Formatting PageRef fields

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k8er - 26 Sep 2006 18:19 GMT

Hi all,

I generate Word documents from AuthorIT (CM software), and release them in
PDF format. I need an automated solution for formatting PageRef fields.

Currently, the PageRef fields come through in the regular body text format.
I want to change them to use a specific character style (in this case, the
style is called URL, which is blue like a hyperlink). I have tried using a
macro to this, and it seems to work in Normal view. But when I change to
Print Preview, or convert to PDF, the PageRef fields revert back to plain
text.

Is there a way to permanently change the PageRef field to use a specific
character style?

I'm using the following macro:

Dim myField As Field
For Each myField In ActiveDocument.Fields
If myField.Type =3D wdFieldHyperlink Or myField.Type =3D =
wdFieldPageRef Then
myField.Result.Style =3D ActiveDocument.Styles("URL")
End If
Next myField

What am I doing wrong?

Best regards,
Kate

Reply to this Message

Dave Lett - 26 Sep 2006 20:59 GMT

Hi Kate,

You are probably applying the character format, but you probably haven't
made the field code so that formatting is "sticky". That is, you have to
ensure that the field code includes the PreserveFormatting switch. The
following might solve your issue:

Dim iFld As Integer
For iFld = ActiveDocument.Fields.Count To 1 Step -1
With ActiveDocument.Fields(iFld)
If .Type = wdFieldPageRef Then
If InStr(1, .Code, "MERGEFORMAT") = 0 Then
.Code.Text = .Code.Text & " \* MERGEFORMAT"
End If
.Result.Style = "Legacy"
End If
End With
Next iFld

HTH,
Dave

> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 26 lines]
> Best regards,
> Kate

Reply to this Message

Dave Lett - 26 Sep 2006 21:15 GMT

On a side note, how do you like AuthorIT?

> Hi Kate,
>
[quoted text clipped - 51 lines]
>> Best regards,
>> Kate

Reply to this Message

k8er - 27 Sep 2006 02:40 GMT

Hi Dave,

Thank you for the suggestion. To answer the side note first, AuthorIT is
great. Being able to keep all of our content in a database where we can edit
and reuse it is awesome. But the implementation has been a lot more
complicated than I expected. Biggest problem: Understanding how all the
different systems, styles, objects, and templates work together. Setting up
the AuthorIT objects and styles and getting the Word templates just right --
and trying to match our existing documentation styles and output -- has been
a big challenge. Especially since I'm not a Word Macro Guru. I'll be happy to
tell you more about AuthorIT if you're interested.

As for the macro, I need some remedial help -- it's not quite working yet.

I removed the macro I was using and added yours. The Debugger didn't like
.Result.Style = "Legacy" (it gave Run-time error 5834) so I replaced "Legacy"
with the name of the style I want to use "URL". That seemed to run ok. But
when I converted to PDF, all the page references came up with "Error unknown
switch argument." Do you know what might be causing that?

Thanks again for your reply.
-Kate

> On a side note, how do you like AuthorIT?
>
[quoted text clipped - 53 lines]
> >> Best regards,
> >> Kate

Reply to this Message

Graham Mayor - 27 Sep 2006 07:56 GMT

I suspect that it would be better to remove the MERGEFORMAT switch and adda
CHARFORMAT switch instead which will allow the field to take on formatting
applied to the field. The following modification should do that.

Dim iFld As Integer
For iFld = ActiveDocument.Fields.Count To 1 Step -1
With ActiveDocument.Fields(iFld)
If .Type = wdFieldPageRef Then
If InStr(1, .Code, "MERGEFORMAT") <> 0 Then
.Code.Text = Left(.Code.Text, Len(.Code.Text) - 16) & _
" \* CHARFORMAT "
End If
If InStr(1, .Code, "CHARFORMAT") = 0 Then
.Code.Text = .Code.Text & " \* CHARFORMAT "
End If
.Result.Style = "URL"
End If
End With
Next iFld

Signature

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

> Hi Kate,
>
[quoted text clipped - 48 lines]
>> Best regards,
>> Kate

Reply to this Message

Dave Lett - 27 Sep 2006 14:17 GMT

Hi Graham,

I have found two issues with using CHARFORMAT and was wondering if you could
shed some light on them.

1) It appears that you cannot use CHARFORMAT when inserting a PAGEREF field
through the Insert Cross References dialog box. That is, CHARFORMAT appears
to only be compatible with a PAGEREF field that points to a bookmark. When I
update the PAGEREF field that is a crosss reference, Word displays Error!
Unknown switch argument. as the result.

2) The CHARFORMAT switch takes the formatting of the first letter of the
field that it appears in, which means that if you format the result range
and update the field, then the field will lose the formatting that you
applied. To make the format stick, you have to apply the formatting to the
"P" in the PAGEREF field (in this case) to make the formatting stick.

