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Random Topics: OLE Objects, Mail Merge and

XML Exporting

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OLE Objects (specifically images)

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Open the Player table and in Design View add

description for the fields made the last time.

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Add a new field called Picture and choose

OLE Object as the Data Type.

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OLE definition in Webopedia.com

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Access’s OLE Object Data Type

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Save Keith Adams’ picture.

• Return to the Eagles roster page http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/team/default.jsp

• Click on the Adams, Keith hyperlink.

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Right click on the picture and choose Save Picture As …

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Click on the Create New Folder button and

rename the file. Click Open.

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Click on Save.

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Similarly pull down images of David Akers and Ian Allen.

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Open the Player table in DataSheet View. Right click in the Picture field for the Keith Adams record and choose Insert Object …

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In the dialog box, select the Create from File radio

button and check the Link checkbox.

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Click on Browse ... and locate and highlight

the file and click OK.

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The file’s path should be filled in the File textbox. Click OK.

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Result of inserting the OLE object.

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Close the table. Click on the drop-down arrow next

to the New Object button and select AutoForm.

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Result of AutoForm on Player table.

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Double click on the jpg icon on the form. A package that displays the jpg image (in this case Internet Explorer) should arise. Save the Form.

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Right click on the next image file, choose Open With/Choose Program and select Microsoft Paint from the list and click OK. Or open Microsoft Paint under Programs/Accessories and use File/Open ….

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Go to File/Save As …. Choose 256 Color

Bitmap as the type. Click Save. Answer Yes.

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Similarly save David Akers’ image as a bitmap. Close Paint.

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Return to the Player table in DataSheet view. Right click in the Picture field of the David Akers record. Choose Insert Object …

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Add the David Akers bmp file. Check Display as Icon.

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Repeat for the Ian Allen image but do not

check Display as Icon this time.

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Result of adding bitmap files. Note the field displays “Bitmap Image” instead of “Package”

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Result in Form view. The bitmap not displayed as icon can be seen.

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Close the database. Return to Paint and change

the bitmap files and save them. Close Paint.

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Reopen the database. The display as icon image should change, the other should not.

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Mail Merge

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Open a Word document, go to Tools/Letters and Mailings/Mail Merge

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Select the type of document for the merge.

Proceed to the next step.

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Make further choices about the document to be merged.

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Select recipients from an existing list. Browse.

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Find the database using the dialog box. Click Open.

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Choose the table or query for the merge.

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Select recipients. Sort recipients.

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Result of recipient selection. Proceed to next step.

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Insert Date

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Prepare to add address block to your letter.

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In the Insert Address Block dialog box, click Match Fields ….

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Use the Match Fields dialog box to relate the database fields

to those standard to addressing a letter.

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Matched fields. Address 2 is under Optional.

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Result of adding Address Block, position cursor to add Greeting.

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Use the Greeting Line dialog box to select the greeting. We should have had a title field in our database to allow for a more formal address.

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Document after Greeting Line added. Start

writing your letter.

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Document after adding body of letter. Proceed to the letter preview.

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Preview shows examples of your letter. You

can return to previous steps to fix any errors.

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Another preview obtained by clicked >>. Proceed to merge the letter.

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We will choose to create a merged document

rather than print – to save on paper.

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Created a six page document with each

page being a letter to a different recipient.

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Save merged letters document.

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Save document that did merging.

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Open the database and add a new record.

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Opening document that did merging.

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Quickly run through merge process.

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Repeating previous procedure (not from

scratch) yields a 7-page document.

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Exporting XML

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Open up the database, select a table, go to File/Export.

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In the export dialog box, choose XML from the Save as Type drop-down list. Then click Export.

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Webopedia.com definition of XML.

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For our case, check all the boxes. Click OK.

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Webopedia.com definition of XSD.

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Webopedia.com definition of XSL.

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View files created in Windows Explorer.

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The .htm file opened in Internet Explorer.

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The .htm file opened in Notepad.

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The .xml file opened in Internet Explorer.

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The .xml file opened Notepad.