Yesterday, I got interested in a thread posted in the Microsoft Answers site.
Date functions on a word doc
This morning, I thought I would try to create a simple automated process for creating any number of incremented date entries in a document and I got tripped up on a long lingering apparent bug, in the Content Control Add method. I recall fumbling around with this issue years ago, but that was years ago and brain is fogged.
I wanted to outline the issue (as I understand it) here to perhaps save others from falling over the same problem.
Run the following macro with the line oRng.Select stetted out as shown. This macro is basically trying to add a series of plain text content controls.
You will get an RTE 4605 - This property or method is not available because the current selection partially covers a plain text content control.
Code:
Sub CreateSequentialIncrementingDatesII()
Dim oRng As Range
Dim oCC As ContentControl
Dim varParts As Variant
Dim lngIndex As Long
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
varParts = Split(InputBox("Please enter a) a unique set name, b) the number of days to increment each subesequent date," _
& " c) the number of incremented dates you need and c) the number of days " & vbCr & vbCr _
& "Note - The default format will produce sequential 8 dates incremented 7 days.", "SET DEFINIITON", "Set1|7|8"), "|")
Set oRng = Selection.Range
oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
For lngIndex = varParts(2) To 1 Step -1
With oRng.ContentControls.Add(wdContentControlText)
.Title = varParts(0)
.Tag = lngIndex
.SetPlaceholderText , , "Incremented Date"
End With
oRng.Text = vbCr
oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
'If you add Plain Text CCs with code, you have to "select" the redefined range.
'oRng.Select
Next lngIndex
Set oCC = oRng.ContentControls.Add(wdContentControlDate)
With oCC
.Title = "Input"
.Tag = varParts(0) & "|" & varParts(1)
.SetPlaceholderText , , "Enter start date and exit"
.Range.Text = Now
End With
'Call the CC Exit Event
Document_ContentControlOnExit oCC, False
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.ScreenRefresh
lbl_Exit:
Exit Sub
End Sub
Unstet the line oRng.Select and run the code again and it performs normally.
Now I concur that the current selection might cover or partially cover a plain text content control, but the current selection has no association with the defined range that we are attempting to add another content control. Right? Consider:
Code:
Sub DemoI()
Dim oRng As Range
Set oRng = ActiveDocument.Range
oRng.Text = vbCr & vbCr & vbCr & vbCr
Set oRng = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(1).Range 'The first paragraph
oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
oRng.ContentControls.Add wdContentControlText
Set oRng = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(5).Range 'The last paragraph
oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
On Error GoTo Err_Handler
oRng.ContentControls.Add wdContentControlText
lbl_Exit:
Exit Sub
Err_Handler:
Select Case Err.Number
Case 4605
MsgBox Err.Number & "-" & Err.Description & vbCr + vbCr _
& "Why?? - The range we are attempting to add the CC has no relationship to the current selection"
oRng.Select
Resume
End Select
Resume lbl_Exit
End Sub
I have discovered that if I don't collapse the range in the Demo code, the inserted content control does not get selected and the error does not occur:
Code:
Sub DemoII()
Dim oRng As Range
Set oRng = ActiveDocument.Range
oRng.Text = vbCr & vbCr & vbCr & vbCr
Set oRng = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(1).Range 'The first paragraph
'oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
oRng.ContentControls.Add wdContentControlText
Set oRng = ActiveDocument.Paragraphs(5).Range 'The last paragraph
oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
On Error GoTo Err_Handler
oRng.ContentControls.Add wdContentControlText
lbl_Exit:
Exit Sub
Err_Handler:
Select Case Err.Number
Case 4605
MsgBox Err.Number & "-" & Err.Description & vbCr + vbCr _
& "Why?? - The range we are attempting to add the CC has no relationship to the current selection"
oRng.Select
Resume
End Select
Resume lbl_Exit
End Sub
But, in my project, I need to collapse the range. I have also discovered the problem does not occur with the range collapsed if you use RichText content controls:
That's it. I can't explain why the error occurs but there are some potential work a rounds. For my project, I needed to collapse the range, I don't like using oRng.Select and I didn't want rich text CCs. I used:
Code:
Sub CreateSequentialIncrementingDates()
Dim oRng As Range
Dim oCC As ContentControl, oCCSet As ContentControl, oCCs As ContentControls
Dim varParts As Variant
Dim lngIndex As Long
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
varParts = Split(InputBox("Please enter a) a unique set name, b) the number of days to increment each subesequent date," _
& " c) the number of incremented dates you need and c) the number of days " & vbCr & vbCr _
& "Note - The default format will produce sequential 8 dates incremented 7 days.", "SET DEFINIITON", "Set1|7|8"), "|")
Set oRng = Selection.Range
oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
For lngIndex = varParts(2) To 1 Step -1
With oRng.ContentControls.Add(wdContentControlRichText)
.Title = varParts(0)
.Tag = lngIndex
.SetPlaceholderText , , "Incremented Date"
End With
oRng.Text = vbCr
oRng.Collapse wdCollapseStart
Next lngIndex
Set oCC = oRng.ContentControls.Add(wdContentControlDate)
With oCC
.Title = "Input"
.Tag = varParts(0) & "|" & varParts(1)
.SetPlaceholderText , , "Enter start date and exit"
.Range.Text = Now
End With
'Convert the CC set to Plain Text 'If CCs are inserted with VBA as plain text, you must physically select the redefined range.
Set oCCs = ActiveDocument.SelectContentControlsByTitle(varParts(0))
For Each oCCSet In oCCs
oCCSet.Type = wdContentControlText
Next oCCSet
'Call the CC Exit Event
Document_ContentControlOnExit oCC, False
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.ScreenRefresh
lbl_Exit:
Exit Sub
End Sub