How to: Export a DataReport to Microsoft

Word (.doc)
By John D. Conway
In this article we'll create a simple database in MicrosoIt Access and then create a user interIace
in Visual Basic 6.0.

Putting everything together should be relatively easy because we'll use Adodc Componenet to
make the connection to our Database.
We'll then add a DataEnvironment and DataReport and within minutes we'll be able to export our
DataReport to a MicrosoIt Word Document. (.doc)
Creating our Database in Microsoft Access:
Create a blank database in MicrosoIt Access and name the database: DataReport. Now create a
table by going to: Create Table in Design View and enter the Field Name(s) and Data Type(s) as
shown in the image below. Save the table and name it: Customers.

Now, open the Customers Table and Iill in the inIormation you see in the image below.

Now let's move on to creating a user interIace in Visual Basic 6.0. We're almost there. We"ll just
place a Iew controls and in a short time we'll be able to Export our DataReport to a MicrosoIt
Word. (.doc)
Creating our User Interface in Visual Basic
6.0
Open Visual Basic and choose: Standard EXE. Add a Adodc Component by going to Projects,
Components and choose MicrosoIt ADO Data Control. Click Apply and then Close. You will
now have a this Component in your ToolBox. Add 9 TextBox(s) named: Text1, Text2, Text3 and
so on. Now add 9 Labels named: Label1, Label2, Label3 and so on. Change the Caption Property
Ior each Label as shown in the image below. Add the Adodc Control Irom our ToolBox named:
ADODC1. Add a CommandButton named: Command1. Change the Caption oI the
CommandButton1 to View Report. Now we just need to make the connection.

II you're wanting to Export a DataReport to MicrosoIt Word then I would guess that you already
know the steps that need to be taken. This expanation will help those who are doing this Ior the
Iirst time or maybe have Iorgotten a step or two.

Right click ADODC1 control that we'd placed on Form1 and right click ADODC Properties.
Choose: Use Connection String and leIt click Build. When prompted Choose MicrosoIt Jet 4.0
OLE DB Provider and click Next. Now, click the button to the right where you see 1. Select or
enter a database name. Go to the location where you'd saved your database and double click.
Check or Test your connection. II everything is on track you'll see a messagebox with the
message "Test Connection Succeeded"-- Press OK to close the message and then press OK
again.
Now, go to where you see RecordSource and leIt click. For the CommandType choose 2 -
adCmdTable. Now go to Table or Stored Procedure Name and choose Customers (or whatever
you'd named your Table) Now just click Apply and then click OK.

Now we'll set the DataSorce and DataField Properties to each Textbox that we'd place onto our
Form1 earlier.

Click Text1 and then go to the Properties Window. Set the DataSource Property to ADODC1
and the DataField Property to CustID. (Note: All oI the remaining TextBox(s) DataSource
Properties will be set to ADODC1) Now go to Text2 and Set the DataSource Property. Set the
DataField Property to LastName. Go to Text3 and Set the DataSource Property. Set the
DataField Property to FirstName. Set the DataSource and DataField Properties Ior the remaining
TextBox(s).

Adding a DataEnvironment and DataReport
Go to Project and choose More ActiveX Designers. Now choose Data Environment. Once
opened - right click on Connection1 and choose Properties. Choose MicrosoIt Jet 4.0 OLE DB.
Now, click the button to the right where you see 1. Select or enter a database name. Go to the
location where you'd saved your database and double click. Check or Test your connection. II
everything is on track you'll see a messagebox with the message "Test Connection Succeeded".
Click OK.
Right click on connection again but this time choose Add Command. Now right click on
Command1 and click Properties. Set the DatabaseObject to Table and then set the ObjectName
to Customers. Click Apply and then click OK.
The Iinal result will look like the image below.

We are now ready to add a DataReport.
Go to Project and Choose Add Data Report. Adjust the size oI the DataEnvironment and
DataReport to resemble the image below.
Click the DataReport. Go to DataSource and change the property to DataEnvironment1 and then
change the DataMember Property to Command1.
Now place your cursor on CustomerID - leIt click and hold-Now just drag over to
Detail(Section1) You'll see two CustID. Choose the one on the leIt and drag it above to
PageHeading(Section2) Repeat the same process to place LastName, FirstName, MI, Phone,
Address, City, State and Zip.

Now double click the commandbutton that's on Form1 to bring up the Code Window. Enter
DataReport1.Show in the Command1Click event.The Iinal result will resemble the image
below.

