Send E-Mail with Access

Automate the drill

You can use Access as a data source and use Word to merge to Outlook. Here, however, is a way to do it from Access itself.

"You can use the SendObject method to send a MAPI mail message programmatically in Microsoft Access. However, the SendObject method does not give you access to complete mail functionality, such as the ability to attach an external file or set message importance.

The example that follows uses Automation to create and send a mail message that you can use to take advantage of many features in Microsoft Outlook that are not available with the SendObject method.

There are six main steps to sending a Microsoft Outlook mail message by using Automation, as follows:

1. Initialize the Outlook session.
   
2. Create a new message.
   
3. Add the recipients (To, CC, and BCC) and resolve their names.
   
4. Set valid properties, such as the Subject, Body, and Importance.
   
5. Add attachments (if any).
   
6. Display/Send the message.

Use Automation to send a Microsoft Outlook message using Access

Access to E-Mail



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Categories

Organization

Create a new Contact, or edit an existing entry.

At the bottom right corner of the dialog box is a button labeled
Categories.

You can assign your contact to multiple categories. You can add new ones to the Master Categories list.

Now you can use Categories to sort entries and use them for Mail Merges.




Tips::
Five tips for organizing your Outlook Inbox

Getting Started With Outlook 2010

Basic Tasks in Outlook 2013



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A Way Cool Paint-Picker

Just slap it on

If you have decided to paint your home, or just this inside of the downstairs coat closet, the Behr paint people have a neat tool.

Color Smart

You still have to slop the paint on yourself, though.

Here are other color generators:

Top 8 Color Tools

EasyRGB matches generated RGB values to paints, inks, etc.



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Internet History

Two tin cans

From Forbes:

The Internet: A Short History of Getting Connected.

When the Defense Department issued a $19,800 contract on December 6, 1967, for the purpose of studying the "design and specification of a computer network," the world didn't take notice. But it should have. For, from that small, four-month study grew the ARPANET. And, from ARPANET emerged the Internet.

Also:
Living Internet

"An elegantly organized tour of the history of the Internet -- both fun and informative -- a rare combination!"
Steve Crocker, invented the Request For Comments.

All About the Internet

Hobbes' Internet Timeline v11.0


A Brief History of the Internet

"When the late Senator Ted Kennedy heard in 1968 that the pioneering Massachusetts company BBN had won the ARPA contract for an "interface message processor (IMP)," he sent a congratulatory telegram to BBN for their ecumenical spirit in winning the "interfaith message processor" contract."

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Auto Show

Also Dumb No Dot

A PowerPoint show can be set up to run automatically when it is opened.

To do this, you could go to File>Save As and choose PowerPoint Show (*.pps) from the Save as type: list.

Another way is to change the extension (the three letters that appear after a file name such as Report.DOC).

PowerPoint uses .PPT for normal files, .POT for templates.

A PowerPoint show uses .PPS.

Microsoft "dumbed down" Windows Explorer so that, by default, extensions are not displayed.

To see them:

1. Go to Windows Explorer.
   
2. On the Menu bar go to Tools>Folder Options
   (Organize>Folder and Search Options in Vista)
   
3. Click on the View tab.
   
4. In the Advanced settings list, remove the check mark from "Hide file extensions for known file types."
   
5. OK your way out.

To change a regular PowerPoint file to a show:

1. Locate the file in Windows Explorer.
   
2. Right click the file name and choose Rename.
   
3. Touch the End key on the keyboard and the Backspace three times.
   
4. Enter the letters PPS
   
5. Hit Enter.

You now have a PowerPoint show that will automatically run when it is opened.

(This also works with *.PPTX files



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Be a Local Scoble

Photo Walk

Robert Scoble, tech evangelist, has been touting the fun of Photowalking. Getting together with a group of like-minded people to just walk around and take pictures.

Robert has made a number of videos that you can see on his blog The ScobleShow.

Locally Kevin Freitas, a web developer and community supporter, solicited participation in a Tacoma area walk.

Since digital film is free. After you've got a camera, why not set a walk up in your city?



The results of our stroll can be seen at theses links:

• Tacoma Photo Gang - Shot da Tideflats
  
• Tacoma Photo Gang on Flickr
  
  
• Tacoma Foto Gang Muvee
  
  
• Waterfront shots




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New Line in Memo

Labels and Text boxes

When you're using a form to enter text in a memo field, pressing [Enter] within the text inserts a line break.

