Microsoft Word Tips

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This eclectic collection of Microsoft Word Help and Tips Pages is by no means intended to be a primer for beginning Microsoft Word users.  It is a collection of Microsoft Word Help & Tips and techniques (many macro based) that I haven't found discussed or explained better elsewhere.  More disclaimer - That is not to say that better isn't out there .

The internet coupled with the power of popular search engines and Microsoft Word user forums like newsgroups provides a vast storehouse of questions and answers covering almost every conceivable Microsoft Word issue.  I think the best place for a Microsoft Word beginner to start is with a visit to Shauna Kelly's
"Basic Concepts for New Users."  A link to Shauna's web page is provided at the end of this page as well as links to some of my other favorite Microsoft Word sites.  

Thanks for visiting my Microsoft Word Help and Tips Page.   You can browse the pages using the title and topic summaries listed below or search my site using the Google search engine.  I hope you find your answer here.

 

Google
 
:old: One user reported they could not see a few of the images that I present on my tips pages.  If you experience this problem you might consider "whitelisting" my page host "mvps.org" in your Internet security Ad Blocking application.
Add Classic Form Controls to the Word2007 Developer Tab
  This Microsoft Word Help & Tips page shows you a simple example of ribbon customization while restoring some useful controls to their rightful place on the UI.
Add File Name and Path to Application Title Bar and Word Documents
 

 

Out of the box Microsoft Word places the file name on the title bar.  Here are some tips for displaying the file name in individual documents and displaying the file name and path in documents or the title bar.

Add Interactive Toggle Objects to Simple Word Documents.

  Have you ever wanted to add a little flair to your Microsoft Word documents like a check box so an on screen user can toggle checked or unchecked without using a protected form?  Here are step by step instructions for creating this little trick plus a complete template with toolbar for creating interactive checkboxes, "X" boxes, buttons and arrows.  Updated with a method for creating toggles on the fly so your toggles can work when documents are sent to other users.
Add "COPY" Watermark to Printed Documents
  Add a temporary "COPY" watermark when printing second and subsequent copies of a saved document.
Address a Letter Using as UserForm
  A UserForm lets you quickly prepare PC generated correspondence to friend, clients, or customers.
Ampersand "&" in Dropdown Field
  Display and print an ampersand "&" in a Microsoft Word protected form dropdown field.
AutoCorrect Generator
  Use this handy method for creating multiple Microsoft Word AutoCorrect entries.


(no offense ladies.  It's nostalgic)

Banner Text and Other Nifty Applications of EQ Fields
  The Microsoft Word EQ field is a handy tool for creating simple text effects.
BookMark Tool and my new Compact BookMark Tool
  An improved user interface for adding, deleting and browsing bookmarks in Microsoft Word documents.
Build and Deploy Custom Building Block Gallery
  A quick and easy way to build and deploy a built-in custom building block gallery/galleries from the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT), Ribbon, or building block type Content Control.
Build Google Search String from Selected Text
  Some handy VBA for quickly creating a Google search string from selected text.
Building Blocks & AutoText (Word 2007)
  A discussion on building blocks in Word2007 and their relationship to the AutoText feature in earlier Word version.  Includes an AddIn for with enhanced tools for working with building blocks.
Calculated Dates
  Use a little VBA and Microsoft Word fields to easily calculate and roll back or roll forward a date in your Microsoft Word documents.
Clean Up Text
  Quickly and easily clean text of unwanted leading\trailing characters or formatting.
Create and employ a UserForm
  In this Microsoft Word Help & Tips page I will show you how to create and employ a UserForm from a document template.  I have held off publishing this page for over a year because there is already a page on this topic published on the MVP FAQ page  Create a UserForm.  This page is not intended to diminish the helpfulness of that page.  However the MVP FAQ article provides only the bare bone basics where with this page I will attempt to enhance some of the methods and provide examples of several available UserForm controls.
Create/Format Fractions
  Links to several tips and techniques for entering formatted fractions in Word documents and a macro for processing all the fractions in a document in a simple one step procedure.
Create List of Files in Any Folder
  Provides a VBA template AddIn solution for the task of listing files and selected file data located in any folder and sub-folders.  You could use it to create a list of files on you floppy drives or flash thumb drives.
Create Mapped Content Controls
  This tips page is an extension of my popular Repeating Data page and provides a user friendly AddIn that makes creating mapped content controls a breeze.  This has been one of my favorite projects!! Updated to add a means of mapping an existing Content Control.
Count Lines of Text
  Hope for the frustrated transcriptions.
Count Selected Word\Phrase
  Provides a simple macro that you can use to quickly count the number of times a selected word or phrase is used in your document text.
Conditional Headers and Footers
  Some tips for controlling display of Microsoft Word header and footer text.
Currency Format
  Automatically apply currency format to simple numeric text in table cells and update calculations.

