DDE connection from MS Word to Paradox

[knsman]

Can anyone recommend a way to get MS Word to recognize Paradox as a data source?

When I try to paste/link a Paradox field into a Word document I get a data source unknown message. The link will work for several changes then I get a Stack overload message.

Any help would be appreicated.

 

[footpad]

knsman,

We'd need more specific details to be able to offer specific suggestions. The versions of Windows, Word, and Paradox would be very appropriate.

In a general sense, I've personally had the most luck exporting the Paradox data to ASCII delimited text files and then using those as source files for Word's secondary merge.

Paradox of the reason for this is that Word uses ODBC connections to do this and certain versions the Paradox ODBC driver provided with MS Office are notorious for having trouble with newer Paradox tables, e.g. the Paradox 7 table format.

Not much of an answer, but I hope it helps...

-- Lance

 

[Langley]

Paradox tables can be saved in many formats. Try converting the table to a DBF or Excel file.

Mac

"Do not delve too deeply in the arts of your enemy and so become ensnared by them"

langley_mckelvy@cd4.co.harris.tx.us

 

[almir]

Knsman,

I use Paradox 9 and Word 2000, and they work fine. Having table open in Paradox, select field - only one at time, copy it, and in Word select Edit=>Paste Special. Choose Paste link (this ensures values to be updated), and "Unformatted text" (other format will probably not work). Repeat this for each field you need in Word.

Important: you need to have Paradox active and table open when updating fields (it is not necessary to be in "Edit Mode&quot. Best solution is to have Paradox and Word work simultaneously.

Save document in Word. When you change data in table, values in Word will change automatically. Additionally, in Word, choose Edit=>Links to set preferences for displaying and updating field values in Word, like automatic or manual updates, preserving formatting etc.

If you change location of table, its name or name of the fields, you will need to update preferences in Word too.

I use query to get an ANSWER table with only one record in it (this is what I need). This table is used as a source of data in Word.

Important: my source table in Paradox is an ANSWER table from query, and contains only one record. Maybe your table contains much more records and, thus, causes "Stack overflow". Try with query that produces less ammount of records. Then, use the ANSWER table as a source table for linked fields in Word.

Additionally, you could use DDE command to run specific Word document that contain linked information, something like:

method pushButton(var eventInfo Event)
var
DDEVAR DDE
tv TableView
endVar

;OPTIONALLY, YOUR QUERY, THAT PRODUCES ANSWER TABLE

tv.open(":ANSWER table:&quot ; THIS OPENS THE TABLE, SO YOU CAN LINK THE FIELDS TO WORD

tv.hide(); IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE TABLE IN PARADOX

ddeVar.open("C:\\PROGRAM FILES\\MICROSOFT OFFICE\\OFFICE10\\WINWORD.EXE", ":YOUR WORD FILE NAME.DOC&quot

; THIS COMMAND STARTS WORD AND OPEN THE FILE SPECIFIED, I.E. THE FILE CONTAINING THE LINKS TO THE TABLE FIELDS

tv.close() ; CLOSE THE TABLE IN PARADOX

endMethod

Hope this helps,

Almir