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Anonymous
Not applicable

Replace a text directly in a word doc

Hi,

 

I have to find the text in the word doc and replace it with the new version value. Is there any option in PAD to perform the task?

I believe we can do it for the text file, but I need to replace it directly in the word doc. Please help.

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
VJR
Multi Super User
Multi Super User

After the "Next" use wb.close to close the workbook that was opened by the blue statement.

 

View solution in original post

14 REPLIES 14
MichaelAnnis
Super User
Super User

Inside of word, use “send keys” to use the hot keys to navigate the menu to find/replace, and enter what you need to at that screen. Best of luck!

----
If my post has answered your question, please thumbs up and mark this post as a solution.

I also offer paid consulting services. If you would like to discuss this option, please feel free to DM me and we can set up a time to join a Zoom call and fix any issues you are having.
VJR
Multi Super User
Multi Super User

Hi @Anonymous 

 

2 options as below (not in any order).

 

1.  Via a macro

 

- Write the below macro in an excel file

- Call the macro via "Run Excel macro" from PAD

- Has the ability to pass parameters from PAD to Excel macro

- Refer comments in bold below

 

Dim WordApp As Word.Application  'Go to Tools menu -> References -> select Microsoft Word x.0 Object Library
Dim WordDoc As Word.Document
Dim WordContent As Word.Range

dim varWordTemplateToUse as string

varWordTemplateToUse= "Full Path of Word document here" 'Can also be passed as parameter from PAD

Set WordApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
WordApp.Visible = True
Set WordDoc = WordApp.Documents.Open(varWordTemplateToUse)
Set WordContent = WordDoc.Content

'- FIND & REPLACE
With WordContent.Find
.Forward = True
.ClearFormatting
.MatchCase = False
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Text = ""                             'either pass a variable without quotes or directly the text to search
.Replacement.Text = ""       'either pass a variable without quotes or directly the text to replace
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End With

 

WordDoc.Save
WordDoc.Close
WordApp.Quit

Set WordDoc = Nothing
Set WordApp = Nothing

 

PS: I did not use the code box here since it does not allow bold formatting.

 

2. via Find & Replace

Per suggestion from @MichaelAnnis do a sendkeys on Control H to bring up the Find & Replace dialog box.

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

I tried both the options. I tried using the excel macros and I am getting the macro security warning, seems I need to contact IT to rectify it.

 

I tried using the Ctrl +H after the word doc is opened but could not able to see the find/replace box.

Radhika1_0-1637776744655.png

Did I create the flow right? and also I need to find and replace more values. 

 hope I can pass the values as a list for finding and replacing, right?

VJR
Multi Super User
Multi Super User

@Anonymous ,

 

- If you are allowed to enable macros by yourself then see if the options are available for you.

https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/2020/03/11/enable-disable-macros-excel/

 

If macros are not allowed for you then writing a similar code in a .vbs script file (lots of them available on the web) and calling them from PAD will do the same.

 

- Wait stage in between opened up the Replace box

This is the command I used in Sendkeys

 

{Control}({H})

 

VJR_1-1637810159911.png

 

 

Sendkeys is not going to be straightforward but you can try and see if it works out with your requirements.

 

 

PS: I see in your screenshot that you are opening a .docm file which means it is already a macro enabled word document. So if you are able to write a macro within that document itself this requirement will work for you.

Anonymous
Not applicable

I tried writing a macro within the word document providing the path to the excel to fetch the find and replace text. It is working fine. After it finishes it process, when I try to open the excel mentioned in the macro enabled word doc, it says that "the excel is open in another application. Please close it and try again". It is so annoying and not able to delete the excel too, because for the next time, I need to modify the values in the excel. 

 

I closed the word doc but still receives the message.

 

Could you able to figure out the reason for this? 

VJR
Multi Super User
Multi Super User

@Anonymous 

I tried writing a macro within the word document providing the path to the excel

It is not clear to me if the macro is written in Word then what is the Excel used for.

Please share details with screenshots and also what code are you using to point to an Excel file which is getting locked.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Here is the word macro code. The line in blue colour italics is mentioned to open the excel which has two columns 'Findtext' and 'replacetext'. I have more than 20 values to find and replace, so I am passing the values through an excel. After replacement of the values, I am not able to open up the excel "ref.xlsx". Please let me know if you need more information.

 

screenshot of the error message.

Radhika1_0-1637920370436.png

 

 

Sub Main()

Dim xl As Object 'Excel.Application

Dim wb As Object 'Excel.Workbook

Dim ws As Object 'Excel.Worksheet

Dim rng As Object 'Excel.Range

Dim cl As Object  'Excel.Range

Set xl = CreateObject("Excel.Application")

Set wb = xl.Workbooks.Open("Downloads\ref.xlsx") 

Set ws = wb.Sheets(1) '##Modify as needed

Set rng = ws.Range("A1", ws.Range("A29"))

For Each cl In rng

    Call Macro1(cl.Value, cl.Offset(0, 1).Value)

Next

End Sub

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sub Macro1(findText$, replaceText$)

'

' Macro1 Macro

'

'

    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting

    Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting

    With Selection.Find

        .Text = findText

        .Replacement.Text = replaceText

        .Forward = True

        .Wrap = wdFindContinue

        .Format = False

        .MatchCase = False

        .MatchWholeWord = False

        .MatchWildcards = False

        .MatchSoundsLike = False

        .MatchAllWordForms = False

    End With

    Selection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll

    Selection.Find.Execute

End Sub

 

VJR
Multi Super User
Multi Super User

After the "Next" use wb.close to close the workbook that was opened by the blue statement.

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

Nice observation! Thanks. It is working now.

jiamin
Frequent Visitor

Hello, I have trouble replacing text in a word document directly using 'replace text' as this function only works in notepad. Could someone help me with this issue, thank you!!!! Please refer to the picture attached. The problem arises from 'read text from file' all the way to 'replace text'. Is there another method to replace the words in the document efficiently apart from Control H replace method? 

 

jiamin_1-1650348305589.png

 

jiamin
Frequent Visitor

Is there another method to replace the words in the document efficiently apart from Control H replace method? 

VJR
Multi Super User
Multi Super User

Hi @jiamin 

Since there is no inbuilt action in PAD, the most efficient way seems to be via calling the macro code shared by @Anonymous 

jiamin
Frequent Visitor

Thank you! @VJR 

Hey VJR,

 

This was very helpful, I managed to make myself a PAD Flow that called the Excel Sheet and ran the Macro.

I was also able to successfully pass parameters through to the Macro from the Flow.

In my scenario I wanted to point the PAD flow at a Folder full of documents that contained a particular text string that needed replacing. The Flow got all the items and the be doing a for each and using the Macro I could perform and find and replace across all the documents.

There is probably some tweaks i could make to the Macro but all in all a great little solution.

For those having issues with the Macro security, I designated a particular folder as trusted and when the Macro promoted me with a warning a accepted the risk and everything worked fine - so a little bit of config needed there.

 

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