How to Use an ACT for Windows File As a Mail Merge Data Source

The information in this article applies to:

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

This article describes how to export a file from ACT version 1.x or 2.0 for Windows and how to use it as a mail merge data source in Word for Windows (called a print merge data source in Word 2.x).

MORE INFORMATION

Export the File from ACT for Windows

1. In ACT for Windows, open the database you want to export.

2. On the File menu, click Save As.

3. In the Type list, select Active Group in the Save Contact dialog box (for Word 6.0 and later).

   For Word 2.x, select Delimited, and then select the Tab delimiter option. Select the User Fields and Field Names options if you want to include both in your data document, and then click OK.

Microsoft ODBC Drivers

New databases created in ACT! 2.0.6 are identified as FoxPro 2.5. They can be read using the FoxPro 2.5 ODBC driver included with Microsoft Office applications. This driver allows you to use Microsoft Word 6.x, 7.0 and 97 Mail Merge features with ACT! contact data. Note that although you can read the ACT! Contact data in Microsoft Office applications, you should only edit the data in ACT!.

You can use the FoxPro 2.5 database to work with ACT! Databases created in versions prior to 2.0.6 by obtaining the conversion utility. The utility is available from ACT! Technical support or supported on-line services: CompuServe, AOL, Symantec BBS.

The product mentioned here is manufactured by a vendor independent of Microsoft.

Word 6.x, 7.0, 97: Use the ACT File as a Mail Merge Data Document

1. In Word, open the mail merge main document.

2. On the Tools menu, click Mail Merge.

3. Under Data Source, click the Get Data button. On the menu that appears, choose Open Data Source.

4. Select the Confirm Conversions (Word 6) or the Select Method (Word 7, Word 97) check box.

5. Select your ACT for Windows data file and then click OK.

6. In the Confirm Data Source dialog box, select FoxPro Files via ODBC (*.dbf) or dBase Files Via ODBC (*.dbf) and then click OK.

Word 2.x: Use the ACT File as a Print Merge Data Document

1. In Word, open the print merge main document.

2. On the File menu, click Print Merge.

3. In the Print Merge Setup dialog box, click the Attach Data File button.

4. Select your ACT for Windows data file and then click OK.

The ACT for Windows products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance or reliability.

REFERENCES

"ACT for Windows User's Guide," pages 6-52, 6-53

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 676-677

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.x, pages 620-622