Updating Word Template with bookmarks - vba

I have Template made in Word 2003 which is sometimes updated (adding text, bookmarks, formfields ...) and its located on intranet and has the same name all the time (for example "Master_layout.dot"). When somebody create the document from this template (for example version 3) and then I will make version 4 then the document made from version 3 is not updated and it does not include the changes which I made. I would like to use some VBA script which will check if the Template has the same content (formfields, bookmarks, text...) like the document and if not then add the text, formfield and so on into the document.
Thanks for any help or tip.

Rather than checking that the content is the same, you might want to consider using a custom property on the template to store the version number. Then you can just check the version.
Sub CheckVersion()
If ActiveDocument.CustomDocumentProperties("VersionNum").Value <> 4 Then
'do stuff'
End If
End Sub

Related

How to Accept All Changes In Selection?

I am trying to accept all changes in a selection, in Word 2013.
I used the macro recorder and it generated the following code (it can also be found at https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/word.revisions.acceptall)
Selection.Range.Revisions.AcceptAll
However, it will not work unless I physically select each letter
But if I use the built in buttons in the 'Changes' group within the 'Review' tab, I don't have to physically select the entire letter. I just need to select any part of the change and it will accept the change.
Why does the macro version not perform like the UI option?
That is odd behavior. The UI must be doing something like the below, but whoever built the macro recorder missed it.
Public Sub AcceptSelection()
Dim rev As Revision
For Each rev In Selection.Range.Revisions
rev.Accept
Next rev
End Sub
That code will accept any revisions in the selection, even partial ones.

Mysterious Black Lines in Word When Using In-House VB.Net Application

A little backstory. I work at an organization that uses Mail Merge and SQL Databases to populate letters with names/addresses. Those letters are sent out to our donors as thank yous. These letters change frequently, and new ones come up at least 10 times a month.
To simplify our process, I created a program that allows you to copy/paste the letter body content into rich text boxes and when you press the 'Go' button, it opens a pre-made Word template and replaces bookmarks in the template with the copied body content.
The program works great with most letters, but some of them have a problem where these thick black lines are created and I'm unable to do ANYTHING to remove them. I can't right click them, I can't delete them with Backspace or Delete, and I can't highlight them.
I'm thinking that the problem may come from hidden formatting. Some of the employees that write the letters are using the Mac version of Office 2016, and I'm using Windows version. I sent an RTF file that showed the black lines for me to someone who uses the Mac version, and they said they couldn't see the lines.
My question is, is there a way to get rid of these lines or prevent them in the future? I've thought about upgrading Office version to 2019 on both ends, but there are quite a few people that have their hands in these letters and it may be difficult to upgrade everyone.
Please refer to the attached image for visual reference. Names and personal details have been removed.
EDIT: Here is the 'Go' code:
'create temp rtf files to maintain rtf
If strForm = "ANG2" Then
txtPreD.SaveFile("\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\fptemp.rtf")
txtPostD.SaveFile("\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\bptemp.rtf")
ElseIf strForm = "ANGL" Then
txtPreD.SaveFile("\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\predtemp.rtf")
txtPostD.SaveFile("\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\postdtemp.rtf")
txtBP.SaveFile("\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\bptemp.rtf")
Else
txtPreD.SaveFile("\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\predtemp.rtf")
txtPostD.SaveFile("\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\postdtemp.rtf")
End If
'if bookmarks exists, insert appropriate rtf files
If odoc.Bookmarks.Exists("fp") = True Then
goWord.ActiveDocument.Bookmarks("fp").Select()
goWord.Selection.InsertFile(FileName:="\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\fptemp.rtf")
End If
If odoc.Bookmarks.Exists("bp") = True Then
goWord.ActiveDocument.Bookmarks("bp").Select()
goWord.Selection.InsertFile(FileName:="\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\bptemp.rtf")
End If
If odoc.Bookmarks.Exists("PreD") = True Then
goWord.ActiveDocument.Bookmarks("PreD").Select()
goWord.Selection.InsertFile(FileName:="\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\predtemp.rtf")
End If
If odoc.Bookmarks.Exists("PostD") = True Then
goWord.ActiveDocument.Bookmarks("PostD").Select()
goWord.Selection.InsertFile(FileName:="\\server\AcknowledgementLetters\postdtemp.rtf")
End If
Before this happens, the program checks to see which template it needs to open and opens it as a Word object (odoc). This bit of code is really the only important part. After this, I just click Finish it just saves the file once I'm done checking it for errors. Also, yes, the RTF files that it creates DO have the black lines as well. Here is another picture of the program itself just so you can get a better idea of what's going on.

