Working with Document Properties

This content is no longer actively maintained. It is provided as is, for anyone who may still be using these technologies, with no warranties or claims of accuracy with regard to the most recent product version or service release.

Every file created by a Microsoft® Office XP application supports a set of built-in document properties. In addition, you can add your own custom properties to an Office document either manually or through code. You can use document properties to create, maintain, and track information about an Office document such as when it was created, who the author is, where it is stored, and so on. In addition, when you save an Office document as an HTML file, all of the document properties are written to the HTML file within <XML> tag pairs. This makes it possible for you to use document properties to track or index files according to properties you specify, regardless of what format you use to save the file.

Note   Office uses the term "document" to represent any file created by using an Office application.

You can view and set built-in and custom document properties by clicking Properties on the File menu. (In Microsoft® Access, click Database Properties on the File menu.)

In This Section

• Document Properties in Microsoft Access, Microsoft FrontPage, and Microsoft Outlook
  Understand document properties in Microsoft® Office XP applications.
• Working with the HTMLProject Object
  Determine the current state of an Office document, access individual HTMLProjectItem objects, and save current projects and documents.

Related Sections

• Working with Shared Office Components
  Search for files, use the Office Assistant, manipulate command bars, read and write document properties, read and write script, and hook add-ins to your Microsoft® Office application using a set of shared objects available in all Office applications.
• Referencing Shared Office Components
  Return a reference to a shared component object by using the appropriate properties.
• Working with the FileSearch Object
  Programmatically access the functionality of the Office File Open dialog box.
• Working with the Office Assistant
  Use the objects, methods, and properties of the Office Assistant object to programmatically control the Office Assistant.
• Working with Command Bars
  Write code to manipulate command bars that can be used in any Microsoft® Office application or custom application you develop.
• Working with Scripts
  Access script, or insert script into a cell or range in a Microsoft® Excel worksheet, a Microsoft® PowerPoint® slide, a Microsoft® Word document, or Word Selection object.