WD2000: Macro Problem Using SendKeys with Dialog Box (211844)

SYMPTOMS

When you use the SendKeys statement after calling a dialog box, your macro may not run as expected.

For example, the following macro stops after opening the Open dialog box and does not open the Find search dialog box:

   Sub SendKeysExample()
      ChDir "C:\My Documents"           ' Change Directory.
      Dialogs(wdDialogFileOpen).Show    ' Show the FileOpen dialog.
      SendKeys "%lf" '                  ' Send the ALT+l, f keystrokes to
                                        ' open the Find search dialog box.
   End Sub

CAUSE

Visual Basic for Applications processes code one line at a time. The SendKeys statement sends the specified keys to the active application, just as if the keys were typed at the keyboard. If Word is not the active application, and if wait is set to -1, Word waits for all the keys to be processed before proceeding.
Whenever a Word dialog box is opened, it becomes the active foreground application and it is ready to take commands; it also must be terminated (with OK or Cancel) before the next line can be processed.

WORKAROUND

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.
In the example listed in the "Symptoms" section, the SendKeys statement should come before the Dialogs command, so that the FileOpen dialog box can process the keys and display the Find search dialog box. Then the next line of code can be processed.




      Sub SendKeysExample()
         ChDir "C:\My Documents"           ' Change Directory.
         SendKeys "%lf" '                  ' Send the ALT+l, f keystrokes to
                                           ' open the Find search dialog box.
         Dialogs(wdDialogFileOpen).Show    ' Show the FileOpen dialog.
      End Sub

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about using the SendKeys command in either the Open or SaveAs dialog box, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

211890 WD2000: Some Open/SaveAs Shortcut Keys Changed

For more information about SendKeys, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type SendKeys in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.