How to get user to easily run some VBA

[Sundog]

Word 2010: I have a document with a title page containing a document number, and a revision number, which are entered by the user. Page 2, section 2, onward has a header that needs those two numbers.

I have crafted VBA to grab the numbers and populate the header. What are suggestions for an easy way (untrained users) to cause this macro to run after the user has entered the numbers?

[HansV]

I'd use a userform with text boxes and/or combo boxes. In the OK button of the userform, you can set the value of document variables or of custom document properties. In the document (whether in the header/footer or in the body), you can use DocVariable or DocProperty fields to display their values.

See Post 15936 for an example.

[macropod]

IMHO, a better approach would be to assign unique Character or Paragraph Styles to those ranges and use StyleRef fields in the header to reference those Styles. No code required.

[Sundog]

Hans, can't use a userform in this application.

...assign unique Character or Paragraph Styles to those ranges and use StyleRef fields in the header to reference those Styles. No code required.

Could you expound on this a bit? Or point me to a link?

[HansV]

See for example Useful StyleRef tricks by Suzanne S. Barnhill.

[Sundog]

Can't get it to work in my situation. I need to grab this type of character string, PM123456, on p.1 section 1 in Arial 44 point, and paste PM123456 in the header on p2. section 2 as unformatted text or Arial 10 point. Tried hidden text without success. As suggested by Suzanne, I did not find it easy.

[HansV]

I have attached a small sample document. I created a character style DocNo and used it for the document number in the first paragraph, and another character style RevNo for the revision number in the second paragraph.
STYLEREF fields are used in the header of section 2 (page 2) to display the document number and revision number there.
If you edit the document number or revision number on page 1 (take care not to remove the character style), you should see the change reflected almost instantaneously in the header of page 2.

StyleRefTest.docx

[Sundog]

Where is the DocNo character style? See attached.

Edited to add: It works like a champ, but how did you do it?!

DocNo.PNG

[HansV]

I didn't add DocNo and RevNo to the QuickStyles list. They are displayed in the Styles pane though.

x1220.png

[Sundog]

Ah so. I will try that on my sample doc. Don't know why I couldn't get it to work; maybe because I was trying to only grab the numbers in PM123456?

[HansV]

maybe because I was trying to only grab the numbers in PM123456?

No, that shouldn't matter.

[Sundog]

Well, kudos to you, it works on my home-office machine. Will try at work tomorrow and will report. Thanks for the help! (Are kudos edible? Or am I thinking of kangaroos?) Edit: Or maybe kudzu.

[StuartR]

Well, kudos to you...

Kudos to macropod who suggested this approach.