WD98: How to Store and Retrieve Variables in Documents (181811)

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied. This includes, but is not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language that is being demonstrated and with the tools that are used to create and to debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific requirements.
You can use the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications Variables collection to set and retrieve the contents of a string variable into a Word document or template.

Also, you can use the DOCVARIABLE field to retrieve the value of a document variable once it has been set.

To Set and/or Retrieve the Value of a Document Variable

The following sample macro uses the Variables property to store and then retrieve the value of a string variable named "FullName" with the current document.

     Sub GetSetDocVars()

      Dim fName As String
      fName = "Joe Smith"

      ' Set contents of variable "fName" in a document using a document
      ' variable called "FullName".
      ActiveDocument.Variables.Add Name:="FullName", Value:=fName

      ' Retrieve the contents of the document variable.
      MsgBox ActiveDocument.Variables("FullName").Value

   End Sub
				

To Delete a Document Variable

The following sample macro uses the Variables property to first set and then retrieve the value of a document variable and then delete the variable from the active document.

   Sub GetSetDeleteDocVars()

      Dim fName As String
      fName = "Joe Smith"

      ' Set contents of variable "fName" in a document using a document
      ' variable called "FullName."
      ActiveDocument.Variables.Add Name:="FullName", Value:=fName

      ' Retrieve the contents of the document variable.
      MsgBox ActiveDocument.Variables("FullName").Value

      ' Delete the variable.
      ActiveDocument.Variables("FullName").Delete

   End Sub
				

To Retrieve the Value of a Document Variable Using the DocVariable Field

The following sample macro uses the Variables property to set a document variable. Following the sample macro are steps to use the DocVariable field to retrieve the value into the contents of the same document.

      Sub GetSetDocVars()

      Dim fName As String
      fName = "Joe Smith"

      ' Set contents of variable "fName" in a document using a document
      ' variable called "FullName."
      ActiveDocument.Variables.Add Name:="FullName", Value:=fName

   End Sub
				

To use the DocVariable field:

1. On the Insert menu, click Field.
2. In the Categories list, click Document Automation.
3. In the Field Names list, click DocVariable.
4. Click in the Field Codes box so the insertion point is one space past the word DocVariables.
5. In quotation marks, type the name of the document variable.
   
   Example: "FullName"
6. Click OK.

If you need to preserve a value between sessions of a macro, you can store values using any of the following methods:

• Use the PrivateProfileString property to store values to a private settings file.
  
  For more information about the PrivateProfileString property, click the Office Assistant while in the Visual Basic Editor, type PrivateProfileString Property, click Search, and then click to view "PrivateProfileString Property."
• Use the Variables property to store values in a document.
  
  For more information about the Variables property, click the Office Assistant while in the Visual Basic Editor, type Variables Property, click Search, and then click to view "Variables Property."
• Use the Visual Basic for Applications Input/Output statements to write to a text file (for example, Write or Print statements).
  
  For more information about writing data to files, click the Office Assistant while in the Visual Basic Editor, type Writing Data to Files, click Search, and then click to view "Writing Data to Files."
• Use the AutoTextEntry Object to store values in an AutoText entry.
  
  For more information about the AutoTextEntry Object, click the Office Assistant while in the Visual Basic Editor, type AutoTextEntry Object, click Search, and then click to view "AutoTextEntry Object."

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Word Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: