VBA Import MS Access to MS Word - vba

Question

I have a VBA module in MS-Access that is supposed to load data from a database into Form Fields in a MS-Word document. I thought it was working fine, but it appears to be inconsistent. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. I can't figure out what keeps it from working. When I step through the debugger it doesn't throw any errors, but sometimes it doesn't open MS-Word.
Here is the relevant code:
Dim appWord As Word.Application
Dim doc As Word.Document
'Avoid error 429, when Word isn't open.
On Error Resume Next
Err.Clear
'Set appWord object variable to running instance of Word.
Set appWord = GetObject(, "Word.Application")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
'If Word isn't open, create a new instance of Word.
Set appWord = New Word.Application
End If
Set doc = appWord.Documents.Open("\\srifs01\hresourc\EHS Department\EHS Database\IpadUpload\Lab Inspection Deficiency Resolution Report.docx", , True)
'Sometimes word doesn't open and I think the issue is around here.
With doc
.FormFields("frmID").Result = Me!id
.FormFields("frmSupervisor").Result = Me!LabPOC
.FormFields("frmInspector").Result = Me!InspectorName
.FormFields("frmBuilding").Result = Me!BuildingName
.FormFields("frmRoom").Result = Me!Rooms
.FormFields("frmComments").Result = Me!Comments
.Visible = True
.Activate
.SaveAs "'" & Me!id & "'"
.Close
End With
Set doc = Nothing
Set appWord = Nothing
Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

"When I step through the debugger it doesn't throw any errors, but sometimes it doesn't open MS-Word."
That's because you have On Error Resume Next. That instructs VBA to ignore errors.
Assume you've made this change in your code ...
Dim strDocPath As String
strDocPath = "\\srifs01\hresourc\EHS Department\EHS Database" & _
"\IpadUpload\Lab Inspection Deficiency Resolution Report.docx"
Then, when you attempt to open strDocPath, VBA would throw an error if appWord isn't a reference to a Word application instance ... AND you haven't used On Error Resume Next:
Set doc = appWord.Documents.Open(strDocPath, , True)
You can get rid of On Error Resume Next if you change your assignment for appWord to this:
Set appWord = GiveMeAnApp("Word.Application")
If Word was already running, GiveMeAnApp() would latch onto that application instance. And if Word was not running, GiveMeAnApp() would return a new instance.
Either way, GiveMeAnApp() doesn't require you to use On Error Resume Next in your procedure which calls it. Include a proper error handler there instead. And you can reuse the function for other types of applications: GiveMeAnApp("Excel.Application")
Public Function GiveMeAnApp(ByVal pApp As String) As Object
Dim objApp As Object
Dim strMsg As String
On Error GoTo ErrorHandler
Set objApp = GetObject(, pApp)
ExitHere:
On Error GoTo 0
Set GiveMeAnApp = objApp
Exit Function
ErrorHandler:
Select Case Err.Number
Case 429 ' ActiveX component can't create object
Set objApp = CreateObject(pApp)
Resume Next
Case Else
strMsg = "Error " & Err.Number & " (" & Err.Description _
& ") in procedure GiveMeAnApp"
MsgBox strMsg
GoTo ExitHere
End Select
End Function
You could also include a check to make sure appWord references an application before you attempt to use it. Although I don't see why such a check should be necessary in your case, you can try something like this ...
If TypeName(appWord) <> "Application" Then
' notify user here, and bail out '
Else
' appWord.Visible = True '
' do stuff with Word '
End If

Answer 2

I don't use the New keyword when opening or finding an application.
This is the code I use for excel:
On Error Resume Next
Set xlApp = GetObject(, "Excel.Application")
If Err.Number = 429 Then 'Excel not running
Set xlApp = CreateObject("Excel.Application")
End If
On Error GoTo 0
(note also the On Error GoTo 0 - I don't want the resume next to be active all through the code)

Answer 3

The GiveMeAnApp function worked great for me with a similar problem I was experiencing. Except, to avoid Error 462 (cannot connect to server etc) if I closed the Word document after the data merge and attempted another merge of data to Word. (which caused error 462) I did this: Once I call GiveMeAnApp I then called for a New Word document before calling the Word template I wished to transfer data to Word into.
By always having the New Word document present this avoided error 462 in my circumstances. It means I am left with an empty Word doc but this is ok for me and preferable to the only other solution I could come up with which was to quit the db and re open and run the merge to Word aga.
I am grateful for the help set out in this thread. Thanks all.