Start the project and then click the CommandButton to View Report. The report will look similar
to the image below.
Notice the two buttons at the top leIt corner oI your report. The button on the leIt will Print and
the one on the right will allow us to Export. We'll use the Export Ieature in a moment.

You may need to adjust here and there to achieve the proper width oI each column. This is where
it will going to get a little tricky because we're only allowed a certain amount oI space Ior the
Iields that we want to export.
What may look acceptable in the DataReport will not in MicrosoIt Word. So, I guess we can call
this the experimental stage oI the process. I've exported several DataReports this way and each
time the results may vary. You'll get the hang oI it once you've messed with it a time or two.
II you Iind yourselI having trouble - there's a download at the bottom oI this article that has
everything you need.

Export a DataReport to Microsoft Word
(.doc)
Start the project and click the View Report Button on the Iorm. Click the Export button. Choose
a location where you want to save the Documnent. Go to where you see File Name and type in
the name DataReport.doc (Note: You must include .doc extension at the end oI the File Name).
Now go to Save as Type and choose TXT(*.txt) Now just click Save.

Go to where you'd saved the DataReport and double click to open. You will get a prompt that
states "MicrosoIt Word can't import the speciIied Iormat. The Ieature is not currently installed.
Would you like to install it now?" Choose NO. The DataReport will now open in MicrosoIt
Word. II the Report in MicrosoIt Word doesnt resemble the image below - Go to File ( In
MicrosoIt Word) and then down to Page Setup...Go to PaperSize, choose LandScape and press
OK. The report will adjust. II this doesnt Iit all the Iields the yoy will either have to - 1. Go back
to the DataReport and make some adjustments, or 2. Go back to your DataBase and shorten the
Field Names.

II the Report looks like you want it too and to avoid seeing the message that we encountered
when we Iirst opened MS Word to view the report - Go to Iile and choose Save As...Go to Save
As Type and choose Word Document.

Download the project that accompanies this article
Source Code

Jption Explicit

'view datareport
Private Sub Command1_Click()
DataReport1.Show
End Sub
http://home.comcast.net/~conwayjd/INDEX.HTML
Comments
1. Developer Fusion Bot
01 Jan 1999 at 00:00
This thread is Ior discussions oI Visual Basic 6.0 - Exporting a DataReport to MicrosoIt
Word.
2. Mahmoud Abu baker
01 Jun 2006 at 23:24
Thanks Ior this nice tutorial!
I actually tried to do this example my seleI but, I have reached to dead point coz I was not
able know how to load the DataEnvironment.
$o please can you help me in this issue.
P.S. I tried to Iind the "More ActiveX Designers" Irom the "Component" list but I didn't
Iind it.
Thanks once more Ior Developer Fusion's team Ior their valued eIIorts!!

Best regards,
Mahmoud Abu Baker
3. conwayjd
04 Jun 2006 at 00:35
You can Iind "More ActiveX Designers" by going to the Project menu. You will see
"More ActiveX Designers" there. You can also Iind it here by: Go to your project
window and right click as iI your going to Add a new Iorm, instead oI choosing a Iorm
just select "More ActiveX Designers" and then Data Environment.
Hope this helps.
John

4. Vineela
08 Jan 2007 at 10:47
AIter designing the VB you can go Ior
Project Menu
Then ReIerences option and then MicrosoIt Word 11.0 Library
Now you can write code Ior displaying it.
5. SAURABH KUMAR SINGH
08 Jan 2007 at 15:31
WHAT TO DO IF I WANT TO INCREASE THE PAGE LENGTH, LIKE I WANT TO
TAKE THE PRINT OUT ON AN 132 Col. PAPER ON A PRINTER LIKE EPSON.
HOW TO INCREASE THE PAGE SIZE BY PROGRAMMING OR TO GENERATE A
REPORT ON 132 Col PAPER?
6. Kassem Baalbaki
09 Jan 2007 at 08:34
Hi,
Using data reports in VB6 is a headache espically when it is a little more complex than
the case we have here. Most oI the time reports contains parent data in the header in
addition to child sub Iorm or grid. Personally I had a lot oI problems trying to do it
through VB6 data enviroment report so I came to a trick to use internet explorer or Excel
as my printing utilities where I have prepared a template Ior excel in which I export my
data to print it and close the object all in the background. Same Ior internet explorer but it
doesn't need a template. It is very Iast and reliable (Iaster and more reliable than crystal
reports) but oI course you will need to use some excel VBA and HTML. I have enclosed
below the last examples I used this code in.
HTML
Private Sub cmdExportClick()
Dim A As Integer
Dim s As Integer
On Error GoTo E

