Word: Setting Form Field Bookmarks

[Travis G]

I have two macros. One does what I need it to. The other doesn't. There is a single line of code difference, and I can't figure out why that line is causing a problem.

I need to build a Word form where I can set the bookmark field of each form field.

Sub Bad()

  Documents.Add.Activate
  ActiveDocument.Paragraphs.Add
  Selection.Tables.Add Selection.Range, 2, 2

  Selection.Tables.Item(1).Cell(1, 1).Range.InsertAfter "Text"

  Selection.Tables.Item(1).Cell(1, 2).Select
  Selection.FormFields.Add Selection.Range, wdFieldFormTextInput
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item(1).Name = "fldName"
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item("fldName").Result = "Result"
  ActiveDocument.Protect wdAllowOnlyFormFields, True
  ActiveDocument.SaveAs "C:\THG\Bad.doc"
  ActiveDocument.Close

End Sub

Sub Good()

  Documents.Add.Activate
  ActiveDocument.Paragraphs.Add
  Selection.Tables.Add Selection.Range, 2, 2

  Selection.Tables.Item(1).Cell(1, 2).Select
  Selection.FormFields.Add Selection.Range, wdFieldFormTextInput
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item(1).Name = "fldName"
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item("fldName").Result = "Result"
  ActiveDocument.Protect wdAllowOnlyFormFields, True
  ActiveDocument.SaveAs "C:\THG\Good.doc"
  ActiveDocument.Close

End Sub

I hope this makes sense.

[alex_read]

You've recorded a macro & this doesn't work?

[Travis G]

I didn't record these macros, I wrote them. There are two subs. Good() works. Bad() doesn't. The difference is, Bad() is trying to write text into another cell of the table. For some reason, the form field bookmark value doesn't save when I run Bad(), but it does save when I run Good().

But, a table with empty cells does me no good, and form fields with no bookmark value creates horrors I'm trying to avoid.

Now mind you, there are a dozen ways to do any single thing in VBA. Some methods are deprecated, some are just redundant. Some have side effects, some don't. If you see any section of my code that you would do differently, let me know. I don't mind changing it if it will fix the problem. Some of the code is how I would do things, some of it was how the guy before me was doing it.

[alex_read]

Ah, makes sense - I'm not a word guru myself & not too keen on it, but I normally record a macro when I'm dealing with ord & try to change the code it's created for me - I don't know if this will help you at all here....

[Travis G]

This works. I have no idea why. I'm really starting to think there is an error in Word or VBA.

Sub Good()

  Documents.Add.Activate
  ActiveDocument.Paragraphs.Add
  Selection.Tables.Add Selection.Range, 2, 2

  Selection.Tables.Item(1).Cell(1, 2).Select
  Selection.FormFields.Add Selection.Range, wdFieldFormTextInput
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item(1).Name = "fldName"
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item("fldName").Result = "Result"
  
  Selection.Tables.Item(1).Cell(1, 1).Select
  Selection.TypeText "Text"

  ActiveDocument.Protect wdAllowOnlyFormFields, True
  ActiveDocument.SaveAs "C:\THG\Good.doc"
  ActiveDocument.Close

End Sub

Using .TypeText failed if I tried to do that before creating the FormField. It is simply doing that after the FormField. Here is something weird, though.

Sub Bad()

  Documents.Add.Activate
  ActiveDocument.Paragraphs.Add
  Selection.Tables.Add Selection.Range, 2, 2

  Selection.Tables.Item(1).Cell(1, 1).Range.InsertAfter "Text"

  Selection.Tables.Item(1).Cell(1, 2).Select
  Selection.FormFields.Add Selection.Range, wdFieldFormTextInput
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item(1).Name = "fldName"
  'Pause Here
  ActiveDocument.FormFields.Item("fldName").Result = "Result"
  ActiveDocument.Protect wdAllowOnlyFormFields, True
  ActiveDocument.SaveAs "C:\THG\Bad.doc"
  ActiveDocument.Close

End Sub

If you step through this code (F8), stop on the line after the pause comment and check the properties on the form field, then the .Result line will fail. If you don't check on the properties, but keep stepping, the .Result line will succeed.

Though the .Name is still blank after you are done.