I'm creating a word document from scratch as an OLE object via VBA, and have created cross-references in it. I am actually using LotusScript, but the principles of VBA should apply.
Once I have created the cross-reference, I format the entire table cell that contains it (Arial 8 Italic), but when the document is saved, the field updates its format. I know that I can set a property of the field manually by ticking the "Preserve formatting during updates " option in the Word front-end, but is there a VBA property for that?
NB, The cross-reference is to a heading, and the formatting I'm getting appears to be the same as that heading, which is not what I want.
Many thanks,
Phil
I found the solution :-)
This is LotusScript, but I'm sure VB users can work out what it means. Also, I call a function and 3 subroutines, which are all self-explanatory. rg is a Range, in which I've just created the cross-reference. Due to the nature off the application, I know that the field is the first one in the range. The final line is the important one.
Set rg = getTableCell(subTable, 2, 1).Range
Dim fld As Variant
Set fld = rg.Fields(1)
Call SetItalicsOnOff(rg, True)
Call SetFontFace(rg, "Arial")
Call SetFontSize(rg, 8)
fld.Code.Text = fld.Code.Text & " \* MERGEFORMAT"
Related
I am trying to write a VBA script that will read the value of a merge field in an MS Word document. This field's code is:
{MERGEFIELD Vendor_ID \* MERGEFORMAT}
I have tried accessing it via MailMergeField:
' No access by ID, must use an index:
ActiveDocument.MailMerge.Fields(1)
but this object does not seem to provide the value. I then tried to do the same via MailMergeDataField, but again in vain, because the document has no data fields, i.e.
ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.DataFields.Count = 0
At last, I endeavored to follow the example from the DataFields documentation only to find out that the data source has no records:
ActiveDocument.MailMerge.DataSource.RecordCount = -1
Now I give up and ask your help in reading the value of a merge field. Here is a sample document from which I am trying to read the value of the Vendor_ID merge field—400775. Beware that it already contains some VBA code with my failed attempts. The bookmark V_Vendor_Number comprises that value, but I have an explicit requirement not to use bookmarks.
If you have a document that doesn't present you with a mailmerge SQL prompt when you open it, it isn't a mailmerge main document and isn't connected to a data source. Accordingly, all you're left with is reading through the fields collection to find the one you're interested in. You can also take the same approach with a mailmerge main document that is connected to a data source. For example:
Sub Demo()
Dim Fld As Field
For Each Fld In ActiveDocument.Fields
With Fld
If .Type = wdFieldMergeField Then
If Trim(Split(Split(.Code.Text, "MERGEFIELD ")(1),"\")(0)) = "Vendor_ID" Then
MsgBox .Result.Text: Exit For
End If
End If
End With
Next
End Sub
How do I copy the entire content (approx 2 pages) of a Word document in VBA and store in a variable?
I keep trying several things, none of which works:
Dim mainData As String
ThisDocument.Activate
ActiveDocument.WholeStory 'error on this line
mainData = Selection.Text
With 'record macro' I can simulate selecting a piece or the entire text, but I can't simulate storing that into a variable.
The above code throws
'This command is not available because no document is open',
but hadn't I first activated this (the current) document, and then selected it (ActiveDocument.WholeStory)?
Why doesn't this work?
Later edit: I managed to do the selection like this:
Dim sText As String
Application.Selection.ClearFormatting
Application.Selection.WholeStory
sText = Application.Selection.Text
MsgBox sText
but the problem is I can't store the entire text (2 pages) in a variable. Part of it is truncated. Would you know how to store word by word (I only need a word at a time anyway)?
Later edit. I applied strReverse on the text to find out the text is actually stored entirely in the variable, just not fully displayed in the message box.
Don't use ThisDocument in code, unless you specifically want to address the file in which the code is stored and running. ThisDocument is the "code name" of that file.
Instead, use ActiveDocument to mean the document currently active in the Word window.
An addition, if you want the Selection in the currently active document, there's no reason to activate it - it's already active.
So to get the entire document content in a string
Dim mainData As String
mainData = ActiveDocument.Content.Text
where Content returns the entire main body's text as a Range object.
Note: The MsgBox has an upper character limit. If you're working with long text strings and want to see what they hold the following has more (but not "infinite") capacity:
Debug.Print mainData
All you need is:
Dim mainData As String
mainData = ActiveDocument.Range.Text
I just discovered that in MS Word it is possible to store a Variable in a MS Word File that can not be accessed through the regular interface when running Microsoft Word.
Sub SetMyVariable()
Dim VARNAME As String
VARNAME = "HiddenVar"
ActiveDocument.Variables.Add VARNAME, "My special info"
End Sub
This gets saved in the XML Schema under word\settings.xml
I have tried using the ThisWorkbook Object in Excel, but it doesn't seem to have a Variable object that can be added like in word.
