How to Modify DDEWORD.SCX to Run with Word 6.0

• Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, version 2.5x, 2.6

SUMMARY

The dynamic data exchange (DDE) samples (located in the SAMPLES\DDE directory) in FoxPro 2.6 are unchanged from those that shipped with FoxPro 2.5 for Windows.

The DDEWORD.SCX sample will not run with Word 6.0 because the Word 2.0 command "FilePrintMergeToDoc" has been replaced in Word 6.0 with "MailMergeToDoc". The error "Unknown Command, Subroutine, or Function" will occur. This article explains how to modify DDEWORD.SCX so that it will work with Word 6.0.

MORE INFORMATION

To use the DDEWORD.SCX sample with Word 6.0, change the VALID clause of the iChoice push button to contain the following code:

   DO CASE
     CASE iChoice = 1   && Next record
       SKIP 1
       IF EOF()
          GO TOP
       ENDIF
     CASE iChoice = 2   && Previous record
       SKIP -1
     CASE iChoice = 3   && Print merge this record
       DELETE FILE "mergelst.dbf"
       COPY NEXT 1 FIELDS client_id, company, contact, address, city, ;
       state, zip TO "mergelst.dbf"

       iChannel = DDEInitiate("WinWord", "System")
       = DDEExecute(iChannel, "[AppMaximize]")
       = DDEExecute(iChannel, ;
       '[FileOpen "c:\foxprow\sample\dde\letter.doc"]')
       = DDEExecute(iChannel, "[FilePrintMergeToDoc]")  && This is the
       *line that changed.
       = DDEExecute(iChannel, "[MailMergeToDoc]")
       = DDEExecute(iChannel, "[File1]")
       = DDEExecute(iChannel, "[FileClose 2]")
       = DDEExecute(iChannel, "[FilePrintPreview 1]")
       = DDETerminate(iChannel)

     CASE iChoice = 4   && Quit
       CLEAR READ
   ENDCASE
   SHOW GETS

Steps to Convert LETTER.DOC to a Word 6.0 Mail Merge Document

1. Start Word 6.0 for Windows.

2. Open LETTER.DOC (from the C:\<foxpro_directory>\SAMPLE\DDE directory).

3. In the Convert File dialog box, choose OK. (It does not matter which item in the list is selected.)

4. At each Header Record Delimiters dialog box that appears, just choose OK until the document opens.

5. From the Tools menu, choose Mail Merge.

6. Choose the Create button, and in the drop-down list that appears, select Restore To Normal Word Document. At the "Do you wish to continue?" prompt, choose Yes. This will restore LETTER.DOC to a normal Word document.

7. Choose the Create button again, and in the drop-down list that appears, select Form Letters. At the dialog box that follows, choose the Active Window button.

8. Choose the Get Data button, and in the drop-down list that appears, select Open Data Source. In the File Name box, type the following and then choose OK:

           C:\FPW26\SAMPLE\DDE\MERGELST.DBF
   
   

9. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box that appears, select "FoxPro Files via ODBC (*.dbf)" and choose OK.

10. Choose the Close button.

11. From the File menu, choose Save. In the Save Format dialog box, choose the Word button to save LETTER.DOC in the Word 6.0 format.

12. Quit Word for Windows.