Install the macros in your normal template - see
http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm (don't forget to change the path
in the line
Open "D:\My Documents\Test\Versions\filename.txt" For Input As 1
to match the path to your ascii file.)
Create a pair of toolbar buttons to run the macros as shown in that web
page.
With the document open that you wish to include the data from your ascii
file, first run the TransferTextRowsToVariables macro which creates the
variables in your document from the ascii file Next locate the positions
that you wish to insert the data in your document. Put the cursor at each
position in turn and run the macro InsertLineVariable (repeated below). This
inserts the next available numbered variable (and consequently the matching
text from your ascii file) each time the macro is run. ie { DocVariable
Line1 } { DocVariable Line2 }{ DocVariable Line3 } until all the variables
are used up. The following version of the InsertLineVariable macro has a
couple of extra lines to update the field as it is inserted and ensure the
data is displayed rather than the field construction. A limitation of the
macro as it stands is that you can only insert one field for each variable.
Sub InsertLineVariable()
Dim oVars As Variables
Dim vVar As Variant
Dim aNum As Integer
Dim bNum As Integer
Dim bExists As Boolean
Dim varExists As Boolean
Set oVars = ActiveDocument.Variables
bExists = False
varExists = False
For Each vVar In oVars
If vVar.name = "numVars" Then
varExists = True
Exit For
End If
Next vVar
For Each vVar In oVars
If vVar.name = "varCount" Then
bExists = True
Exit For
End If
Next vVar
If varExists = False Then
MsgBox "There are no variables in the document" & _
" associated with this macro", vbCritical, "Error"
Exit Sub
End If
If bExists = False Then
oVars("varCount").Value = 0
End If
oVars("varCount").Value = oVars("varCount").Value + 1
aNum = oVars("varCount").Value
bNum = oVars("numVars").Value
If aNum bNum Then
MsgBox "There are no more variables to insert", _
vbInformation, "Insert Variables"
Exit Sub
End If
Selection.Fields.Add Selection.Range, _
wdFieldDocVariable, "line" & _
oVars("varCount").Value, False
Selection.Fields.Update
ActiveWindow.View.ShowFieldCodes = False
End Sub
--
Graham Mayor - Word MVP
My web site
www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site
http://word.mvps.org
Bernie wrote:
Thank you Peter and Graham,
What kind of macros are these? How do I run them?
From my Database I can "Launch MyWordDoc.doc" which will bring up the
word document. Then what do I do to run the macro you have most
generously provided?
P.S. the database I am using is R:Base version 7.6 I am using SQL
commands.
"Graham Mayor" wrote:
Having far too much time on my hands today and having created all
those variables in the document, a quick and easy means of inserting
the associated fields in the document would not be a bad idea so the
following macro will do that. Each time it is run it inserts the
next numbered docvariable field at the cursor (so run it from a
toolbar button of keyboard shortcut). It requires a further mod to
Peter's macro, which is included that counts the available fields
and prevents the user from adding more docvariable fields than he
has docvariables. Re-run that macro if necessary to add the extra
variable that stores the count.
Sub InsertLineVariable()
Dim oVars As Variables
Dim vVar As Variant
Dim aNum As Integer
Dim bNum As Integer
Dim bExists As Boolean
Dim varExists As Boolean
Set oVars = ActiveDocument.Variables
bExists = False
varExists = False
For Each vVar In oVars
If vVar.name = "numVars" Then
varExists = True
Exit For
End If
Next vVar
For Each vVar In oVars
If vVar.name = "varCount" Then
bExists = True
Exit For
End If
Next vVar
If varExists = False Then
MsgBox "There are no variables in the document" & _
" associated with this macro", vbCritical, "Error"
Exit Sub
End If
If bExists = False Then
oVars("varCount").Value = 0
End If
oVars("varCount").Value = oVars("varCount").Value + 1
aNum = oVars("varCount").Value
bNum = oVars("numVars").Value
If aNum bNum Then
MsgBox "There are no more variables to insert", _
vbInformation, "Insert Variables"
Exit Sub
End If
Selection.Fields.Add Selection.Range, _
wdFieldDocVariable, "line" & _
oVars("varCount").Value, False
End Sub
Sub TransferTextRowsToVariables()
Dim iCount As Integer
Dim strLine As String
Dim bExists As Boolean
Dim vVar As Variant
Dim oVars As Variables
Set oVars = ActiveDocument.Variables
bExists = False
For Each vVar In oVars
If InStr(1, vVar.name, "line") Then
vVar.Delete
End If
Next vVar
' use your file name here
Open "D:\My Documents\Test\Versions\filename.txt" For Input As 1
iCount = 0
While Not EOF(1)
Line Input #1, strLine
iCount = iCount + 1
On Error Resume Next
'ActiveDocument.Variables("line" & iCount).Delete
Err.Clear
On Error GoTo 0
If Len(strLine) 0 Then
oVars.Add "line" & iCount, strLine
Else
iCount = iCount - 1
End If
Wend
Close #1
'MsgBox "Variables line1 to line" & iCount & " created"
For Each vVar In oVars
If vVar.name = "numVars" Then
bExists = True
oVars("numVars").Value = iCount
Exit For
End If
Next vVar
If bExists = False Then
oVars.Add "numVars", iCount
End If
End Sub
--
Graham Mayor - Word MVP
My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
Graham Mayor wrote:
Good thinking - That has the makings of a plan 
I have taken the liberty of making a couple of minor changes to
cover the issue of one or more empty lines in the text file and to
remove all relevant docvariables in the document that may have been
created by a previous longer file, for I have the feeling that this
is going to be a repeat requirement. I have also added a message
box at the end so the user knows how many variables are present. If
the file is always going to be of the same length, this message box
can be omitted.