However, when you're working with a memo in a table's Datasheet view, pressing [Enter] moves the focus to the next field.

You can force line breaks when you're entering text by pressing [Ctrl][Enter]. This technique also works with text fields and can be applied when you're entering text in labels or text boxes on a form.

To permanently configure a text box so that pressing [Enter] inserts a new line, set its EnterKeyBehavior property equal to New Line In Field.



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Did You Know

Nerd Conversation Nibblets

Here's a part of the list of knowledge tidbits from Kelly's Bar

Did You Know?

• Barbie's measurements if she were life size: 39-23-33.
  
• The dollar symbol ($) is a U combined with an S (U.S.)
  
• Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
  
• The Statue of Liberty's tablet is two feet thick.
  
• There are two credit cards for every person in the United States.
  
• Hacky-sack was invented in Turkey.
  
• Cat's urine glows under a blacklight.
  

If you have doubts about these "facts", look at the Snopes Urban Legends Reference Pages



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Can the Narration

Pre-Record

PowerPoint and Narration
By Geetesh Bajaj from Indezine

"Narration is one of PowerPoint's least-used and most-misunderstood aspects. Many people try narration within PowerPoint only to get frustrated and give up.

Surprisingly, most PowerPoint narration problems stem from outside PowerPoint - from incompatible sound cards to loose microphone cables or messed-up Multimedia properties in the Windows control panel.

Or maybe you set your microphone volume settings very low or even mute! That's why I've provided a checklist of things you should do before you even attempt to begin narration in PowerPoint."

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Progress bars

Don't go away

If your macro is going to take a bit of time to complete, it is good manners to inform your users what is going on. If screen updating is turned off, they may think their machine has frozen.

Andy Pope has some great charting examples and also demonstrates a number of
Progress meters

Here's a static example:



John Walkenbach, also, has tips about how to create a Progress indicator

also see:
Chip Pearson



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Color Blind

Be seen by all

Books on web design warn against using the colors red and green.

One out of twenty people have problems with some form of color blindness.

Here is a site that will let you check your web pages. You will be able to see the page as it appears to someone with one of the three main types of color deficit.

Vischeck

Normal



Deuteranope color blindness





Colorblind Web Page Filter


How do things look to Color Blind People


Web Colors



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President's Day or Presidents' Day

Neither

The third Monday in February is officially Washington's birthday, not Presidents' Day according to the federal government.

Individual states may designate the day as anything they want, but the federal holiday is Washington's birthday.

Snopes.com

Interestingly enough, although Georgia celebrates Washington's Birthday, the Governor is accorded the right to designate when state holidays occur. In Georgia, Washington's Birthday is recognized the day after Christmas.

There is an urban legend that when the Uniform Monday Holiday Act was implemented in 1971, President Richard Nixon issued a proclamation calling for a Presidents' Day on the third Monday to honor all U.S. presidents.

Each February both the Law Library at the Library of Congress and the Nixon Library field an upsurge in calls on this question. No evidence of this exists in Nixon's official papers.

Wikipedia



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Open 2007-2010 in 2000-2003

Not everyone is going to jump at once

How to open and to save Word 2007, Excel 2007, and PowerPoint 2007 files in earlier versions of Office

Microsoft Office Word, Microsoft Office Excel, and Microsoft Office PowerPoint versions 2000 through 2003 cannot natively open documents that are stored in the Office Open XML Formats in 2007 Microsoft Office programs.

You can install the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint 2007 File Formats to open or to save 2007 Office files.

Microsoft Office XP and 2003

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

After you install the Compatibility Pack, you can use your existing version of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to open, edit, and save the file formats that are new to Word 2007, Excel 2007, or PowerPoint 2007. For example:

• You can open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint 2007 files by double-clicking them exactly as you do with your existing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint presentation(s).
• You can save Word, Excel, or PowerPoint 2007 files by clicking the Save button in your version of Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.

