Microsoft Access Training, Tutorials
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Microsoft Access 205
Intermediate Access 5
Using Our Letter Writer for
Mass Mailings, Collection Letters, Generic Sales Letters, Columns in
Reports, Post Cards.
72 Minutes. |
In this
class, we're continuing on with the Letter Writer we started
building in Access 204.
This time, we're focusing on Mass Mail - making it so you can
send mass mailings directly from your database (without using an outside
program like Microsoft Word). We'll make a series of collection letters,
and a generic letter template for sending things like sales letters and
such. We'll also see how to format reports to print Post Cards.
If you do any mass-customer correspondence, this is a great class.
We will begin by adding some fields to our
Customer table to track which customers have past-due amounts on their
account, and what date their bills are due. It's a simplified version of
what will come later - a full order-entry system where we can track
invoices. But for today, this will do the job.
Next, we'll make a query to show us only the
customers who have past-due amounts. We'll make it a parameter query
so the user can type in the past due date (in case you want to see
customers that are 30-days due, 60-days due, etc.)
Next, we'll learn all about the Wildcard Field
(*) in queries. How you can use it to bring all of the fields from a
table into a query, and why it's so very powerful.
Next, we'll edit the letter we started building in
the last class for individual correspondence, and we'll make it work
with our new query for collection letters.
Then, we'll build a new table and form to hold our
letters - meaning we will create "stock" letters, like a 30-day
past due letter. We can then select which letter we want to send out
using this form!
We'll see how we can get values from a form
into a report, just like we did by getting values across two forms.
Next we will learn how to force a new page
to start after each customer record so we can print one customer letter
to a page.
We will learn how to take the specific fields
from our query and use them on the report for each customer.
We'll then add the capability for the user to
enter in the date for the report right on the form - preventing
us from having to type it in all the time. Again, this goes back to the
topic of getting values across forms and reports.
Now that we've built a letter specific to sending
collections, with just a little modification we can make this system
generic - so we can send everything from sales and promotional
letters to holiday greeting cards. We'll begin by adding a field to our
customer table so we can track which customers to mail to.
We'll create a mailing list query (easy to do) and
then create a separate letter report for this generic letter. We'll add
a new button to our form to open this letter instead. Plus, I'll teach
you a neat trick to make your forms look cool with some
rectangles and other effects.
We will edit our Customer List Form to show
a checkbox where we can quickly and easily add or remove customers
to/from our mailing list.
Now since we've been working with mailings, we'll
spend some time learning how to format a report to print post cards.
We'll begin by learning how to turn columns on in our reports.
This will let us print four post cards on a page.
Then we'll use the same techniques from creating
our letter (in fact, I'll show you how to just 'borrow' some of the
fields) to create our post cards.
Again, if you are interested in using your Access
database to do any kind of mass mailing, customer correspondence,
post cards, or anything of this nature - or if you want to learn more
about formatting reports - don't miss this course!
Microsoft Access Training, Tutorials
Access 205 Course Outline
Lesson 1. Past Due Customers
Add fields to CustomerT: AmountDue, AmountDueDate
Create a past due query
Wilcard Field (*) in queries
Lesson 2. Letter Table & Report
Copy letter to work with new query for collection letters
Create a Letter table to hold your letter text
Create a Letter form
Bringing data from an unbound form field into a report
Lesson 3. More Letter Report
Force new page after section in reports
Create a greeting line
Place AmountDue and AmountDueDate in letter report
The difference between DefaultValue and ControlSource
Place report date in unbound text box on LetterF
Lesson 4. Generic Letter Report
Making the letter writer generic so we can send to anyone
Add IncludeInMailing field to CustomerT
Create a Mailing List query
Create a generic letter report
Form design tricks with rectangles
Create a button to open generic letter report
Add IncludeInMailing field to customer list form
Add IncludeInMailing field to customer form
Update main menu with button to letter form
Lesson 5. Post Cards
Create a blank report to use for post cards
Columns in reports
Sizing the post cards properly
Copying data fields and labels from other reports
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