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. Paul Edstein 82,871 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2014-03-12T12:32:48+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.

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  2. Anonymous
    2014-03-12T12:17:19+00:00

    On my old computer I used office 2003 which showed characters used as I typed which I think is what Papasik is looking for so it looks as though office 2010 is a step backwards

    This is absolutely correct as I have just migrated from Office 2003 to Office 2010 and Word 2010 now does noy have a DYNAMIC Word Count function that is totally visible whilst you are typing.

    I have just wasted a few hours searching for a function or a way to get a Dynamic Word Count that does not exist in MS Word 2010.

    A BIG STEP BACKWARDS FOR MICROSOFT.

    Would really appreciate a fix in a future patch.

    I have just activated my Microsoft Account just to send this response so not sure if anyone at Microsoft will see this. Do I need to make an official request to Microsoft and if so how do I do this?

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-09-25T04:31:16+00:00

    I don't know about 2010 but in 2013 you have to subtract 1 (I'm guessing Word adds whatever keyboard character you pressed to the count)

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