Microsoft Office 2000

Word, Excel, and PowerPoint

Word 2000

• After you install the Compatibility Pack, you can open, edit, and save the document file formats that are new to Word 2007 within Word 2000.
• You can open files in the formats that are new to Word 2007 by double-clicking the files.
• You can save files in the formats that are new to Word 2007 by clicking Save in Word 2000.

Excel 2000 and PowerPoint 2000

• After you install the Compatibility Pack, you can open and save the file formats that are new to Excel 2007 and to PowerPoint 2007 from the Microsoft Windows operating system.
• You can open files in the formats that are new to Excel 2007 and to PowerPoint 2007 by double-clicking the file on the desktop, in the My Documents folder, or in Microsoft Windows Explorer.
• You can save files in the formats that are new to Excel 2007 and to PowerPoint 2007 by right-clicking an Excel 2000 file or a PowerPoint 2000 file and then clicking Save As.

Compatibility Pack Functions

Compatibility Pack Download

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Wallpaper

Just some

There is a ton of free wallpaper out there. Here are some you might have missed.

Art. Lebedev Posters


Digital Blasphemy


Hubble Wallpaper


Visual Paradox


Prinz Online



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Non Designers Type Book, The

By Robin Williams

ISBN 0-201-35367-9
Peachpit Press 1998


About the Author
Williams teaches electronic typography and has written some excellent books on digital design.

Anyone who has witnessed the horrific use of type on many personal web sites knows how badly these books are needed. Clear explanations and good illustrations are the hallmarks of both volumes.

Also author of The PC is not a typewriter.

Book Description
Each short chapter explores a different type secret including use of evocative typography, tailoring typeface to project, working with spacing, punctuation marks, special characters, fonts, justification, and much more. It is written in the lively, engaging style that has made Williams one of the most popular computer authors today.

It uses numerous examples to illustrate the subtle details that make the difference between good and sophisticated use of type. The non-platform specific, non-software specific approach to the book makes this a must-have for any designer's bookshelf - from type novices to more experienced graphic designers and typesetters.


Quote

"Most packages also have a discretionary hyphen, affectionately called a "dischy." If you type Ctrl+- (Control Hypen on a PC), the word will hyphenate at that point, that hyphen will disappear when the word moves to another location.

Also (and this is the point), if you type a discretionary hyphen in front of a hyphenated word, it will not hyphenate at all, ever."

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Sort Listboxes

We must have order

"A nice way to enhance your application is to give your users the ability to sort the contents of listboxes.

If you have a listbox with many records, this feature could be much appreciated. It's easy to manipulate the listbox RowSource property to accomplish this.

A command button could be used to add an "Order By" clause to the SQL statement, and once the RowSource property is updated, the list is automatically sorted."

An example showing exactly how to do this is available for download as a Zip file here:
Sortable Link Boxes

from Peter's Software



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Calendar Control

Click for Date

Office is full of ActiveX controls that provide extra gadgets in applications. One of these devices is a functioning calendar selection tool.

"Did you ever need to check a date before you typed it into a document?

This tutorial shows you how to create a pop-up calendar using the Microsoft ActiveX Calendar Control that is installed with Office.

You will be able to call up the calendar with a keyboard shortcut, from a toolbar button or menu, or from the right-click context menu.

When you select a date, it is automatically entered into your document at the insertion point."

A Pop-up Calendar for Word

Martin Green



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1040 on a Spreadsheet

Free tax forms

All right, we spend our waking hours SUMming with Excel and then when one of the more stressful times of the year shows up, we turn it all over to TurboTax.

Here is a collection of IRS forms Glenn Reeves has done as interlocking spreadsheets.

The formulas are already set up; ready for data entry.

"No PASSWORD is needed!

If a cell is protected, it is because it contains a calculated value.

Many times, a manual override cell is provided if you need to override the calculated value.

After a while, you will figure out that the spreadsheet is completely functional without needing to unprotect it."

(Included on the site are forms back to 1996.)

http://www.excel1040.com



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Update the FUI Ribbon

Let the add-ins begin

It is said that the Office 2007 Graphical User Interface Ribbon cannot be as easily changed or modified like it has been in previous versions.

This may be partially true, but not all is lost.

Here is some information from the equine's mouth:

Learn how to customize the Ribbon user interface (UI) in the 2007+ Microsoft Office release. Also learn how new features in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Tools for the 2007+ Microsoft Office System support RAD development of Ribbon customization. (40 printed pages)

Customizing the Office Ribbon


Monsieurs MS also have a downloadable spreadsheets with the Control IDs. There are files for 2003 as well.

