Display Character Count in Status Bar (Word 2010)

Anonymous
2010-12-25T18:30:36+00:00

I can right-click on the status bar and display the Word Count, but I need to see the Character Count as I type.

How can I display the Character Count in the status bar?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Paul Edstein 82,871 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2010-12-28T03:08:51+00:00

Without programming a new class event to intercept your typing, you can't get a dynamic character count to display on the status bar and, if you did, it would probably prevent anything else displaying there.

You could, though, use a macro like the following and assign a keyboard shortcut to it:

Sub CharCount()

Application.StatusBar = "Character Count = " & ActiveDocument.Characters.Count

End Sub

The above macro temporarily takes over the status bar to display the character count. It gets hidden again as soon as you resume whatever you were doing.

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Answer accepted by question author
Jay Freedman 208.3K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2012-03-26T23:18:36+00:00

Technically, something is always selected. If the selection is collapsed to just the insertion point, then the selection is the single character to its right (which may be a paragraph mark). Therefore, the modified macro will show 'Character Count = 1' .

If that makes you unhappy, you can change the macro to this:

Sub CharCount()

If Selection.Type = wdSelectionIP Then

   Application.StatusBar = "Character Count = 0"

Else

   Application.StatusBar = "Character Count = " & Selection.Characters.Count

End If

End Sub

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  1. Anonymous
    2014-03-12T13:30:48+00:00

    No, you're absolutely wrong!!!

    I have Word 2003 open on my system right now and can assure you there is no dynamic character count or word count. The only dynamic figures are the section, page, line and column counts, which even Word 2010 has, and these are entirely different from a character count. Furthermore, unlike Word 2003, Word 2010 (which I also have open on my system right now) gives a dynamic word count on the status bar - all you need do is right-click on the status bar and check that option.

    Dear Paul

    Again I apologise as I must obviously be wrong about 2003 but could it have been and even earlier version of MS Word that I am thinking of as I distinctly recall typing a document and having a dynamic word count box that could be pegged over the page I was typing on.

    I have only ever used MS Office?

    I presume you work at MS by the [MS - MVP Word] below your name?

    Now I really feel like an idiot as the penny has dropped after floating my cursor on MPV box below your display name Macropod and seeing the same on Jay Freedman post on 16 Dec 2012.

    Well you can guess I'm an Aussie by the date format above but what's with your Green & Gold Aussie Boxing Kangaroo? Are you one too?

    Anyway I am really amazed that I am getting reply's so quickly as I've never used an online forum before. Big thumbs up for MS Office Forum.

    I guess I really need to spend some well invested time educating myself.

    I truely apologies to all for my ignorance with everything.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-12T12:51:40+00:00

    To activate/deactivate it in Word 2010, right-click on the Status bar and check/uncheck the column option. Thanks for your help macropod as it works just how I wanted it I did see that list of options but I was looking for the word characters not columns Why use a term that people understand when you can confuse them by changing it just for the **** of it Thank you microsoft :-( Just learnt a valuable lesson for a first time replier to an onlist post. One must read all the replys posted or one may miss the answer or solution and risk being called an ****. Thinking of changing my to ****. A big apology to Micrsoft for mouthing off before I read this thread fully. Too bad if I had to read a 20 or 30 pages of reply's to learn the solution. Luckily only had to read 3 pages so I've learnt another valuable lesson - read the most recently posted reply to any question or problem. How about that 2 great time saving lessons learnt in just 5 minutes. One could get used to using answers.microsoft.com as a first port of call. Really feelling like a stupid **** now. Cheers to all tee61

    Lesson 3

    Reply outside the quoted text box

    Dumb or what

    Lesson 2

    Just learnt a valuable lesson for a first time replier to an onlist post. One must read all the replys posted or one may miss the answer or solution and risk being called an #ss.

    Thinking of changing my to #ss.

    A big apology to Micrsoft for mouthing off before I read this thread fully. Too bad if I had to read a 20 or 30 pages of reply's to learn the solution. Luckily only had to read 3 pages so I've learnt another valuable lesson - read the most recently posted reply to any question or problem.

    How about that 2 great time saving lessons learnt in just 5 minutes. One could get used to using answers.microsoft.com as a first port of call. Really feelling like a stupid #ss now.

    Cheers to all tee61

    Lesson 4 in just 10 minutes now

    Watch your language.

    I'm learning real quick about online etiquette.

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  3. Anonymous
    2014-03-12T12:42:40+00:00

    To activate/deactivate it in Word 2010, right-click on the Status bar and check/uncheck the column option. Thanks for your help macropod as it works just how I wanted it I did see that list of options but I was looking for the word characters not columns Why use a term that people understand when you can confuse them by changing it just for the **** of it Thank you microsoft :-(

    Just learnt a valuable lesson for a first time replier to an onlist post.

    One must read all the replys posted or one may miss the answer or solution and risk being called an ****.

    Thinking of changing my to ****.

    A big apology to Micrsoft for mouthing off before I read this thread fully.

    Too bad if I had to read a 20 or 30 pages of reply's to learn the solution.

    Luckily only had to read 3 pages so I've learnt another valuable lesson - read the most recently posted reply to any question or problem.

    How about that 2 great time saving lessons learnt in just 5 minutes.

    One could get used to using answers.microsoft.com as a first port of call.

    Really feelling like a stupid **** now.

    Cheers to all

    tee61

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