WX0997: Interoperability Questions and Answers

• Microsoft Access version 2.0

Moderate: Requires basic macro, coding, and interoperability skills.

The "Interoperability Questions and Answers" (WX0997) Application Note contains questions and answers about Microsoft Access version 2.0 interoperability.

You can obtain this Application Note from the following sources:

• Microsoft FastTips Technical Library
• Microsoft Technical Support

THE TEXT OF WX0997

           Microsoft(R) AnswerPoint Application Note (Text File)
            WX0997: INTEROPERABILITY QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

                                                   Revision Date: 3/94
                                                      No Disk Included

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1. Q. How do I send Microsoft Access database objects to other
      software applications?

   A. There are three commands on the File menu and two toolbar
      buttons that send database objects to other applications.

       - The Export command exports data only from a table or query.
         To export the layout, use the Output To command.

       - The Print Definition command creates a report about an
         object's structure.

       - The Output To command exports data to a file, preserving the
         layout. You enter the output format and name of the file to
         create. To view the file, start the appropriate application.

       - The Publish It With MS Word and Analyze It With MS Excel
         buttons save the file to the current directory and start
         Microsoft Excel or Word. For information about adding these
         buttons to your toolbar, search for "customizing toolbars"
         then "Adding or Removing Buttons on Toolbars" using the
         Microsoft Access Help menu.

2. Q. How can Visual Basic access Microsoft Access version 2.0
      databases?

   A. A mapping layer has been created so that Visual Basic version
      3.0 can communicate with Microsoft Access 2.0 databases. This
      mapping layer works with both Microsoft Access version 1.1 and
      2.0 databases. The mapping layer will be available in the
      Microsoft Access Developer's Toolkit (ADT), and in the
      Microsoft Office Developer's Kit (ODK).

      For additional information about using Microsoft Access 2.0
      databases with Visual Basic, you can order item number Q112104
      by selecting the FastTips Technical Library option from the
      FastTips Main Menu.

3. Q. Has the ability to use my Microsoft Access data in a
      Microsoft Word for Windows mail merge changed in version 2.0?

   A. Using Microsoft Access data for a Word for Windows mail merge
      is easier in version 2.0. The new Microsoft Word Mail Merge
      Wizard helps you create a dynamic data exchange (DDE) link
      between Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word version 6.0 for
      Windows. To use the Microsoft Word Mail Merge Wizard, use
      either of the following methods:

       - Select your table or query in the Database window, and then
         choose the Merge It button on the toolbar.

       - Create a new report based on your table or query. Choose the
         ReportWizards button, then choose Microsoft Word Mail Merge
         in the ReportWizards dialog box.

      For more information about using Microsoft Access data in a
      Word for Windows merge, search for "Word for Windows" then
      "Merging Microsoft Access Data with a Word for Windows
      Document" using the Microsoft Access Help menu.

4. Q. Do I need to change anything so that Microsoft Word
      version 6.0 for Windows or Microsoft Excel version 5.0 can use
      my Microsoft Access 2.0 databases?

   A. To use Microsoft Access version 2.0 databases with Word 6.0 for
      Windows and Microsoft Excel 5.0, you need the Microsoft Access
      2.0 ODBC driver for Microsoft Office. For additional information
      about this driver, you can order item number Q112062 by
      selecting the FastTips Technical Library option from the
      FastTips Main Menu.

5. Q. How can I obtain the Oracle ODBC driver?

   A. Microsoft Access 2.0 supplies an ODBC driver for connecting to
      SQL Server, but does not supply a driver for connecting to
      Oracle 6. Customer research showed that few people used the
      Oracle driver we shipped with Microsoft Access version 1.1.
      However, if you have the Microsoft Access 1.1 Oracle driver,
      you can use it with your Microsoft Access 2.0 applications.

      For additional information about obtaining the Oracle ODBC
      driver, you can order item number Q112105 by selecting the
      FastTips Technical Library option from the FastTips Main Menu.

6. Q. How can I execute a stored procedure using an SQL pass-
      through query?

   A. You can use SQL pass-through queries to send commands directly
      to an ODBC database server (such as Microsoft SQL Server). You
      must send the commands using the syntax required by the
      particular server. With pass-through queries, you work directly
      with the tables on the remote server instead of attaching them.

      For an example of running a SQL Server stored procedure, order
      the fax or mail copy of this script.

      For example, to run the stored procedure sp_configure, which
      returns SQL Server configuration information, use the following
      steps:

      1. Create a new query.

      2. From the Query menu, choose SQL Specific, then choose
         Pass-Through.

      3. In the SQL Pass-Through Query window, type the following:

             sp_configure

      When you run the query, you will be prompted for the ODBC data
      source. The configuration information for the SQL Server will
      be returned.

      For more information about the syntax of SQL pass-through
      queries, please consult the documentation for your server.

7. Q. When I attach a SQL Server table, I cannot edit any of the
      data, although I have rights to edit the data. Why is this and
      how can I edit the data?

   A. When you attach any table with ODBC, the table must have a
      unique index before Microsoft Access can update the data. In
      Microsoft Access 2.0, you can create a temporary unique primary
      index on the attached table using a data definition query
      (DDL). This temporary index will not be created on the server,
      but will allow you to update the data in Microsoft Access. The
      following is a DDL query to create a temporary primary index:

          CREATE UNIQUE INDEX index1 On <tablename>(<uniqueIDfieldname>)

      For more information about DDL queries, search for "Data
      Definition" then "Data Definition Command" using the Microsoft
      Access Help menu.

8. Q. How do I link a Microsoft Access table to a Microsoft
      Excel spreadsheet using dynamic data exchange (DDE)?

   A. The easiest way is to use DDE to create a paste link between
      Microsoft Access and Microsoft Excel. To do this, use the
      following steps:

      1. In the Microsoft Access Database window, select the table
         you want to link to Microsoft Excel.

      2. From the Microsoft Access Edit menu, choose Copy.

      3. From the Microsoft Excel Edit menu, choose Paste Special.

      4. Select the Paste Link option button, then select either Text
         (unformatted) or CSV (formatted). Choose OK.

      The Microsoft Excel formula resulting from the Paste Link
      command will be similar to:

          {=MSAccess|'<DATABASENAME>.MDB;Table <Tablename>'!All}

      For more information about linking Microsoft Access data to
      data in other applications, see the Microsoft Access "User's
      Guide," version 2.0, Chapter 19, "Using Pictures, Graphs, and
      Other Objects."

9. Q. Has dynamic data exchange (DDE) changed in Microsoft
      Access version 2.0?

   A. DDE functionality has not changed from Microsoft Access version
      1.1 to 2.0. No new DDE commands were added.

      For additional DDE information and examples, you can order item
      number Q89586 by selecting the FastTips Technical Library
      option from the FastTips Main Menu.

      For more information about DDE, search for "DDE server" then
      view each of the topics using the Microsoft Access Help menu.

TO OBTAIN THIS APPLICATION NOTE

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Keywords          : Fstqa Softlib kbappnote kbfile kbfasttip
Version           : 2.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Hardware          : x86
Issue type        : kbinfo