Lists of Control IDs


2007 Office System Add-In: Icons Gallery

2013 Icons Gallery




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More More Free Templates

Clean, professional layouts

Besides some intriguing enterprise PowerPoint solutions, PresentationPoint.com has some free designs that you can download and adapt to your own uses.

One of the designs is a timer:



PresentationPoint.com



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Properties Report

Record of Records

If you would like a report that includes all of the properties, relationships and permissions of the objects in your database, go to Tools>Analyze and choose Documenter...

Access will create a VERY detailed report.




Ezy Documenter




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Myths

Say it ain't so

My seven favorite myths about Outlook
Diane Poremsky

1. Outlook is the reason we have so many email viruses
   
   
2. Outlook is the "full version" of the free Outlook Express
   
   
3. Outlook's HTML is bloated, especially if you use Word as the editor
   
   
4. Outlook has a newsreader (pre 2007)
   
   
5. The preview pane is unsafe
   
   
6. Word is a slow, bloated email editor
   
   
7. Attachments run automatically

Outlook Power Magazine



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Look for Bullets

Find lists

Unless you have used a style to create a bulleted list, it is difficult to search for them.

This macro locates any bulleted list (wdListBullet) in your document.

Sub FindBullet()
Dim rngTarget As Word.Range
Dim oPara As Word.Paragraph

Set rngTarget = Selection.Range
With rngTarget
Call .Collapse(wdCollapseEnd)
.End = ActiveDocument.Range.End

For Each oPara In .Paragraphs
If oPara.Range.ListFormat.ListType = _
WdListType.wdListBullet Then
oPara.Range.Select
Exit For
End If
Next
End With
End Sub

Other choices might be:

wdListListNumOnly

ListNum fields that can be used in the body of a paragraph.

wdListMixedNumbering

Mixed numeric list.

wdListNoNumbering

List with no bullets, numbering, or outlining.

wdListOutlineNumbering

Outlined list.

wdListPictureBullet

Picture bulleted list.

wdListSimpleNumbering

Simple numeric list.

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Statistical Functions

Definitions and list

Excel contains a slew of functions relating to statistical analysis.

That's a slew not a skew.

SKEW(number1,number2,...)

Returns the skewness of a distribution. Skewness characterizes the degree of asymmetry of a distribution around its mean.

Positive skewness indicates a distribution with an asymmetric tail extending toward more positive values.

Negative skewness indicates a distribution with an asymmetric tail extending toward more negative values.

Statistical Functions

Training - Statistical



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Speedy Net Test

How fast is it?

Your connection to the internet is based on a number of factors; your machines capability, connection mode, and sometimes even the weather.
Here are some sites that let you test your up and down speed.

Speakeasy.net

BandWidthPlace.com

CNET.com

And here's a cool one from:
SpeedTest.net:





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Verbose Status

The whole story

If you have trouble with slow startup, shutdown, logon, or logoff, you might try this procedure.


This setting allows you to configure Windows so that you receive verbose startup, shutdown, logon, and logoff status messages!

1. Go to Run and enter Regedit
   
   
2. Find or create the key in
   
   

   HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.

   
   
3. To enable verbose status messages create a new DWORD value called "verbosestatus" and set it to "1".
   
   
   
4. In order to see the messages, an additional value called "DisableStatusMessages" should be set to "0".
   
   
   
5. Restart Windows.

VerboseStatus



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Home School Computers Available

Need PCs?

"Our economy is at a crucial turning point. Jobs in America require technological skills and computer expertise. The CFL program places computers in our classrooms and prepares our children to contribute and compete in the 21st century.

The CFL website connects the registered needs of schools and educational nonprofit organizations with available computer equipment. The program allows federal agencies and private sector entities to transfer unneeded computers and related equipment to schools and educational nonprofit organizations, while giving special consideration to those with the greatest need."

Computers for Learning (CFL) FAQ

"Schools and educational nonprofit organizations can participate in the CFL program.

