VBA Public Variable Not Working - MS Word - Counting Characters in a Table - vba

Question

The main VBA procedure counts characters in table cells in a Word document. Since it can count characters different ways:
Count the "Objective" text for the selected table
Count the "Accomplishment" text for the selected table
Count both the Obj and Acc texts in each table (loop), for all tables (another loop)
I created calling procedures for each option above that calls the main procedure. This way I pass variables from the calling Sub to the main Sub. These variables (1) tell the main Sub whether I want to count what is in row 3 (objective) or in row 5 (accomplishment) or both, and (2) feed the If/then lines in the main Sub to make sure the right row is counted. At the time, it seemed elegant, in hindsight - not so much.
Word template below:
There will be text in O1 and the VBA will count it (characters, spaces + paragraphs) and output it in C1, and the C1 fill changes red or green if over/under the character limit. The same for A1 and C2 and so on for any number of following tables.
PROBLEM DESCRIPTION
The VBA was working for the actions above when I had the row/columns hard coded into various places in the code. If rows/columns were ever added/deleted from the tables, they would have to updated in multiple spots. It would be simpler if the row/column numbers were in one place and referred back to as variables, so I changed the row/col #s to public variables. Then the problem began.
In the code, I track (debug.print) what becomes of oRow (output row) & chcct (character count col) and both are 0 as the main Sub runs, despite both being initialized as 3 in the public Sub Row_Col_Num() below.
My public variables are at the top of the module before the first Sub() and denoted as Public. Sub Row_Col_Num() which contains the variable assignments is also Public. All Subs are in the same standard module.
Option Explicit
Public oRow As Integer 'row with "Objectives" text
Public aRow As Integer 'row with "Accomplishments" text
Public cOnA As Integer 'column that both obj and accmp text are in
Public cChCt As Integer 'column that the char count is output to
Public Sub Row_Col_Num()
oRow = 3
aRow = 5
cOnA = 1
cChCt = 3
Debug.Print "cchct pub sub: " & cChCt
End Sub
ATTEMPTS TO FIX PROBLEM & RESULTS
I used the variable normally and left it Public as well as the Sub that assigns the variables (oRow =3) values.
Sub TableCharCount_Obj()
'Run character count for the "Objectives" in the SELECTED table
Debug.Print "orow = " & oRow
Call TableCharCount(oRow, oRow) 'provide it 2x to make IF and FOR loop
End Sub
I tried putting the Sub() name in front of the variable when it is used, e.g. Row_Col_Num.orow, in the Sub above.
Call TableCharCount(Row_Col_Num.oRow, Row_Col_Num.oRow)
I tried the module name in front of the variable as well, e.g. Module1.orow.
Call TableCharCount(Module1.oRow, Module1.oRow)
RESULTS
#1 & #3 resulted in the macro counting the wrong row and outputting to the wrong cell.
#2 resulted in error "Expected Function or variable" at line: Call TableCharCount(Row_Col_Num.oRow, Row_Col_Num.oRow)
All 3 cases orow and cchct both continued to be 0 throughout the run.
QUESTIONS / SOLUTIONS
a) Can a Public variable (oRow) be used as an argument passed from calling Sub to called Sub as ByVal a As Integer?
b) Does Public Sub Row_Col_Num(), which assigns values to the public variables, have to be explicitly run or called to populate the variables in the other Subs w/ the correct values?
c) Should I call Public Sub Row_Col_Num() in every calling Sub before calling the main Sub?
Sub TableCharCount_Obj()
Call Public Sub Row_Col_Num() '<<< add this call
Call TableCharCount(oRow, oRow) 'provide it 2x to make IF and FOR loop
End Sub
This option seems like a bad design.
