Paste Linking Paradox for Windows 1.0 Data in Word 6.0

ID: Q109159

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

SYMPTOMS

Paradox 1.0 for Windows minimally supports dynamic data exchange (DDE), thereby allowing Paste Linking of Paradox data into Word for Windows. When you copy data from Paradox 1.0 and choose Paste Special from the Edit menu in Word for Windows 2.0, the Paste Link option is available. By contrast, in Word 6.0 for Windows the Paste Link option is not available (dimmed).

STATUS

We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUND

You can use the DDEAuto or DDE field in Word 6.0 for Windows to link to a Paradox for Windows table, record, or field name. The syntax for the DDE and DDEAuto field is as follows

   { DDE[Auto] AppName FileName [PlaceReference] }

where AppName is the DDE Application, FileName is the Topic, and [PlaceReference] is the Topic Item.

The syntax for a DDE or DDEAuto link with Paradox 1.0 for Windows is

   { DDE[Auto] PDOXWIN :[Path_Alias]:[DB_Name] [Field_Name]or["_Table"]
   \* mergeformat \t }

where:

   PDOXWIN is the application name for Paradox used in DDE conversations.

   [Path_Alias] is the Alias name you can assign in Paradox to a directory
   path.

   [DB_TableName] is the name of the Paradox table filename (*.DB).

   ["_Table"] is the name of the Paradox table.

   [Field_Name] is the name of the field in the Paradox table.

For example, assuming the "C:\PUBLIC\DATA" directory has been given the Paradox alias name "WORK", to link the field "Name" from the table "CUSTOMER.DB" into a Word 6.0 document, do the following:

1. Place the insertion point in your Word document where you want the

   Paradox data to appear.

2. Press CTRL+F9 to insert the field braces.

3. Within the field braces, type the following:

      DDEAuto :WORK:CUSTOMER.DB NAME \*mergeformat \t

   The resultant field code should look like this:

      { DDEAuto :WORK:CUSTOMER.DB NAME \*mergeformat \t }

The \*mergeformat switch applies the formatting of the previous result to the new result. It is not necessary but is used by default to retain formatting when you Paste Link in Word.

MORE INFORMATION

You can use the DDEAuto or DDE field in Word 2.0 for Windows or Word 6.0 for Windows to link either a Paradox table field or a complete table. To link to a complete Paradox table in Word 2.0 for Windows, choose Edit Select All in Paradox, switch to Word, then perform a Paste Link. In Word 6.0 for Windows you can use the PlaceReference name "_TABLE" in a DDEAuto or DDE field to link to the entire Paradox table. For example:

   { DDEAuto :WORK:CUSTOMER.DB "_TABLE" \*mergeformat \t }

It's also acceptable to eliminate the quotation marks around _TABLE:

   { DDEAuto :WORK:CUSTOMER.DB _TABLE \*mergeformat \t }

When you Paste Link a Paradox field into Word for Windows 2.0, or manually create the DDEAuto field in Word 6.0 for Windows, the data reference is the table field name and not the actual field data you selected. Thus, when you change the focus in Paradox from one record to another record, the results of the DDEAuto field code will change, displaying the new value for the field in the current record. By contrast, Paste Linking a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet cell in Word references a specific cell, the value of which will be displayed in Word regardless of your focus in Microsoft Excel.

To temporarily disconnect the DDE link between Word and Paradox, uncheck the Table | Notify On menu command in Paradox. This will prevent the DDEAuto field results in Word from updating.

KBCategory: kb3rdparty KBSubCategory: Additional query words: 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c 6.0 gray grey word6 winword grayed greyed out

Keywords          : kb3rdparty
Version           : 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: July 30, 1997