VBA code in a template - vba

In a Word template I have a command button with VBA code behind it.
The problem is that the code gets lost when a document is created using that template. The button is still visible, but the VBA code behind it disappears for some reason. This causes the button just to be clickable without performing any action.
The documents are saved in .docx format.
How can I 'glue' the button to its code so it doesn't get lost ?

First, make sure your VBA code is saved in the .dotm template that you make available to everyone (and not in your personal normal.dot/dotm template — this is only available on your machine).
Then, make sure the documents generated from the template are saved as .docm (not .docx).
.docx documents cannot contain VBA code. Anything saved in .dotx or .docx format will, by definition, lose all VBA code.
In a comment you say
"this doenst matter, as the document is just used for the macro."
This is incorrect; it does very much matter. .docx documents can't "be used for" macros because they can't contain macros.

For the macro to be always available, you need to store the macro in the normal template.
For example when recording a macro, select All Documents (Normal.dot) on Store Macro in.

Related

VBA - Apply document formatting to open Word doc

I am using data in an Excel workbook to create an HTML string when a user clicks a button. I then use VBA to save that string as an .html file, open it in Word, and bring Word to the foreground. That all works great.
Now, I'd like to add a line(s) to the VBA to select the document formatting.
In the Word doc that opens, there's this in the ribbon:
When I hover over that formatting option, it's called "Lines (simple)." I can click it in Word, and it formats the text exactly how I want it. But, I'd like to do so automatically with the VBA over in Excel that created and launched the Word document. Unfortunately I just don't know which command or property that is and haven't been able to find it with searches or document inspection. I'd appreciate your help.

.dotm opens differently from .docm

Sean W 2104 post Auto displaying form on opening a template file, dotm from explorer demonstrated how to show my form when my .docm document loads.
Timothy Rylatt's response to my vba word 2016 saveas document without changing module name suggested I render my .docm as .dotm template.
However, though my .docm shows my first form on startup, opening the .dotm does not. The .dotm only shows only the underlying document (that the forms populate).
So is it that my forms (and their VBA code) do not belong in the template document they fill? Do I instead need to load a template document that doesn't contain the forms? If so, do I create a dummy .docm document whose only purpose is to house the forms (and their VBA code?) If so, what do I do with the document from the dummy? Hide it? And what does my prospective client open?
You do not name your procedure Document_Open in your template but rather Document_New.
You are not opening the template, but rather creating a new document based on that template. Here is my writing on Auto Macros in templates.
You could also name the procedure AutoNew and place it in the another module of your template.

Word formatting macro that calls another macro on a networked drive

I already have .docm files that have simple formatting macros embedded in them. The macros work. However I have 100+ different .docm files that use basically the same macro. Instead of changing the macros on all 100+ .docm files when I need to change a format, I would like to place the macro in a separate text file in a stable location on a network drive and have the macro code in each .docm file reference that text file.
I tried a Call Shell(AppName,1) statement where the AppName contains the path of the txt file, but the compiler won't work with a colon.
I researched creating a macro to change other macros embedded within each document, but was advised against it due to virus scanners.
It's not possible to run a macro from a text file, the way you imagine. (Cool idea, but a security risk, I think.)
Better would be to bring all the macros together in a single template (dotm), which you put in your STARTUP folder. When Word loads, it will load this template (with all its Ribbon customizations and macros) as an "add-in". (See also the Developer/Add-ins dialog box, which is where these can be managed.)
In this way, your code can be managed centrally - but you do have to explicitly open the template in order to make changes to the code. It can't be done just over the loaded add-in (that's only possible with Normal.dotm).
You can also have macros in this add-in template that you call from other macros. This can be done using the Applicaton.Run method.

Locking text fields in embedded document

I have been tasked with updating a spreadsheet that produces a report by replacing text in a template. Previously, the worksheet referenced an outside/separate file-- my job is to get it working in an embedded document.
I currently have text form fields for every input I want to insert within the embedded document template. As it stands, users can edit the document template however they like, but if they accidentally erase a text form field (again, where text is replaced via the vba macro) then it will break the macro and the spreadsheet will be useless.
My question:
Is there some way to lock or protect text form fields such that the rest of the document is editable? I essentially want to have the inverse of a "text form field only" protection.
Alternatively, is there a better way to approach this project? I'm thinking of leaving the spreadsheet as is, but including a "reset" button bringing the template back to it's original state if anything breaks. If I did this method, this would require there NOT to be an external file. Attempts to do this so far have proven unsuccessful.
My general methodology/algorithm goes as follows:
Open the reference document
Replace all the text form fields via bookmarks with plain text,
making sure to reassign the bookmarks afterward (so as to not lose
them if they run the macro more than once).
Save the embedded document as a .doc with the inputs inserted
Replace all bookmarked inputs with text form fields to return the
template to its original state
Any information would be IMMENSELY appreciated. I am slowly running out of time and am feeling stuck.
Many thanks!
-Sooji

Running VBA macros in documents created using template

I have macro-enabled templete (.dotm) wich has number of macros generally connected with adding and deleting parts of document using custom building blocks stored in the template.
When I execute macros at the actual template file everything works smooth.
But when I try to execute them in documents created using this template macros stop working after one run of the particular function (attached to checkbox).
Additionally in some cases checkboxes turn into pictures when saving documents as .docx files.
What could be wrong with this document?
The problem was solved by recreating problem checkbox.