Referencing a Word document that is already open

I'm having problems with the following code where the oRng is comming up empty. Using Create Object to open the word document works fine but it is a very large document to reopen so I would like to be able to reference the open document with objWord. Any ideas?

Code:

---

    Dim objWord As Object
    Dim oRng as Word.Range

    Set objWord = GetObject(,"Word.Application")
    Set objWord = GetObject("C:/test.docm") 'I've tried with and with out this line without any luck

    set oRng = objWord.activedocument.content

---

Try:

Code:

---

Dim AppWd As New Word.Application
 Dim WdDoc As Word.Document, WdRng As Word.Range
 
 Set WdDoc = AppWd.Documents.Open("C:/test.docm")

---

You can now reference the document any time you need, via WdDoc. For example:
Set WdRng = WdDoc.Sections(1).Range
sets WdRng to span only the first Section in what may or may not be a multi-Section document. Having dealt with that, you might want to do something to the entire document, for which you'd reset WdRng:
Set WdRng = WdDoc.Range

Thank you for the replay. So you kind of gave me a solution. I tried what you suggested but I got the file already open problem. If I use part of the original code but use your option for the range it works. Any idea why? (I'm trying to do this from within Access)

Code:

---

Private Sub Command0_Click()
Dim objWord As Object
Dim oRng As Word.Range
 
Set objWord = GetObject(, "Word.Application")
Set objWord = GetObject("C:/temp/test1.docm")
 
Set oRng = objWord.Sections(1).Range
Debug.Print oRng.Text
End Sub

---

I cannot see how you could possibly get a "file in use" warning if you used the code how I described it. Clearly, you've been doing something different - which includes re-opening the file. The code I posted does not do that.

I believe I failed to mention I'm running the script from within Access, if that matters. I copy and pasted your script directly in and I get a "file in use warning". Since the file is open already wouldn't "Set WdDoc = AppWd.Documents.Open("C:/test.docm")" try and reopen the document?

Why (and how) would the file be open before using:
Set WdDoc = AppWd.Documents.Open("C:/test.docm")
There's nothing in the code you posted to indicate that you ever tested whether Word was even running before trying to open the document...

To keep this question simple (or so I thought) the word document would already be open since another script will open the document. The following code seems to work but I'm not sure why "Set oRng = objWord.Sections(1).Range" works with getobject but "Set oRng = objWord.activedocument.content" does not.

Code:

---

Private Sub Command0_Click()
    Dim objWord As Object
    Dim oRng As Word.Range
   
    Set objWord = GetObject(, "Word.Application")
    Set objWord = GetObject("C:/temp/test1.docm")
   
    Set oRng = objWord.Sections(1).Range
    Debug.Print oRng.Text
End Sub

---

Here is the full script that works. Note that I had to use wApp.sections(1).Range with GetObject and wApp.ActiveDocument.Content with CreateObject. I would assume they would work the same way, any idea why?

Code:

---

Private Sub Command0_Click()
    Dim wApp As Object
    Dim oRng As Word.Range
    Dim lngFileNum As Long
    Dim lngErr As Long
 
    On Error Resume Next
    lngFileNum = FreeFile()
    Open "c:/temp/test.docm" For Input Lock Read As #lngFileNum
    Close lngFileNum
    filestatus = Err
 
    If filestatus = 0 Then
        Set wApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
        wApp.Documents.Open "c:/temp/test.docm"
        wApp.Visible = True
        Set oRng = wApp.ActiveDocument.Content
    Else
        Set wApp = GetObject(, "Word.Aplication")
        Set wApp = GetObject("C:/temp/test.docm")
        Set oRng = wApp.Sections(1).Range
    End If
   
    Debug.Print oRng.Text 'Used to verify it works
End Sub

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by heedaf

To keep this question simple (or so I thought) the word document would already be open since another script will open the document.

---

In that case, you should be referencing the instance of the document opened by that other script. Anything else - especially creating a new instance of Word and trying to have that open the document - is a waste of time.

To clarify my problem is that I want to run the majority of the script on the same object (also behaves the same) if the document is opened or if it needs to be opened. For some reason I can't figure out how to do this.

How about paying attention to my last reply.

I have read your reply and it doesn't tell me how I can solve my problem. If the document is already open how can I obtain access to the document?

You re-write the code so both lots can reference the same instance of the document. Your code in post #8 opens the document but fails to make it available outside that instance. Solving that is as trivial as defining the relevant variables at the top of the code module instead of within that sub. Your code in post #8 has some other basic flaws - which the code I provided in post #2 addresses - but that's another issue.

I think I might have given you wrong information, sorry! The original code just used CreateObject and I closed the document everytime I ran it which is stupid so now I'm trying to figure out how to run the code without closing the document first. I thought I had the right idea in #8 but the objects created are quite different.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by heedaf

I think I might have given you wrong information

---

Indeed. And I still haven't seen anything that looks like the 'other' script you referred to or an indication that you've made any changes that would allow the script(s) you have posted to interact with the document that other script opens.

Thank you for bringing this up once again. I simply mispoke and meant to write the same script would open the word document on the first run through. Now that this mistake has been fully explored can we move on to a solution?

So where is this userform being run from - Word or another application?

From Access.
Paul, maybe you can help me with a concept. If I change the getobject part of #8 to "set oHdr = wApp.Application.ActiveDocument.content" it seems to mimic the object created with CreateObject and seems to work ok. Why would the use of Application be required with the use of getobject? Any ideas? I'm sure you are right that there is a better way of doing this but this is all I have been able to find.

Code:

---

Private Sub Command0_Click()
    Dim wApp As Object
    Dim oRng As Word.Range
    Dim lngFileNum As Long
    Dim lngErr As Long
   
    On Error Resume Next
    lngFileNum = FreeFile()
    Open "c:/temp/test.docm" For Input Lock Read As #lngFileNum
    Close lngFileNum
    filestatus = Err
   
    If filestatus = 0 Then
        Set wApp = CreateObject("Word.Application")
        wApp.Documents.Open "c:/temp/test.docm"
        wApp.Visible = True
        Set oRng = wApp.ActiveDocument.Content
    Else
        Set wApp = GetObject(, "Word.Aplication")
        Set wApp = GetObject("C:/temp/test.docm")
        Set oRng = wApp.Application.ActiveDocument.Content
    End If
   
    Debug.Print oRng.Text 'Used to verify it works
End Sub

---

Try:

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Dim AppWd As New Word.Application
Dim WdDoc As Word.Document
Private Sub Command0_Click()
If WdDoc Is Nothing Then Set WdDoc = AppWd.Documents.Open("C:\temp\test.docm")
With WdDoc
  'Do whatever you need to do to the document. For example:
  With .Range
    MsgBox .Paragraphs.First.Range.Text
    MsgBox .Paragraphs.Count
  End With
End With
End Sub

---

Note: This code, which uses early binding, requires a reference to Word to be set via Tools|References.

Paul, you are awesome. It works great.
Thank you very much!!!!

See how easy it is once you've provided the correct problem description...

Getting it for this one's been like pulling teeth!

Not exactly sure but it is only working for me about 50% of the time. When it doesn't work I get the read only warning. Any idea what the problem might be?

The only reason I can see that you'd get a 'read only' warning is if you had the document open in Word before running the macro the first time.