Unable to extract and re-insert MS Word Content Control using VBA and InsertXML

This question is related to my other question: Range.InsertXML using Transform
In MS Word it is easy to insert a content control using VBA, for example:
ThisDocument.ContentControls.Add wdContentControlRichText, Selection.Range
I've recently started exploring more in the XML side of things, e.g.:
Debug.Print ThisDocument.Range.XML seems to (or actually does) produce the XML for a Word document. However, if I create a NEW, BLANK document and add a Content Control I am unable to extract and reinsert the Content Control (oCC).
My steps:
added 2 blank paragraphs to a new document
added oCC to the 2nd paragraph
selected the oCC paragraph
immediate window: thisdocument.Paragraphs(1).Range.InsertXML selection.Range.XML
At first glance it LOOKS like the Content Control was duplicated, BUT on closer inspection, it was deleted and only the formatted text remains (see image, top paragraph is actually just formatted text).
Thinking I could out smart MS Word I set the properties of the Content Control to '...can not be deleted', but that didn't help.
I've also tried to insert into a separate document in case the issue had something to do with duplication of something that ought to have been unique.
In a nutshell:
To answer this question I need a way to insert a Content Control to a document using a combination of VBA and XML (or confirmation that what I am attempting is not possible).
Just realized I should use Selection.Range.WordOpenXML instead of Selection.Range.XML

macro to return active document format for IF/Then statement

I am creating a document template for a report for my staff to use and I have a command button at the bottom that will delete all of the command buttons in the report and protect it as read only to close out the report.
I don't want someone accidentally making these changes to the template if they happen to open that instead of a new document based on it.
So I would like a string of code that checks the active document, if it is .dotm I want it to display a message box and exit. if it is a .docx I want it to continue with the rest of the code I have written.
I have been unable to return the format or use it in an IF/THEN statement. I have been unable to find anything on the net on this either. Is it impossible? or should I be checking for the file extension? If so how would I use that as a value in an IF/THEN Statement?
The document may have been based on the template, but not yet saved. In which case it would be called "Document1", etc., without a dot.
If InStr(ActiveDocument.Name,".") = 0 Then
'it is a new document, based on a template
ElseIf InStr(ActiveDocument.Name,".dotm") > 0 Then
'it is a/the template
This of course assumes that the ActiveDocument is the correct one. If they click a button in the document then this is correct, but if they use the Macros dialog then you may want to include additional checks.
I would use the following, which ignores differences in case (.dotm, .DOTm):
If InStr(UCase(ActiveDocument.Name), ".DOTM") > 0 Then
'it is a template..
Else
'it's just a document
End If
Checking ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate.Name can also be useful, to confirm if the active-document is one based on your template.

Using VBA in MS Word 2007 to define page elements?

I'd like to be able to create a page element which I can feed text and it will form itself into the preferred layout. For instance:
{MACRO DocumentIntro("Introduction to Business Studies", "FP015", "Teachers' Guide")}
with that as a field, the output should be a line, the first two strings a certain size and font, centred, another line and then the third string fonted, sized and centred.
I know that's sort of TeX-like and perhaps beyond the scope of VBA, but if anyone's got any idea how it might be possible, please tell!
EDIT:
Ok, if I put the required information into Keyword, as part of the document properties, with some kind of unique separator, then that gets that info in, and the info will be unique to each document. Next one puts a bookmark where the stuff is going to be displayed. Then one creates an AutoOpen macro that goes to that bookmark, pulls the relevants out of the keywords, and forms the text appropriately into the bookmark's .Selection.
Is that feasible?
You're certainly on the right track here for a coding solution. However, there is a simpler way with no code - this is the type of scenario that Content Controls in Word 2007 were built for and with Fields/Properties, you can bind to content controls (CC). These CC can hold styles (like centered, bold, etc.). No VBA required.
The very easiest thing to do is to pick 3 built-in document properties that you will always want these to be. For example, "Title" could be your first string, "Subject" your second string and "Keywords" your third. Then, just go to the Insert ribbon, Quick Parts, Document Properties and insert, place and format those how you like. Then go to Word's start button (the orb thingy) and then under Prepare choose Properties. Here you can type, for example "Introduction to Business Studies", into the Title box and then just deselect it somehow (like click in another box). The Content Control for Title will be filled in automatically with your text.
If you want to use this for multiple files, just create this file as a .dotx (after CC insertion/placement/formatting and before updating the Document Properties' text). Then every time all you'll have to do is set these three properties with each new file.
Well, yes, it did turn out to be feasible.
Sub autoopen()
Dim sKeywords As String
sKeywords = ActiveDocument.BuiltInDocumentProperties(4)
ActiveDocument.Bookmarks("foo").Select
Selection.Text = sKeywords
End Sub
Okay, I have some filling out to do, but at least the guts of it are there.