Autocorrect text already written

Question

Hi community!

I'd like to replace several words by their respective abbreviations. I'v'e tried to add such abbreviations to the Autocorrection section, but it only works while typing, not now that the document is already written. It does not work when I copy and paste text either-even having Word set to match the destination formatting.

I've  found "Word find and replace software*"* which could be a solution.

Any ideas? Hope to hear news soon.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

To remove the prompt (though you can see why I included it from your comments) change the loop as follows. The change also includes case matching.

Do While .Execute(FindText:=rFindText, _

                  MatchCase:=True, _

                  MatchWholeWord:=True, _

                  MatchWildcards:=False, _

                  Forward:=True, _

                  Wrap:=wdFindStop) = True

    oRng.Select

    'oRng.FormattedText = rReplacement.FormattedText

    oRng.Text = rReplacement.Text

    oRng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd

Loop

For guidance, see http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm

Answer 2

Hi again!

First of all, I'm sorry for the nonspecific vocabulary I might use, but I've come across the next issues:

a) The macro asks me to confirm every single time it replaces a word

b) The macro does not distinguishes formatting, so it changes "el salvador" when I specified (in the column) it should be "El Salvador".

Also, I cannot find in your website some guidelines for noobs, which would be great.

Hope to hear news soon.

Thanks in advance!

Answer 3

It just requires a two column table, with no header row. Put the words you want to change in the first column and the abbreviations in the second column. Start with one row and as you tab out of the second cell a new row is created. Don't have any empty rows in the table.

The format of the text is irrelevant for this exercise. Save the document and make a note of the filename and path.

Change the value "C:\Path\Abbreviations.doc x" in the macro to the name and path of the table document you have created.

The macro will replace the text with the format of the found words. If you want to include alternative formatting, then format the text in the second column as you want it to appear and move the apostrophe from the start of the first of the following lines and add it to the start of the second. i.e. change

'oRng.FormattedText = rReplacement.FormattedText

oRng.Text = rReplacement.Text

to

oRng.FormattedText = rReplacement.FormattedText

'oRng.Text = rReplacement.Text

Answer 4

First of all, thanks for replying so fast.

Now, I am afraid I have never worked with macros, so I do not know how those two columns should be created.

Also, would there be a similar solution to replacing foramtting, e.g. bold text to versalites?

Thanks in advance!

Answer 5

You could list the words and their abbreviations in a two column table and run the following macro to replace words from the first column with those corresponding from the second. http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm   

Sub ReplaceFromTableList()

Dim oChanges As Document, oDoc As Document

Dim oTable As Table

Dim oRng As Range

Dim rFindText As Range, rReplacement As Range

Dim i As Long

Dim sFname As String

Dim sAsk As String

    sFname = "C:\Path\Abbreviations.doc x" 'The table document

    Set oDoc = ActiveDocument

    Set oChanges = Documents.Open(Filename:=sFname, Visible:=False)

    Set oTable = oChanges.Tables(1)

    For i = 1 To oTable.Rows.Count

        Set oRng = oDoc.Range

        Set rFindText = oTable.Cell(i, 1).Range

        rFindText.End = rFindText.End - 1

        Set rReplacement = oTable.Cell(i, 2).Range

        rReplacement.End = rReplacement.End - 1

        With oRng.Find

            .ClearFormatting

            .Replacement.ClearFormatting

            Do While .Execute(FindText:=rFindText, _

                              MatchWholeWord:=True, _

                              MatchWildcards:=False, _

                              Forward:=True, _

                              Wrap:=wdFindStop) = True

                oRng.Select

                sAsk = MsgBox("Replace - " & vbCr & oRng & vbCr + vbCr & _

                              "with - " & vbCr & rReplacement, vbYesNo, _

                              "Replace from Table")

                If sAsk = vbYes Then

                    'oRng.FormattedText = rReplacement.FormattedText

                    oRng.Text = rReplacement.Text

                End If

                oRng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd

            Loop

        End With

    Next i

    oChanges.Close wdDoNotSaveChanges

lbl_Exit:

    Exit Sub

End Sub