Navigating a Microsoft Word Document when Adding Text/Tables

• Michael Malewicki
• Published: 04 Mar 2002

I think most people have read an article or tip about the benefits of creating reports from Lotus Notes in Microsoft Word, using LotusScript and OLE. One of the challenges I ran into, however, is how to navigate within a MSWord document while the report is being created. Specifically, when adding tables to a report, how do I move the cursor out of a table and to the next line of the report in order to add more information? And then, how do I create another table after the text I just entered?

The example I have included shows how to:

• Create the MSWord OLE object.
• Define a range at the end of whatever text has already been entered.
• Add a simple table to the document, adding some text and basic table customization.
• Navigate out of the table.
• Then add some more text without a table.
• And finally, loop through and add some more tables and text.

Of course, you could write a whole routine to create several Word documents one right after another. Check other tips on how to programmatically save your new Word document.

P.S. I've included extra constants to save you the work of finding them out!
 

'OLE: Create Word Document: 

Option Public
Option Declare

' WdGoToItem Constants
Const wdGoToLine% = 3
Const wdGoToLast% = -1

' WdTableFormat Constants
Const wdTableFormatClassic2% = 5

' WdColorIndex Constants
Const wdAuto% = 0
Const wdBlack% = 1
Const wdBlue% = 2
Const wdBrightGreen% = 4
Const wdByAuthor% =  -1
Const wdDarkBlue% = 9
Const wdDarkRed% = 13
Const wdDarkYellow% = 14
Const wdGray25% = 16
Const wdGray50% = 15
Const wdGreen% = 11
Const wdNoHighlight% = 0
Const wdPink% = 5
Const wdRed% = 6
Const wdTeal% = 10
Const wdTurquoise% = 3
Const wdViolet% = 12
Const wdWhite% = 8
Const wdYellow% = 7

' WdParagraphAlignment Constants
Const wdAlignParagraphCenter% = 1
Const wdAlignParagraphLeft% = 0
Const wdAlignParagraphRight%= 2

Sub Initialize
	
	' Set the Microsoft Word Object
	Dim varWrdApp As Variant
	Set varWrdApp = CreateObject( "Word.Application" )
	
	' Show Word
	varWrdApp.Visible = True
	
	' Add a new document
	varWrdApp.Documents.Add
	
	' Set the Word Selection
	Dim varWrdSelection As Variant
	Set varWrdSelection = varWrdApp.Selection
	
	' Start a loop to create sections
	Dim varWrdRange As Variant
	Dim varWrdTable As Variant
	Dim intPos As Integer
	Dim x As Integer
	For x% = 1 To 5  ' loops this many times for example's sake
		
		' Find the end of the Word selection
		intPos = varWrdSelection.End
		
		' Define the range to the end of the selection and add a new table
		Set varWrdRange = varWrdApp.ActiveDocument.Range( intPos, intPos )
		Set varWrdTable = varWrdApp.ActiveDocument.Tables.Add( varWrdRange,

 1, 1 )  ' simple 1 x 1 table
		varWrdSelection.TypeText "Heading " & x%
		With varWrdTable
			' Set the shading on the first row to light gray
			.Rows( 1 ).Cells.Shading.BackgroundPatternColorIndex

= wdGray25%  ' could expand to multiple rows
			' Bold the first row
			.Rows( 1 ).Range.Bold = True
			' Center the text in Cell (1,1)
			.Cell( 1, 1 ).Range.Paragraphs.Alignment =

wdAlignParagraphCenter%
		End With
		
		' Put the cursor at the end of the selection
		varWrdSelection.GoTo wdGoToLine%, wdGoToLast%
		
		' Add text to document
		Call InsertLines( varWrdSelection, 1)
		varWrdSelection.TypeText "Here's line one of Heading " & x%

& "'s report."
		Call InsertLines( varWrdSelection, 1)
		varWrdSelection.TypeText "Here's line two of Heading " & x%

& "'s report."
		Call InsertLines( varWrdSelection, 1)
		varWrdSelection.TypeText "Here's line three of Heading " &

x% & "'s report."
		Call InsertLines( varWrdSelection, 2)
		
	Next
	
	
	' Delete the objects
	Set varWrdTable = Nothing
	Set varWrdRange = Nothing
	Set varWrdSelection = Nothing
	Set varWrdApp = Nothing
	
End Sub

Sub InsertLines( varWrdSelection As Variant, intNumLine As Integer )
	
	Dim intCount As Integer
	
	' Insert the specified number of blank lines
	For intCount = 1 To intNumLine
		varWrdSelection.TypeParagraph
	Next intCount
	
End Sub