Bulk Editing Multiple Document Footers In The Same Folder

[Some1HelpPLz]

Hello, I'm sure this question has been asked in the past so I'm apologizing in advance, but I can't find a working solution and I've been searching for hours.

Problem: I have a folder filled with multiple word documents, and I need to update a certain portion of the footer section for all the documents in the folder.

Example of what the footers look like:

Doc: 1
Testing of HVAC Systems 97 57 47 - 1
City of Colorado 3/8/2019

Doc: 2
Common Work Results 99 23 22 - 1
City of Colorado 3/8/2019

Example of what I'm trying to have the footers changed to:

Doc: 1
Testing of HVAC Systems 97 57 47 - 1
City of New York 4/2/2019

Doc: 2
Common Work Results 99 23 22 - 1
City of New York 4/2/2019



That's essentially all I'm trying to do, so I'm guessing what I'm really looking for is a find and replace function that works with footers. I've found related sources here and on the MSOfficeForum website but the codes never seems to work... For reference I'm using Word 2016 (not sure if that matters). Any and all help is appreciated, thank you! :crying:

[macropod]

I've found related sources here and on the MSOfficeForum website but the codes never seems to work...
That is most likely due to an implementation error. Beats me why you'd post here seeking help regarding code you've found on another forum - and give no indication of what that code is or how you've adapted it. Resources from there you could adapt include:
http://www.msofficeforums.com/word-vba/37236-loop-through-all-documents-folder.html#post121271
http://www.msofficeforums.com/word-vba/23916-help-creating-macro.html#post74951
http://www.msofficeforums.com/word-vba/29777-multi-doc-find-replace-including-headers-footers.html#post63290

[Some1HelpPLz]

Beats me why you'd post here seeking help regarding code you've found on another forum - and give no indication of what that code is or how you've adapted it.


Hello Macropod, initially I was trying to provide links to the code I found, but the website wouldn't allow me to post links on my first post due to me having the "newbie" status. I'm guessing to deter spammers. I'm still trying to post links but it won't let me, I keep getting "Post denied. New posts are limited by number of URLs it may contain"

I wouldn't be surprised if it was due to an implementation error as I'm definitely no expert at this stuff. I've tried running all the code to the links you provided and each one of them will start with a pop up screen that will allow me to select a folder. Once I select a folder and press okay, nothing happens. Am I supposed to be modifying the code in someway to get it to do something to my footers?

The only code I could get to work was the following: (Sorry I can't post the actual link, the website won't allow me to, please replace (DOT) with "." and "h#t#m#l" with "html"
msofficeforums(DOT)com/word-vba/16209-run-macro-multiple-docx-files(DOT)h#t#m#l#post47274

They way I get the referenced code to work is by changing the .Text = " " and the, Replacement.Text = " ".

With this I can get the words in the body of the document themselves to be replaced, but for some reason no matter what I do I can't figure out how to get the words in the footer to be replaced...

Any guidance is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[macropod]

I wouldn't be surprised if it was due to an implementation error as I'm definitely no expert at this stuff. I've tried running all the code to the links you provided and each one of them will start with a pop up screen that will allow me to select a folder. Once I select a folder and press okay, nothing happens. Am I supposed to be modifying the code in someway to get it to do something to my footers?
The code in each of those links is written to solve a particular problem. None of them is written specifically for your problem so it's hardly surprising you don't get the results you're after without adapting the code to meet your particular requirements. I did, after all, say the code could be adapted...

For example, with the code in http://www.msofficeforums.com/word-vba/29777-multi-doc-find-replace-including-headers-footers.html#post63290, you'd delete the code between 'With wdDoc' and 'For Each Sctn In .Sections' and modify the Update(Rng As Range) sub to do the kind of Find/Replace you require. That would be as simple as changing:

.Text = "04-15-09"
.Replacement.Text = "05-05-14"
to:

.Text = "[0-9]{1,2}/[0-9]{1,2}/[0-9]{4}"
.Replacement.Text = Format(Now, "M/D/YYYY")
.MatchWildcards = True

[Some1HelpPLz]

Macropod,

I've done as you instructed, and this is the result:


Sub UpdateDocuments()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim strFolder As String, strFile As String, wdDoc As Document
Dim Sctn As Section, HdFt As HeaderFooter, Shp As Shape
strFolder = GetFolder
If strFolder = "" Then Exit Sub
strFile = Dir(strFolder & "\*.doc", vbNormal)
While strFile <> ""
Set wdDoc = Documents.Open(FileName:=strFolder & "" & strFile, _
AddToRecentFiles:=False, Visible:=False)
With wdDoc
For Each Sctn In .Sections
For Each HdFt In Sctn.Headers
With HdFt
If .LinkToPrevious = False Then
'Process the header
Call Update(.Range)
End If
End With
Next
Next
.Close SaveChanges:=True
End With
strFile = Dir()
Wend
Set wdDoc = Nothing
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

Function GetFolder() As String
Dim oFolder As Object
GetFolder = ""
Set oFolder = CreateObject("Shell.Application").BrowseForFolder( 0, "Choose a folder", 0)
If (Not oFolder Is Nothing) Then GetFolder = oFolder.Items.Item.path
Set oFolder = Nothing
End Function

Sub Update(Rng As Range)
With Rng.Find
.ClearFormatting
.Replacement.ClearFormatting
.Text = "[0-9]{1,2}/[0-9]{1,2}/[0-9]{4}"
.Replacement.Text = Format(Now, "M/D/YYYY")
.MatchWildcards = True
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindStop
.Format = False
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End With
End Sub


When I run the macro, it again produces a pop up window that allows me to select the folder I want, I press okay, and then anti-climatically... Nothing happens. No flickering screen of it running through all the documents, nada.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

[macropod]

Oops - one further change:-
Replace:
Sctn.Headers
with:
Sctn.Footers

PS: When posting code, please format it beforehand - just as the code you copied from MSOfficeForums was formatted.