Sub TransferTextRowsToVariables()
Dim iCount As Integer
Dim strLine As String
Dim vVar As Variant
Dim oVars As Variables
Set oVars = ActiveDocument.Variables
For Each vVar In oVars
If InStr(1, vVar.name, "line") Then
vVar.Delete
End If
Next vVar
' use your file name here
Open "c:\a\ascii.txt" For Input As 1
iCount = 0
While Not EOF(1)
Line Input #1, strLine
iCount = iCount + 1
On Error Resume Next
'ActiveDocument.Variables("line" & iCount).Delete
Err.Clear
On Error GoTo 0
If Len(strLine) 0 Then
ActiveDocument.Variables.Add "line" & iCount, strLine
Else
iCount = iCount - 1
End If
Wend
Close #1
MsgBox "Variables line1 to line" & iCount & " created"
End Sub
Peter Jamieson wrote:
If you have to resort to using a macro, the following approach
might be simpler:
Run the following macro to transfer each line into a "document
variable" so that variable "line1" contains the first line from
your file, variable "line2" contains the second line, and so on.
Then you can insert (say) the 3rd line using a field like
{ DOCVARIABLE line3 }
Sub TransferTextRowsToVariables()
Dim iCount As Integer
Dim strLine As String
' use your file name here
Open "c:\a\ascii.txt" For Input As 1
iCount = 0
While Not EOF(1)
Line Input #1, strLine
iCount = iCount + 1
On Error Resume Next
ActiveDocument.Variables("line" & iCount).Delete
Err.Clear
On Error GoTo 0
ActiveDocument.Variables.Add "line" & iCount, strLine
Wend
Close #1
End Sub
Peter Jamieson
http://tips.pjmsn.me.uk
Visit Londinium at http://www.ralphwatson.tv
Bernie wrote:
Hi Graham,
Your first paragraph is correct. Can you tell me what a "merge
data format" looks like?
Then I could add that to my ascii file. I need to automate this
process so going thru Excel is not a choice.
Also, can you give me the steps for specifying how to create the
merge field into the Word doc and how do I specify to Word, to get
the data from my ascii file.
Thanks in advance for your help.
Bernie
"Graham Mayor" wrote:
I assume that the list will be merged into various places in the
same document, rather than one place in 20 different documents?
That being the case, you will need first to convert the list to a
merge data format.
This is probably simplest to do in Excel. Open the text file in
Excel then transpose the list so that the entries are all in one
row. insert a header row and name the columns A, B, C etc will
work. Save the file as an Excel document and use that as a merge
data source for a letter merge. Insert the 20 fields where you
want
them. Merge to a new document.
If the list is to be merged into the same place in 20 documents,
open the list in Word convert the text to a one column table.
Add a row at the top and give the column a name. Save as a
document and use that as a merge data source.
The principles of mail merge are covered at
http://www.gmayor.com/mail_merge_lab...th_word_xp.htm or
http://www.gmayor.com/merge_labels_with_word_2007.htm
--
Graham Mayor - Word MVP
My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
Bernie wrote:
I want to merge fields from an ascii file into a word document.
The ascii file has a word or phrase on each line. Each line will
be a merged field. There will be approx 20 lines to be merged
into various places in the document.
How do you set up the word doc to receive these fields?