Good Docvariable information source

[nostabo]

I can't seem to find a good source for information on using docvariables
(online would be preferable) without coming back here everytime I have a
question. I'm using Word 2007 and even the Microsoft online help is very
scant. There seems to be an abundance of help with Excel macro programming
(which I have done alot of), but Word automation (especially 2007) is hard to
find.

I have a document that I'm trying to automate (a contract) and I would like
the ability to update only one field at a time and use docvaribales that are
arrays. Formatting the output is also a question as I would like to highlight
the inserted data in red for easier proofing by the user and insert the array
data as a numbered list.

Thanks for your advice...

Rick

 

[Jay Freedman]

I can't point you to any specific source of information. While it's true
that the VBA documentation in Word 2007 isn't well indexed compared to
previous versions, and there are still nowhere near enough examples, for
this particular topic the basics are there (look up "Variable Object" and
"Variable Object Members").

I'm afraid you're asking far more of document variables than they can
deliver. Starting with the lowest level, the .Value property of a Variable
object is a simple String data type. That means it cannot contain an array
or any formatting information.

You can fake these things, of course, by embedding characters in the string
that your macro can look for and interpret as "end of array item", or "start
of formatting" and "end of formatting". The formatting could be signified in
the string by HTML tags or something like that; then the macro would have to
run wildcard Replace operations to turn the tags into real formatting. The
array items could be separated with pipe characters, and the macro can use
the Split and Join functions to go between the string and an in-memory array
in a Variant variable.

Before you jump on this as a solution, though, note this remark in the help
topic about the .Value property: "Setting the Value property to a string
longer than 255 characters generates an error." Depending on what your data
looks like, you could run out of room very quickly. Instead of packing an
array into a single document variable, you might have to use a separate
variable for each array member and set up some naming convention to save and
retrieve them.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Greg Maxey]

Perhaps you could use the \*CharFormat switch in the DocVariables fields to
format your output.

Sub Test()
With ActiveDocument
.Variables("Red").Value = "Red text"
.Fields.Update
End With
End Sub

{ DocVariables "Red" \* CharFormat } then seleect the "D" in "DocVariables"
and apply red color.

 

[nostabo]

Thanks Jay and Greg,

I guess I'll give up on a DocVariable array, but the tip on formatting the
"D" in the DocVariable field code worked...as far as font fomatting goes.

So I guess I'll just keep asking questions here and we'll all learn
something...