macro to find and replace the case of different characters in a two-column table

Anonymous
2016-06-24T10:32:23+00:00

Hi team,

Currently I am working with this macro

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:\Users\Win7\Desktop\macro.docx" '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

        .Execute FindText:=rFindText.Text, _

                 MatchWildcards:=True, _

                 ReplaceWith:=rReplacement.Text, _

                 Replace:=wdReplaceAll

    End With           

    Next i

    oChanges.Close wdDoNotSaveChanges

lbl_Exit:

    Exit Sub

End Sub

This macro finds terms in the first column of a table and replaces them by those on the second column, and it enables you to use wildcards as follows

([Hh])owever \1wv.
<([Aa])s well as> \1wa.

Yet, in some pairs the first character of the first column is not the same as the first one of the second column, as in

expression xprss.

Therefore, I have two questions, namely

a) whether it is possible to use wildcards to somehow carry out an operation which would transmit the upper/lower case of the first character of the first column into the first character of the second column, so that both coincide

b) whether, if such an operation is not possible using wildcards, the macro I am working with (or even a completely different one) could be modified so that my purpose can be succesfully achieved.

I'd very much appreciate any ideas on the alternatives I have.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Answer accepted by question author
Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2016-07-03T00:54:16+00:00

In that case, use:

With Sheets(1).Range("A1")

    For i = 0 To .CurrentRegion.Rows.Count

        For k = 0 To 1

            For j = 1 To .Offset(i, k).Characters.Count

                If IsNumeric(Left(.Offset(i, k), 1)) Then

                    GoTo Nextj

                End If

                If Asc(Left(.Offset(i, k), 1)) > 64 And Asc(Left(.Offset(i, k), 1)) < 90 Then

                    GoTo Nextj

                End If

                If Asc(Mid(.Offset(i, k), j, 1)) > 96 And Asc(Mid(.Offset(i, k), j, 1)) < 123 Then

                    .Offset(i, k) = Left(.Offset(i, k), j - 1) & UCase(Mid(.Offset(i, k), j, 1)) & Mid(.Offset(i, k), j + 1)

                    Exit For

                End If

Nextj:

            Next j

        Next k

     Next i

End With

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Answer accepted by question author
Paul Edstein 82,871 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2016-06-26T02:05:53+00:00

I've made some minor revisions to the previous code, so both macros should now run without error.

Regarding the formatting, unless you use a 4-column table, there's really no reliable way of knowing whether the formats found in the cells are important to the Find/Replace operation. How would one tell, for example, whether the absence of a bold font means the content to be found is not to be bolded, or that bolding is inconsequential? Separate columns to designate the applicability of font attributes for both the Find and the Replace would be required. the following macro envisages such a table, where the presence of content in the 3rd & 4th columns dictate whether the font format is to be taken into account for the Find (column 3) or applied to the Replace (column 4); if the cell has content, the formatting there is applied to the Find and/or Replace, as applicable.

Sub ReplaceFromTableList()

Application.ScreenUpdating = False

Dim Doc As Document, Rng As Range, i As Long, Tbl As Table

Dim sFname As String, StrFnd As String, StrRep As String

sFname = "C:\Users\Win7\Desktop\macro.docx" 'The table document

Set Rng = ActiveDocument.Range

Set Doc = Documents.Open(FileName:=sFname, Visible:=False)

Set Tbl = Doc.Tables(1)

With Rng.Find

  .MatchWildcards = True

  .Wrap = wdFindContinue

  For i = 1 To Tbl.Rows.Count

    .ClearFormatting

    .Replacement.ClearFormatting

    StrFnd = Split(Tbl.Cell(i, 1).Range.Text, vbCr)(0)

    StrRep = Split(Tbl.Cell(i, 2).Range.Text, vbCr)(0)

    .Text = StrFnd

    .Replacement.Text = StrRep

    If Split(Tbl.Cell(i, 3).Range.Text, vbCr)(0) <> "" Then

      Set FntFnd = Tbl.Cell(i, 4).Range.Characters(1).Font

      .Font.Bold = FntFnd.Bold

      .Font.Italic = FntFnd.Italic

      .Font.Underline = FntFnd.Underline

    End If

    If Split(Tbl.Cell(i, 4).Range.Text, vbCr)(0) <> "" Then

      Set FntRep = Tbl.Cell(i, 4).Range.Characters(1).Font

      With .Replacement

        .Font.Bold = FntRep.Bold

        .Font.Italic = FntRep.Italic

        .Font.Underline = FntRep.Underline

      End With

    End If

    .Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll

    .Text = LCase(StrFnd)

    .Replacement.Text = LCase(StrRep)

    .Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll

  Next i

End With

Doc.Close wdDoNotSaveChanges

Application.ScreenUpdating = True

End Sub

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-06-25T16:02:17+00:00

    Hi Paul,

    I hope you understand that after working for a long time with my old macro I am unconsciously thinking of the way it used to behave, and what I had planned at first. I apologize for mixing things up.

    I think that what is best at this point, for the sake of clarification, is sum up what I have in mind.

    Schematically, I'd like to be able to set the following options in the code in some user-friendly way:

    a) Find the very same formatting as in column1,

    b1) Find regardles of any disimilar formatting at all from that in column1,

    b2) Find regardless of especific dissimilar properties/features of formatting from those in column1 (in my case, I have chosen ONLY case, but I'd like to be able to include or exclude other features of formatting such as bold, style, etc.)

    c) Replace with very same formatting as in column2,

    d1) Replace with the very same formatting as the word shows in the text of the document,

    d2) Replace with only specific similar properties/features of formatting as the word in the text of the document (in my case, I have chosen ONLY case, but I'd like to be able to include or exclude other features of formatting such as bold, style, etc.).

    Now, if the two macros that you've posted do fulfill my goals, I'd need an explanation of their different blocks so that I can specify all the different options.

    Furthermore, the 'Runtime Error 91' still pops up using this second code, while the first one runs perpectly even though I use the very same table for both, a simple row of two cells.

    Thank you for being so patient with me, and sorry again for messing up.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-06-26T06:51:46+00:00

    Hi Paul,

    First of all, thank you for your effort. Now the three macros run, but I have a couple of questions.

    Firstly, I'd like to know which code I should use, and how I have to set it, in order to leave as default the same formatting of the words just as they are in the text, except for the change in upper/lower case. For example, the table

    Transitive Tr.

    should replace the text 

    Transitive transitive Transitive transitive

    by  

    Tr. tr. Tr. tr.

    Secondly, running your last code on the same text (Transitive transitive Transitive transitive), and using the following 4x1 table, does not bring about any replacement at all,

    Transitive Tr. Transitive Tr.

    but, if I understood correctly, the text should be changed into (Tr. t**r***.* Transitive transitive).

    Lastly, with the new adjustments, regarding your second code which 'shows how you could limit the Find the particular font attributes', I'd like to know how it differs from the third one which uses a 4-column table.

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  3. Paul Edstein 82,871 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2016-06-26T09:30:23+00:00

    You need to pay more attention to what I said. The 3rd & 4th columns hold the Find/Replace font attributes, if any. The 1st and 2nd columns hold the Find/Replace strings as before.

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