSendToEmail
               ' set up the  field  containing the e-mail   address
               objMerge.MailAddressFieldName  =  "eaddress"
               ' Set up the  subject - make  sure any field name in here has the   same
               ' capitalisaiton as the  name in  the data   source
               
             With   ActiveDocument.MailMerge
                 .Destination   =   wdSendToEmail
                 .Execute
             End   With
             WordBasic.DMMMergeToEMail  DMMEMailSendAs:=2,  DMMEMailTo:=2,  DMMEMailSubject:=.DataSource.DataFields("First").Value &   _
                                      "-   did you like the pictures I sent to   you?"
               
               'objMerge.MailSubject   = .DataSource.DataFields("First").Value &   _
                                      "-   did you like the pictures I sent to   you?"
               'objMerge.Execute
               intSourceRecord   = intSourceRecord + 1
             End   If
           Loop
         End With
         End Sub

         Sub  test()
         Set MyMerge  = ActiveDocument.MailMerge
         If MyMerge.State  = wdMainAndDataSource Then  MyMerge.Execute

         End  Sub

         -Jim Gordon
         Mac  MVP

         Quoting from "Peter  Jamieson"  <pjj@KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk>, in article   OXWlI6AWHHA.1208@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl, on  [DATE:

         
         

           Unfortunately,  now I've been able to experiment,  Activedocument.Mailmerge.Execute crashes  Mac Word. Period. I  suppose it's possible that that is "by design" to  prevent  automated mass mailings.

           Also   interesting that the UI lets you pick HTML or plain text (or  attachment)   (as on Windows Word) but VBA on Mac does not  support the .MailFormat  property that lets you choose  programmatically.

           The other   general way to approach this problem is to do one merge per  record, merging  to a new document then sending that via some  automated method. However AFAIK  .SendMail just opens a dialog  rather than doing the sending and I don't know  what other  facilities for automating Entourage exist.

            Peter   Jamieson

           "Peter  Jamieson"  <pjj@KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk> wrote in message   news:%2357klg%23VHHA.3980@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
           
           

             John,

             
             
             Thanks for giving that a once-over. At some point   perhaps  we'll find out whether the questioner is actually  using a Mac   :-)

             
             
             Peter Jamieson

             
             
             
             

               "John McGhie [MVP - Word and  Word  Macintosh]" <john@mcghie.name> wrote in message   news:C2062218.63A0B%john@mcghie.name...
               Hi  Peter:

               Very nice indeed :-)    I fixed a couple of typos (below)  and have tested  that it  compiles on the Mac in Word 2004.  Given that   all of the  objects are present in Word 2004 VBA, it  should have a very high   chance of working as designed  :-)

               I am sure the questioner  knows  (because he  has got this far) that Merge to Email can be  performed ONLY to   Microsoft Entourage, which means Entourage must  be set  as the default email  program on the Mac.

               On 24/2/07   4:30 AM, in article   OHUwkA3VHHA.3592@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl, "Peter  Jamieson"   <pjj@KillmapSpjjnet.demon.co.uk>   wrote:

               >> Is there a way to  include  that merge field into the  subject  line?
               >
               > As far as I know,   only using VBA or  another method of automating  Word.
               >
               > In  Word  2002/2003 on Windows  there are Merge Events which allow you to
               >    change the .MailSubject attribute of the MailMerge  object prior to  merging  
               > each record. Those  Events don't exist on Word Mac  as far as I know,  but you  
               > may be able to use VBA (or, say  Applescript if that's  your  thing) to do one
               > merge per  record in the  data source. I have only  used the following macro on  
               > the Windows version so do not know if  it will,  or can,  work on Mac. Also, it
               > will only work if you  are  producing  one e-mail per record in your data  
               > source. using stuff   such as <<Next  record>> fields will screw it  up.
               >  
               Sub   ProduceOneEmailPerSourceRec()
               '

               ' NB, needs bettor   error  management and doubtless other things a VBA  expert
               ' will point   out.

               Dim  intSourceRecord
               Dim objMerge As  Word.MailMerge
               Dim   bTerminateMerge As Boolean

               ' If no  data source  has been defined, do  it here using  OpenDataSource.
               '  But if it is already defined in the  document,  you should  not need to define it here.

               '     .OpenDataSource _
               '      Name:="whatever"

               '  Need to set  up this  object as the ActiveDocument changes when the
               '  merge  is  performed. Besides, it's clearer.

               Set  objMerge =   ActiveDocument.MailMerge
               With  objMerge

               ' I don't use  FirstRecord,  LastRecord  because they do not behave
               ' the way  you expect in all data   sources.

                 intSourceRecord  =   1
                 bTerminateMerge = False

                 Do   Until    bTerminateMerge
                   .DataSource.ActiveRecord   =  intSourceRecord

                   '  if we have  gone past  the end (and possibly, if there are  no  records)
                   '  then the  Activerecord will  not be what we have just tried to set it    to

                   If  .DataSource.ActiveRecord  <>  intSourceRecord   Then
                     bTerminateMerge   =  True
                   ' the record    exists
                   Else

                     .DataSource.FirstRecord    =    intSourceRecord
                     .DataSource.LastRecord    =   intSourceRecord
                     .Destination  =   wdSendToEmail
                     '  set up the  field  containing the e-mail    address
                     .MailAddressFieldName   =  "eaddress"
                     '  Set up the  subject -  make sure any field name in here  has the   same
                     '  capitalisaiton as  the name in  the data    source
                     
                     .MailSubject    = .DataSource.DataFields("FirstName").Value &    _
                                            "-    did you like the pictures I sent to    you?"
                     .Execute
                     intSourceRecord    = intSourceRecord + 1
                   End    If
                 Loop
               End With
               End   Sub

         --  
         Jim Gordon
         Mac MVP

         MVPs are  not Microsoft Employees
         MVP info  http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/

     --  
     Jim Gordon
     Mac MVP

     MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
     MVP info  http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/

 --
 Jim Gordon
 Mac MVP

 MVPs are not Microsoft Employees
 MVP info http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/