Word - search/replace issue with SPECIFIC document

[gerardsweeney]

Hi, there.

I've just started dabbling with the Word UDF, as I'm hoping to use it to batch populate a document.

The code below works absolutely fine for a dummy Word Document I've created, but not for the actual template document I need.

#include <word.au3>

ProcessWordDoc("TestDocument.docx")
ProcessWordDoc("OfficialDocument.docx")
Msgbox(0, "", "Done")
EXIT

Func ProcessWordDoc($F)
$FirstName = "Han"
$Surname = "Solo"
$Building = "Millenium Falcon"
$ID = "TK421"
$File = @ScriptDir & "\" & $F

; Create application object
Global $oWord = _Word_Create()
Global $oDoc = _Word_DocOpen($oWord, $File)

    For $oStoryRange In $oDoc.StoryRanges
        For $Loop = 1 to 1
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "FIRSTNAME", $FirstName, Default, $oStoryRange)
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "SECONDNAME", $Surname, Default, $oStoryRange)
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "BUILDINGNAME", $Building, Default, $oStoryRange)
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "000000000", $ID, Default, $oStoryRange)
        Next
    Next
EndFunc

I don't know much about Word, so bear with me here..

It looks like the official document has page 1 configured differently from other pages.
It has the "000000000" id text on page 1 in a text box, and then in the footer of subsequent pages.
Page 1 also has text boxes with the First name/surname/building fields (which I've populated with the FIRSTNAME/SECONDNAME/BUILDINGNAME strings for search/replace.

In Word, I can replace all of the Search/replace fields no problem (If I use CTRL H/Search/Replace/All).

With the above script, page 1 isn't being touched. The footer gets replaced, but nothing else.

I'm hoping it's something REALLY obvious that I'm missing, here?

I don't really want to attach the official document here - for fairly obvious reasons. I realise that doesn't help with troubleshooting.
 

All advice gratefully received!

[water]

I would start with collecting information about the document and adding error checking. Something like:

Consolewrite("Number of Stories:" & $oDoc.StoryRanges & @CRLF)
    For $oStoryRange In $oDoc.StoryRanges
        Consolewrite(@CRLF & "Type of Story:" & $oStoryRange.StoryType & @CRLF)
;        For $Loop = 1 to 1 ; Not needed at the moment
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "FIRSTNAME", $FirstName, Default, $oStoryRange)
        Consolewrite("@error of Replace1: " & @error & @CRLF)
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "SECONDNAME", $Surname, Default, $oStoryRange)
        Consolewrite("@error of Replace2: " & @error & @CRLF)
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "BUILDINGNAME", $Building, Default, $oStoryRange)
        Consolewrite("@error of Replace3: " & @error & @CRLF)
        _Word_DocFindReplace($oDoc, "000000000", $ID, Default, $oStoryRange)
        Consolewrite("@error of Replace4: " & @error & @CRLF)
 ;       Next
    Next

The wdstorytype enumeration can be found here: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/word.wdstorytype

[gerardsweeney]

Thanks for the suggestion.

Here's the results from the SciTE console..

I updated the script to include the @extended error as well, in case it helped.

I'm assuming error 3 means there was nothing found to replace.

It replaced for Story 9 - which is the primary footer. So that ties in with what I'm seeing.
 

expandcollapse popup

Number of Stories:

Type of Story:1
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:5
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:6
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:7
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:8
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:9
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 0 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:10
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:12
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:13
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:15
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)

Type of Story:16
@error of Replace1: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace2: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace3: 3 (Extended: 0)
@error of Replace4: 3 (Extended: 0)
>Exit code: 0    Time: 9.668

 

Edited May 8, 2025 by gerardsweeney

[gerardsweeney]

Water had very kindly looked at a blank copy of the document, and concluded the same as me - it's horrific

I've cobbled together a script to use SEND to trigger CTRL H to do the search/replacing.. Nowhere near as elegant as using the functions, but still infinitely preferable to doing it manually

 

 

[gerardsweeney]

To revive this slightly!
 

The following code that I nicked from

Local $oWord = _Word_Create()
Local $oDoc = _Word_DocOpen($oWord, $File, Default, Default, False)

Global Const $wdMove = 0
$FindText   = "*FORENAME*"
$ReplaceText  = "Han"
With $oWord.Selection.Find
    .Replacement.Text = $ReplaceText
    .Forward = True
    .ClearFormatting
    .Wrap = 1   ;.Wrap could be $wdFindContinue which is 1
    .Execute($FindText)
EndWith

 

ALMOST works.
It populates the Find and Replace boxes with "*FORENAME*" and "Han".
It just doesn't execute the replace all.

 

What the heck am I missing?!

This is on Word 2016, BTW. In case that has any bearing - I know Microsoft like to change things!

Edited May 23, 2025 by gerardsweeney

[Nine]

I believe the way AutoIt interacts with Word Com object, you will need to specify the ReplaceWith argument of the execute method.

[water]

Have a look at the source of the Word UDF, function _Word_DocFindReplace to see how it works  

Edited May 23, 2025 by water