II Me.txtField(0) "" Or Me.txtField(7) "" Or Not Me.MSHFlexGrid1.Rows ~ 0
Then

MsgBox "There is no result to Export", , "Export Failure"

Else

Dim str As String

str "html~head~/head~body~h1~b~Specialized Medical Center
Hospital/b~/h~h3~b~Tel. 4164000 Fax 4648493/b~/h~br~br~br~" &
"table~tr~td~b~Patient ID/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(7) &
"/td~td~   /td~td~b~Register Date/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(1) &
"/td~/tr~tr~td~b~Patient Name/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(5) &
"/td~td~   /td~td~b~Register Time/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(2) &
"/td~/tr~tr~td~b~Date oI Birth/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(4) &
"/td~td~   /td~td~b~Priority/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(3) &
"/td~/tr~tr~td~b~Gender/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(8) &
"/td~td~   /td~td~b~Doctor/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(9) &
"/td~/tr~tr~td~b~Sample ID/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(0) &
"/td~td~   /td~td~b~Specimen/b~/td~td~" &
Me.txtField(6) &
"/td~/tr~/table~br~table border1 width650~tr height33~td~b~Test
Name/b~/td~td~b~Result/b~/td~td~b~Unit/b~/td~td
colspan2~b~ReIerence Range/b~/td~td~b~Result
Date/b~/td~td~b~VeriIied/b~/td~/tr~"


For A 0 To Me.MSHFlexGrid1.Rows - 1

II ttype ~ "limited" Or Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 7) "VeriIied" Then

str str & "tr height42~td~" & Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 1) &
"/td~td~" & III(Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 2) "", " ",
Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 2)) &
"/td~td~" & Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 3) &
"/td~td aligncenter~" & III(Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 5) "",
" ", Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 5)) &
"/td~td~" & III(Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 4) "", " ",
Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 4)) &
"/td~td~" & III(Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 6) "", " ",
Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 6)) &
"/td~td~" & Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 7) & "/td~/tr~"

End II

Next

str str & "/table~br~br~h6 alignright~Exported On " & Now() & " by " &
title & " " & Iullname & "/h~/p~/body~/html~"

Dim Y As String

Y InputBox("What do you want to name your Iile", "File Naming", "MRN")
Y III(IsNull(Y), "MRN", Y)
WriteTextFile "c:\" & Y & ".html", str
MsgBox "Your Iile was saved as C:\" & Y & ".html", , "Save ConIirmation"

End II

E1:
Exit Sub
E:
MsgBox "There was an error exporting the data", , "Export Failure"
On Error GoTo E1
End Sub

EXCEL
Private Sub cmdPrintClick()

On Error GoTo E

II Me.txtField(0) "" Or Me.txtField(7) "" Or Not Me.MSHFlexGrid1.Rows ~ 0
Then

MsgBox "There is no result to print", , "Print Failure"

Else

Dim xl
Dim xlsheet
Dim xlwbook
Set xl CreateObject("Excel.Application")

Dim A As Integer
Dim s As Integer

Set xlwbook xl.Workbooks.Open("C:\Lab\report1.xls")
Set xlsheet xlwbook.Sheets.Item(1)

With xlsheet
.range("B10") Me.txtField(0)
.range("B11") Me.txtField(7)
.range("B12") Me.txtField(5)
.range("B13") Me.txtField(4)
.range("B14") Me.txtField(8)
.range("F10") Me.txtField(1)
.range("F11") Me.txtField(2)
.range("F12") Me.txtField(3)
.range("F13") Me.txtField(9)
.range("F14") Me.txtField(6)
End With

x 19

For A 0 To Me.MSHFlexGrid1.Rows - 1

With xlsheet

II ttype ~ "limited" Or Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 7) "VeriIied"
Then

.range("A" & x) Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 1)
.range("B" & x) Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 2)
.range("C" & x) Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 3)
.range("D" & x) Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 5)
.range("E" & x) Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 4)
.range("F" & x) Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 6)
.range("G" & x) Me.MSHFlexGrid1.TextMatrix(A, 7)
x x 1

End II

End With

Next

xlsheet.PrintOut
xl.ActiveWorkbook.Close False, "C:\Lab\report1.xls"
xl.Quit
xl.Quit
Set xl Nothing
Set xlwbook Nothing

End II

E1:
Exit Sub
E:
xl.ActiveWorkbook.Close False, "C:\Lab\report1.xls"
xl.Quit
xl.Quit
Set xl Nothing
Set xlwbook Nothing
MsgBox "There was an error printing your report please contact your IT
representative", , "Print Failure"
On Error GoTo E1

End Sub