I want to know if there is something similar in Excel to store information/varialbes that get saved with the file.
PS: the closest thing I can think of (and use in codig) is a hidden named range.
You can try with the CustomXMLParts property of the Workbook which from the link seems a generic feature of Office products and available in Excel. Given you noted that a user would have to manually inspect the XML within the unzipped xlsx files then this seems to map to the Word Variables feature. The code sample just substitutes ThisWorkbook for ActiveDocument:
Option Explicit
Sub TextXMLPart()
Dim objXMLPart As CustomXMLPart
'add
Set objXMLPart = ThisWorkbook.CustomXMLParts.Add("<foo>bar</foo>")
'inspect
For Each objXMLPart In ThisWorkbook.CustomXMLParts
Debug.Print objXMLPart.XML
Next objXMLPart
End Sub
The accepted answer to this question (which focuses on Excel and vsto) states that:
Custom XML parts For an application-level add in, this is my preferred method of storing any application data that needs to be persisted in a saved xls file without ever being visible to the user.
I'm trying to automate some report generation where Excel VBA is doing all the work. My employer has a standardized set of templates of which all documents are supposed to be generated from. I need to populate one of these templates from Excel VBA. The Word templates utilize VBA extensively.
This is (some of) my Excel VBA code:
Sub GenerateReport() ' (Tables, InputDataObj)
' code generating the WordApp object (works!)
WordApp.Documents.Add Template:="Brev.dot"
' Getting user information from Utilities.Userinfo macro in Document
Call WordApp.Run("Autoexec") ' generating a public variable
Call WordApp.Run("Utilities.UserInfo")
' more code
End sub
In the Word VBA Autoexec module, a public variable named user is defined and declared. The Userinfo sub from the Utilities module populates user. Both these routines are run without any complaints from VBA. I would then like to be able to access the user variable in my Excel VBA, but I get the following error
Compile Error: Variable not yet created in this context.
How can I access the Word VBA variable in Excel VBA? I thought it more or less was the same?
EDIT: the user variable is a user defined Type with only String attributes. Copying the Word VBA functions that populate the user variable is absolutely doable, just more work than I though was necessary...
In a Word module:
Public Function GetUserVariable() As String '// or whatever data type
GetUserVariable = user
End Function
In an Excel module:
myUser = WordApp.Run("GetUserVariable")
Alternatively, you could be able to replicate the variables value - as it's called user I suspect it is returning some information about a user, or author, of a document. In which case one of the following might be what you're after:
'// Username assigned to the application
MsgBox WordApp.UserName
'// Username defined by the system
MsgBox Environ$("USERNAME")
'// Name of the author of the file specified
MsgBox CreateObject("Shell.Application").Namespace("C:\Users\Documents").GetDetailsOf("MyDocument.doc", 9)
Another option - if you could only add a line of code to the Utilities.UserInfo sub (after setting your public variable):
ActiveDocument.Variables("var_user") = user
Then you could access it easily afterwards in Excel:
Sub GenerateReport() ' (Tables, InputDataObj)
' code generating the WordApp object (works!)
'I am assuming your WordApp object is public, as you don't declare it.
'Capture the new document object
Dim newdoc as Object
set newdoc = WordApp.Documents.Add(Template:="Brev.dot")
' Getting user information from Utilities.Userinfo macro in Document
Call WordApp.Run("Autoexec") ' generating a public variable
Call WordApp.Run("Utilities.UserInfo")
'Get and show the value of "user"
Dim user as String
user = newdoc.Variables("var_user")
msgbox, user
End Sub
This is assuming that useris a string.
EDIT: As it is a requirement to work only on the Excel VBA, I would definely try the approach suggested by Scott and MacroMan - replicating the same functionality of the Word macros in Excel - if possible.
I assume that you've already ruled out the possibility of using an edited copy of the original template, set in a public folder...
For the sake of completness, there is another possibility: actually it is possible to inject VBA code in a Word document without the VBProject Object Model, by "brute force". If you rename a Word document as a .zip file and open it, you will notice a \word\vbaProject.bin file in it. This file contains the VBA project for the document and, in principle, one could add or change VBA code by modifying or replacing it.
I did some tests transplanting code from one document to another by simply copying the vbaProject.bin file, and the concept works. If you are interested in learning more about this file, this topic could be of use.
Notice, however, that to do what you want with such a technique would be somewhat complex (it would involve, for starters, updating zip files from your Excel VBA), and would require a lot of experimentation to mitigate the risk of accidentally corrupting your files. Definetly not recommended if you are looking for an easy and simple solution - but it is possible.