If it's not obvious, there was some mission creep as I added more capability For now, if I could get the public variables to work, it would be done. Appreciate any suggestion to get these variables to work. For the purposes of this question, I only left the code for the variable Sub, the first calling Sub and the main Sub. VBA below:
'#0 -- This creates variables for column and row number used in all the macros. Only need to change row/col number here if row/col are added/deleted
Option Explicit
Public oRow As Integer 'row with "Objectives" text
Public aRow As Integer 'row with "Accomplishments" text
Public cOnA As Integer 'column that both obj and accmp text are in
Public cChCt As Integer 'column that the char count is output to
'This assigns row/column numbers to the variables
Public Sub Row_Col_Num()
oRow = 3
aRow = 5
cOnA = 1
cChCt = 3
Debug.Print "cchct pub sub: " & cChCt End Sub
'#2
Sub TableCharCount_Obj() 'Run character count for the "Objectives" in the SELECTED table
Debug.Print "orow = " & oRow
Call TableCharCount(oRow, oRow) 'provide it 2x to make IF and FOR loop
End Sub
'other calling procedures removed
'#5
Option Explicit
Sub TableCharCount(ByVal a As Integer, ByVal b As Integer)
'Counts total characters in a cell w/in a table and outputs the number to a different cell, and colors the cell red or green if over/under the maximum number of characters.
Dim charCount, charWSCount, paraCount, charTot As Double
Dim iRng, oRng, txtRng As Word.Range
Dim i, max, s, t, x As Integer
Dim tcount, tbl As Integer
Dim DocT As Table 'for active doc tables
Debug.Print "cchct1= " & cChCt 'Debug.Print vbCr & "-----START-------" & vbCr Application.ScreenUpdating = False
If a <> b Then
tcount = ActiveDocument.Tables.Count
tbl = 1 'used in FOR loop, start w/ table #1
s = b - a '"STEP" used in FOR loop = # of rows between objectives text and accomplishments text Else
On Error GoTo ErrMsg 'handles expected user error of not selecting a table to execute on
tbl = ActiveDocument.Range(0, Selection.Tables(1).Range.End).Tables.Count 'ID the table that is selected
tcount = tbl 'prevents FOR loop from trying to run again
s = 1 '"STEP" used in FOR loop = # of rows between objectives text and accomplishments text / do not set to zero = infinite loop End If
'Debug.Print "# of Tables: " & tcount
For t = tbl To tcount 'loops thru the tables
Set DocT = ActiveDocument.Tables(t)
For x = a To b Step s 'loops thru the applicable row(s) in the table
'Debug.Print "x # start = " & x
'Debug.Print "table " & t
iRng = DocT.Cell(x, cOnA)
iRng.Select
'Count used in output
Selection.MoveLeft wdCharacter, 1, wdExtend 'computerstats requires the text itself selected, characters.count can use the whole cell selected
charWSCount = Selection.Range.ComputeStatistics(Statistic:=wdStatisticCharactersWithSpaces) 'counts bullets & space after bullet / not line breaks (paragraphs)
'Debug.Print "Comp statchar# " & charWSCount
'---------
paraCount = Selection.Range.ComputeStatistics(Statistic:=wdStatisticParagraphs)
'Debug.Print "#paras = " & paraCount
'----------
charTot = charWSCount + paraCount
'Output to table cell
i = x - 1 'output cell is 1 row above cell that is counted
Set oRng = DocT.Cell(i, cChCt).Range 'Char count ouput row,column
Debug.Print "cchct2= " & cChCt
oRng.Text = charTot
Set txtRng = DocT.Cell(i, cChCt - 1).Range '"# Char:" location row,column
txtRng.Text = "# Char:"
'Maximum # of char allowed in a cell. Used to change cell fill red or green.
max = 2000 '"Accomplishment" row (row 5) has a max of 2000
If i = 2 Then max = 1500 '"Objective" row (row 3) has a max of 1500
'Change color of cell to indicate over/under max # of characters
If charCount < max Then
oRng.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorBrightGreen
Else: oRng.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorRed
End If
'Debug.Print "x # end = " & x
'Debug.Print "--------Next x--------------"
Next x
'Debug.Print "------Next Table------"
Next t
ActiveDocument.Tables(tbl).Select 'attempt to move to top of 1st table if using CharCount_AllTab() or just to the top of the selected table for the other macros
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToBookmark, Name:="\Page" Selection.StartOf
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Exit Sub
ErrMsg: Msgbox "Select a table by placing the cursor anywhere in the table. Press OK and try the macro again numnuts!", _
vbOKOnly, "Table not selected"
End Sub