Custom Content Control Checkboxes
  A VBA template AddIn that provides a Content Control Checkbox.  These checkboxes can perform independently or be set in groups where only one checkbox can be checked at a time.
Custom VBA Message Box
  Create a custom VBA message box to expand Microsoft Word user options.
Customize the Ribbon (It doesn't take Rocket Science)
  A step by step procedure to show you that you can customize the Office2007 Fluent Ribbon Interface without expensive addin software formal experience as a developer.  I did it!
Customize the Word2007 Shortcut Menus
  A VBA method for adding built-in or custom commands to Word2007 shortcut menus
Date Sequencer
  A user interface tool for making date entries in Microsoft Word documents.

Date & Time Stamp
  Quickly and easily inert the current date or time in your Microsoft Word document.
DocBundler
  DocBundler is a document automation process developed by Word MVP Greg Maxey (me).   It consists of a central Data Sheet template containing VBA processing instructions, and a set of related templates that you can customize and use to create sets (or "bundles") of Word Documents that draw data from the Data Sheet.
Document Splitter
  A easy to use AddIn that splits the active document into one or more individual files based on a user defined delimiter.   The AddIn contains lots of neat VBA tricks like code for picking a file path and validating a string. 
Document User Instructions
  Inspired after fellow Microsoft Word MVP Graham Mayor pointed me to the tree while I was searching the forest.  A few simple techniques for providing users of your documents with amplifying instructions.
Dynamic Menu Controls (Word2007)
  How to steps for designing and employing the dynamicMenu control with Word2007 ribbon customization.
Error Handling 101
  A few tips and examples for using error handlers in VBA
Extract Document Data
  This is a companion tips page to Extract Data from FormFields below.  You can use the methods shown here to extract data from individual documents saved in your file directories.
Extract Data from FormFields
  Macro code and illustrations for extracting data from multiply Microsoft Word protected forms and displaying the results in Access or Word.
Field Macros
  A collection of macros for working with the Microsoft Word field collection.

"Find It" Tool Bar
  A handy Add-In useful for counting, marking, or killing text.
Find and Replace w/Long Strings
  Overcome the 255 character limitation in Microsoft Word Find and Replace strings.
FormField UserForm ListBox
  Shows an efficient method to overcome the 25 item limitation of FormField DropDown list fields.
Found Where You Are Not Looking
  Or how to overcome the unexpected behavior Word presents when you attempt to perform a VBA Find operation in a defined bookmark range.
Group File Opener
  A Microsoft Word Add-In that makes it easy to save or save and close a group of files.  Then reopen the same group of files with a click of a button.
Highlighter (My Custom Highlighter)
  A Microsoft Word Add-in that provides "subdued" colors for shading text (a work around for the garish colors in the built-in highlighter tool.

Insert Text "At" or "In" a Bookmark
  Tips and methods for inserting text at or in a bookmarked location in a document with VBA.
Interactive UserForm Checkboxes
  Examples and code for making checkboxes in your UserForms interactive with checkboxes in your documents.
Linked FormField DropDown List
  Examples and VBA code for creating a pair of linked dropdown fields.  The user selection in the primary field determines the list items in the second field.
List Spelling Errors
  A useful macro or Microsoft Word Addin for creating a spelling error summary report.
Margin Text
  A macro to quickly create a handy margin text style
Master Your Form Fields
  Some examples and tips for using Run On Entry and Run On Exit macros to empower form fields.
Modify Content Control Placeholder Text
  A simply macro utility for modifying ContentControl placeholder text.

Never Use ^13 in the "Replace With" Field
  Or "Why don't my paragraphs act like paragraphs?"  "I can't sort them or format them as individual paragraphs."
Numbered Labels
  A link to my Englishman friend and fellow MVP Graham Mayor's site.  In a collaborative effort, Graham and I present several methods for placing sequential numbers on labels.
Outlook Interoperability
  A Word2007 AddIn for interoperability with Outlook.
Pass Data To/From a UserForm
  Methods, with examples, for passing information to a Microsoft Word UserForm from a calling macro and from a UserForm to a calling macro.
Page Numbering
  Links to popular Microsoft Word MVP FAQ pages plus a few tips for dual numbering and alternative field numbering.
Play Sound Byte When Document Opens
  A novelty Microsoft Word Help and Tips Page demonstrating the use of API.
Populate a UserForm ListBox
  Explanations, illustrations, and code for populating a UserForm ListBox
Populate a UserForm List/ComboBox with Data from XML Source
  An addendum to the page listed above.
Print Numbered Copies
  This Microsoft Word Help and Tips Page shows you how to use a macro for printing multiple numbered copies of a document.

Process All Files in a Batch Folder
  Quickly designate a batch folder and perform a macro process on all files in the folder.
Proofreader Marks Add-In (An exercise in advanced Ribbon customization techniques)
  A functional Add-In for inserting proofreading annotations as comments in a Word document.  The primary purpose of developing this Add-In was to illustrate an advanced Ribbon customization technique.
Put Track Changes in Word2002 Back On Track
  Microsoft really gooned up the track changes in Word2002.  If you are used to seeing your deleted text with a strike through and want that feature back then you're almost home.
Recently Used Files Editor
  A Userform interface to quickly remove files from the Microsoft Word "Recently Used Files" List.
Rename a Batch of Files
  Use handy macros to quickly rename a batch of document files.
Rename FormFields
  A simple macro for globally renaming formfields throughout a document with the default designation and index number.

