Can access work like word?

[lclark]

Here's the situation I'm in:


I have set up a database that contains all of our customers. Our customers have to sign agreements which are at least 8 pages long. I currently have these in microsoft word and am using macros to fill in information (for example, rather than type a customer's name 10 times we now have to type it once and hit a button to update it in all places). I would love to find a way to put these large agreement templates into our database for the following reasons:

1. It would be ideal to only have to type the customer's name once - it would create the agreements and store the customer's name in the database all at the same time.
2. I won't be in the department for much longer and the word documents are kind of difficult to keep updated (lots of code). I want something they can use after I'm gone.

My problems are:

1. I haven't been able to figure out how to put 8 pages of text into a report
2. If I am able to get this much into a report/form/whatever how can I add fields that will automatically size themselves. For example "This agreement is between _______ and ______" - the blanks should be larger or smaller depending on the size of the company names.

Thank you in advance!!

Forgot to mention: we currently have 2003 but will be upgrading to 2010 next year.

[NTC]

You can do this as a Report in Access or you can do it as a Word merge which is an Office feature involving joint use of Word and Access together.

You mention that you are doing it via macros that sound very customized. I would recommend that you look into Word's Word Merge feature. The advantage of this is that those 8 pages of boilerplate are in Word and thus much easier to tweak/modify than an Access report for the non-tech user. Word Merge is a well documented feature set that you will find plenty of explanation in textbook or online.

In Access Report you should be able to simply copy/paste that text into the body detail of the report. Then enter the controls at the appropriate places for the dynamic data. Textboxes will grow/shrink (they do so also with Word merge). It will page break automatically - but there is also a page break control so that you can manage where the breaks occur.

Hope this helps.

[lclark]

Thanks NTC. I was able to get a few pages in the report using text boxes, but it seems like there is a limit on Access that just won't allow me to put the entire agreement there. I'm thinking I'll just end up leaving the word agreements for now until I find something easier. I wish Microsoft would combine all of their programs into 1 super program...it seems like I always need bits of word or bits of excel in Access . Thanks again for your help!