I'm using MS-Access 2010 and Autocad 2012 64bit and work in manufacturing.
I want to be able to at the very least, populate fields in a title block, better still I would like to use data in my access database to write data into a sheet set (the current system works by reading the sheet set values such as sheet title and number into my title block).
The following code is all I have at the moment and it will open autocad and write the date into the command line.
Private Sub OpenAutocad_Click()
Dim CadApp As AcadApplication
Dim CadDoc As AutoCAD.AcadDocument
On Error Resume Next
Set CadApp = GetObject(, "AutoCAD.Application")
If Err.Number <> 0 Then
Set CadApp = CreateObject("AutoCAD.Application")
End If
On Error GoTo 0
CadApp.Visible = True
CadApp.WindowState = acMax
Set CadDoc = CadApp.ActiveDocument
CadDoc.Utility.Prompt "Hello from Access, the time is: " & TheTime
Set CadApp = Nothing
End Sub
I have no idea where to go from here. What are the commands to control the sheet set manager and change data, and can the .dst file be edited without even opening up autocad? is there a list of all available autocad vba commands and functions?
If you are declaring CadApp as AcadApplication you must have added a reference to AutoCAD.
That means you should be able to see the object model using your Object Browser in your VBA IDE. No?
There is also a very helpful site www.theswamp.org which has a whole section devoted to AutoCAD VBA.
If I understand your question correctly, you want to automate filling attributes in a drawing title blocks (such as title, drawer, part number, etc) right from MS Access.
Your code can access the Autocad command line already, but Autocad doesn't seem to have the exact command for filling drawing attribute. (command list)
So looks like you need to fill the attributes programatically using the COM API.
The following question appears to be relevant with yours and the accepted answers does provide a sample code:
Is it possible to edit block attributes in AutoCAD using Autodesk.AutoCAD.Interop?
Note that in that question the asker was developing a standalone application in C# .NET, where as you will be using VB Automation from MS Access. Shouldn't be too different since the Component Object Model (COM) being used is the same.
What are the commands to control the sheet set manager and change data and can the .dst file be edited without even opening up autocad?
(sorry can't post more than 2 links)
docs.autodesk.com/ACD/2010/ENU/AutoCAD%202010%20User%20Documentation/files/WS1a9193826455f5ffa23ce210c4a30acaf-7470.htm
No mention about data change, though.
is there a list of all available autocad vba commands and functions?
Yes.
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\acad_aag.chm - Developer's Guide
%ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Autodesk Shared\acadauto.chm - Reference Guide
Online version:
help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/AutoCAD-ActiveX/files/GUID-36BF58F3-537D-4B59-BEFE-2D0FEF5A4443.htm
help.autodesk.com/cloudhelp/2015/ENU/AutoCAD-ActiveX/files/GUID-5D302758-ED3F-4062-A254-FB57BAB01C44.htm
More references here:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?id=1911627&siteID=123112
:) Half the way gone ;)
If you has a open autocad with a loaded drawing you can access the whole thing directly.
Sub block_set_attribute(blo As AcadBlockReference, tagname, tagvalue)
Dim ATTLIST As Variant
If blo Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
If blo.hasattributes Then
tagname = Trim(UCase(tagname))
ATTLIST = blo.GetAttributes
For i = LBound(ATTLIST) To UBound(ATTLIST)
If UCase(ATTLIST(i).TAGSTRING) = tagname Or UCase(Trim(ATTLIST(i).TAGSTRING)) = tagname & "_001" Then
'On Error Resume Next
ATTLIST(i).textString = "" & tagvalue
Exit Sub
End If
Next
End If
End Sub
Sub findtitleblock(TITLEBLOCKNAME As String, attributename As String,
attributevalue As String)
Dim entity As AcadEntity
Dim block As acadblcck
Dim blockref As AcadBlockReference
For Each block In ThisDrawing.BLOCKS
For Each entity In block
If InStr(LCase(entity.objectname), "blockref") > 0 Then
Set blockref = entity
If blockref.effectivename = TITLEBLOCKNAME Then
Call block_set_attribute(blockref, attributename, attributevalue)
exit for
End If
End If
End If
Next
Next
End Sub
call findtitleblock("HEADER","TITLE","Bridge column AXIS A_A")
So assume you has a title block which has the attribute TITLE then it will set the Attribute to the drawing name. it mioght also possible you has to replace the thisdrawing. with your Caddoc. I usually control Access and Excel form autocad and not vice versa ;)
consider also to use "REGEN" and "ATTSYNC" if "nothing happens"
thisdrawing.sendcommens("_attsync" 6 vblf )