Repeating Data (or Populating Fields)
  A common question from Microsoft Word users is "How do I enter data such as client name, account number, etc. once and have it repeated automatically in other parts of the document?"  This Tips Page provides some links to comprehensive solutions as well as tips for quick easy solutions to basic documents.
Repurpose User Interface (U/I) Controls
  Some methods and demonstration for repurposes U/I controls.
Reverse Number a List
  This Microsoft Word Help and Tips Page shows you how to use a macro to quickly apply reverse numbering to a selected list.
Ribbon Custom Icons
  Apply custom icons (e.g., icons created with the Word2003 Button Editor) to Word2007 custom ribbon controls.
Ribbon Images & Labels A five part series to show various tips, methods, and work-a-rounds for taking full advantage of ribbon control attributes for customizing your ribbon UI images and labels.
  Ribbon Images & Labels: Part I.   This page illustrates image and label changes you can make with existing built-in office controls. 
  Ribbon Images & Labels: Part II. This page illustrates adding built-in or custom images and labels to custom controls.
  Ribbon Images & Labels: Part III. This page illustrates loading and using custom images from external sources.
  Ribbon Images & Labels: Part IV. Apply built-in or custom images and labels on the  "on the fly" to dynamic ribbon controls such as togglebuttons, dropdowns, and comboboxes.
  Ribbon Images & Labels: Part V.  Demonstrates a work-a-round allowing you to access custom images located in the document's OpenXML Format file data store folder "customUI\Images" using the ribbons getImage attribute.
Ribbon Gallery Control
  A continuation of my quest to understand and master working with the new Ribbon UI controls.  This Microsoft Word Help & Tips page provides examples and discussion on using the gallery control with an introduction to the editbox, checkbox, and dialogBoxLauncher.
Ribbon Menu Controls
  A continuation of my quest to understand and master working with the new Ribbon UI controls.  This Microsoft Word Help & Tips page provides examples and discussion on using the menu, splitButton, and dynamicMenu controls.
SEQ Field Numbering
  A explanation of SEQ field list numbering with a handy add-in for creating and working with numbered lists.

Sort a List and Delete Duplicates
  Simple VBA solution to sort a list and delete duplicate entries.
Spacing After Sentences
  Automatically set two spaces following each full stop sentence punctuation mark.
Spell Checking in UserForm TextBoxes
  Illustrations and macro code that shows you how to spell check UserForm TextBoxes.
Spell Out Currency
  This Microsoft Word Help and Tips Page shows you how to use a Word field to spell out values up to $100,000.00 and if you are really feeling generous there is a VBA method for values up to $9,999,999,999,999.99
Style Report
  Quickly scan your Microsoft Word documents to review style usage.  Use the prompts to decide if you will "keep" or "delete" various styles in the document.  Update to include improved custom VBA message boxes.


(no offense ladies.  It's nostalgic)

Table Cell Data
  A convenient macro for determining Microsoft Word table and cell information.
Table Cell Data (Word 2007 Version)
  An enhanced version of the orginal Table Cell Data AddIn above with new features using advanced Ribbon customization techniques.
Table Sorter
  A Microsoft Word AddIn you can use to sort table data left to right or top to bottom.
Toggle Data Display
  "How can I create a document so that the display of information can be expanded and collapsed?"
TRIFECTA (or UserForm Diminishing List)
  A UserForm method for selecting items from a series of diminishing lists.
Unlink Header and Footer After Adding New Section
  This Microsoft Word Help and Tips Page shows you how to use VBA to quickly add a new section and make changes to the header or footer text without affection other headers or footers in the document.
Validate ContentControl Entries
  Overcome the "Bug" in the Document Event ContentControl OnExit procedure.  This opens endless possibilities for using the event to validate text that users enter in your ContentControls.
Validate UserForm Text Entry
  Process for validating UserForm text entry with sample code for displaying UserForm data at bookmarks in a document.


(no offense ladies.  It's nostalgic)

VBA Find and Replace
  An Add-in providing a simple user interface for performing find and replace processing on multiple documents located in a common directory and processing multiple find and replace words or phrases.
Word Fields
  Step by step instructions for inserting fields in your Microsoft Word documents.
 
Word Usage and Frequency 
  A Word VBA Add-In to facilitate reporting word usage and frequency in a Word document.

Ask an MS Word Expert Online

Ask a Question, Get an Answer ASAP.

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Disclaimer
The tips  included in these links are provided “as is” in good faith and without obligation. 
Use them at your own risk. I accept no responsibility for the consequences of that use.

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Favorite MVP Sites:

Graham Mayor's Word Help & Tips  
Shauna Kelly's Word Help & Tips

Cindy Meister's Word Help & Tips

 This page was last updated on May 07, 2009

 

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