A school is eligible to participate if it is a public, private, parochial, or home school serving pre-kindergarten through grade 12 students. Day care centers must provide a state approved preschool curriculum in order to participate. "

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Define Relationships by Keyboard

It's not a drag

If you've played with Access, you know that you can create relationships by dragging fields from one table to another.

There is another way to do it using just the keyboard.

I don't know why you would do it this way, but let's assume you lent your mouse to your brother-in-law for the week-end. (?)

1. Close any open tables.
   
   
2. Use F11 to switch to the Database window.
   
   
3. Press ALT+T to select the Tools menu, and then press R to open the Relationships window.
   
   
4. If the Show Table dialog box does not appear, press ALT+R to select the Relationships menu, and then press T to open the Show Table dialog box.
   
   
5. In the Show Table dialog box, select the first table that you want to relate, and then press ENTER to add it to the Relationships window.
   
   
6. Repeat step 5 for any other tables you want to relate, and then press ALT+C to close the Show Table dialog box.
   
   
7. Press ALT+R to select the Relationships menu, and then press R to open the Edit Relationships dialog box.
   
   
8. Press ALT+N to open the Create New dialog box.
   
   
9. In the Left Table Name box, select the name of the table that contains the primary key.
   
   
10. In the Right Table Name box, select the name of the table that contains the foreign key.
    
    
11. In the Left Column Name box, select the primary key field, and in the Right Column Name box, select the foreign key field.
    
    
12. Press ENTER.
    
    
13. In the Edit Relationships dialog box, use the arrow keys to make sure that the two columns contain the field names you want.
    
    
14. Press ALT+C to create the relationship.
    

Support.Microsoft.com:
Define relationships by using the keyboard  




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Font Properties Plus

Everything you need to know

To embed a font in a document or slide show so it can be displayed on any other machine, the font must support that action. The standard Windows properties statement does not show all the needed information.

The bottom of this illustration shows the standard information shown when you right-click a font file, and choose properties. The two views at the top are what appear when the Microsoft Font properties extension is installed.




If you right click on a font file in Windows its basic properties are displayed. The Font properties extension adds several new property tabs to this properties dialog box. These include information relating to font origination and copyright, the type sizes to which hinting and smoothing are applied, and the code pages supported by extended character sets.

It also will tell you if the font can be embedded and/or edited in a document.

---

Protected

The font may not be embedded, copied, or modified. If you use a protected font in a document and if the document is opened on a computer that does not have the font installed on it, a font substitution occurs. Word substitutes the closest font available on the computer for the missing protected font.

Print/Preview

The font is embedded and temporarily loaded on the target computer. Documents that contain print/preview fonts must be opened read-only, and no edits are stored in the document. Embedding a font of this nature has the least impact on file size increase.

Editable

The font behaves just like the print/preview fonts, except that you may also apply the font to other text in the same document.

Installable

The font is installed on the target computer permanently when you open the document. This allows you to use the new fonts as if you installed the fonts directly into Windows yourself. This type of embedded font has the greatest impact on file size because the entire font or fonts are included with the document.

Versionand Features tabs

The Version tab includes version and date information. The Features tab describes the font in terms of number of glyphs, number of kerning pairs, the possible existence of a euro symbol and the presence of embedded bitmaps within the font.

Linkstab

If a font doesn't include a Web site URL, but does include a 'vendor ID code' a link will be provided to Microsoft's font vendor database.

Font properties extension, version 2.3
(32-bit only)



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Result is a picture

If 4, show kumquat

Allen Wyatt has a cool procedure that will let you show a picture of an object on your spreadsheet depending on a value.

Maybe a snow suit when it's 29 or, say, a pair of bloomers when the computed temperature is 70.

The procedure does not use any VBA, just equations and bright thinking.

ExcelRibbon.Tips.net

Display Images based on a Result



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Send Large Files

Surpass Attachments

Some email services such as Hotmail and Yahoo mail only allow email attachments up to 10 MB in size.

If you need to send larger files take a look at services such as YouSendIt.

"The Services provide a user the ability to send a file to one or more recipients identified by a valid email address. The Services operate by storing the specified User File on a YouSendIt server and then sending to the recipient(s) an email that contains a link to the User File.
The recipient(s) can then access and download the User File by clicking on the link."

Hightail.com

Also:

DropSend.com

Top 6 Services to Send Large Files



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