Finally, I'm getting some strange results after converting to PDF:

PAGEREF _Ref147109471 \h \* CHARFORMAT

Error! Unknown switch argument.

PAGEREF _Ref147109471 \h \* MERGEFORMAT

[NO RESULT!! It's there in Word, but disappears upon conversion]

PAGEREF _Ref147109471 \h

1 [Formatted properly, formatting applied to result]

PAGEREF _Ref147109471 \h MERGEFORMAT

1 [Formatted properly, formatting applied to result, but notice that "\*" is
not included]

PAGEREF myHeading \* CHARFORMAT

1 [Formatted properly, formatting applied to "P" of PAGEREF]

PAGEREF myHeading \* MERGEFORMAT

1 [Formatted properly, formatting applied to result]

Dave

>I suspect that it would be better to remove the MERGEFORMAT switch and adda
>CHARFORMAT switch instead which will allow the field to take on formatting
[quoted text clipped - 68 lines]
>>> Best regards,
>>> Kate

Reply to this Message

Graham Mayor - 27 Sep 2006 15:16 GMT

1. Hmmm. I tested this a few times using cross references to Figures and
occasionally got the error - but more often than not I didn't. When
inserting pageref fields, either manually or via the Cross References
dialog, I did not get the error, and the macro code I modified has worked
every time - I just tested it again to make sure. Then forced an update to
make sure there was no error. In fact I stole your code for my own use as it
was more efficient than the one I was using to change mergeformat to
charformat;)

Do you still get the error if you add quotes around the referenced item?

2.If you format the entire range then the charformat switch should cause
that range formatting to be adopted (which I thought was the requirement).
the mergeformat field, in theory at least, should cause it to retain the
formatting of the bookmark being referred to.

3. I did not get that error when I converted to PDF (Acrobat 7 - patched to
date and using the add-in tools to create the pdf) but if you are getting an
error when you update the field, that would account for it as the fields
will update as part of the 'print' process. Unfortunately I cannot produce
the error message consistently enough to bottom the problem, :(

Signature

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

> Hi Graham,
>
[quoted text clipped - 121 lines]
>>>> Best regards,
>>>> Kate

Reply to this Message

k8er - 27 Sep 2006 15:59 GMT

Hi guys,

I tried Graham's suggestion, and I didn't get any errors -- it seemed to run
fine. But also the character format wasn't sticky. As soon as I change to
Print View, or convert to PDF, the PageRef fields revert back to the plain
text style. Is there something else that needs to be added to make the
character format sticky?

Thanks,
Kate

> 1. Hmmm. I tested this a few times using cross references to Figures and
> occasionally got the error - but more often than not I didn't. When
[quoted text clipped - 143 lines]
> >>>> Best regards,
> >>>> Kate

Reply to this Message

Dave Lett - 27 Sep 2006 19:59 GMT

Hi all,

Using Graham's suggestion, I've revised the material a little (I used
Replace in one of the lines) and applied the formatting to the first
character of the PageRef field. Seems to be working smashingly on my machine
(hope it works on yours, too, Kate).

ActiveDocument.ActiveWindow.View.ShowFieldCodes = True
Dim iFld As Integer
For iFld = ActiveDocument.Fields.Count To 1 Step -1
With ActiveDocument.Fields(iFld)
If .Type = wdFieldPageRef Then
If InStr(1, .Code, "MERGEFORMAT") <> 0 Then
.Code.Text = Replace(.Code.Text, "MERGE", "CHAR")
End If
If InStr(1, .Code, "CHARFORMAT") = 0 Then
.Code.Text = .Code.Text & " \* CHARFORMAT "
End If
.Code.Select
Set oRng = Selection.Range
With oRng
.Start = oRng.Characters(1).Start
.End = oRng.Characters(2).End
.Style = "URL"
End With
.Update
End If
End With
Next iFld
ActiveDocument.ActiveWindow.View.ShowFieldCodes = False

HTH,
Dave

> Hi guys,
>
[quoted text clipped - 161 lines]
>> >>>> Best regards,
>> >>>> Kate

Reply to this Message

k8er - 27 Sep 2006 20:42 GMT

Dave,

Need a little more help here -- I tried this code, but it gave me "compile
error -- variable not found" when it got to oRng. Do you know why I'd get
that error?

-Kate

> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 194 lines]
> >> >>>> Best regards,
> >> >>>> Kate

Reply to this Message

Dave Lett - 27 Sep 2006 21:25 GMT

Maybe. If you have Option Explicit set, then you need to declare that
variable.

At the very begining of the routine, insert

Dim oRng as Range

HTH,
Dave

> Dave,
>
[quoted text clipped - 220 lines]
>> >> >>>> Best regards,
>> >> >>>> Kate

Reply to this Message

Graham Mayor - 28 Sep 2006 06:47 GMT

It works for me ;)

Signature

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

> Hi all,
>
[quoted text clipped - 201 lines]
>>>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>>> Kate

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