Stumped by the recorder again

[Ulodesk]

I am trying to create a macro using Word's "Find and select all the highlighted words" ("the" in this trial run) to then copy them and paste into a new document. The macro, which I have tried recording various ways (i.e., from the beginning of the porcess, from having allteh words already highlighted, etc.) fails each time, indicating as the culprit the last line that I have included here, Selection.Copy, wiht a note that nothing is selected. I have had no luck searching or trying to otherwise create a "save selection" command in simpler recorded macros. Can you tell me the trick to this? Thanks in advance.

Sub Macro1()
'
' Macro1 Macro
'
'
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
Selection.Find.Highlight = True
With Selection.Find
.Text = "the"
.Replacement.Text = "the"
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = True
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
End With
Selection.Copy

[Charles Kenyon]

Try:

Sub Macro1() ' 
' Macro1 Macro ' 
' 
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting 
Selection.Find.Highlight = True 
With Selection.Find 
.Text = "the" 
.Replacement.Text = "the" 
.Forward = True 
.Wrap = wdFindContinue 
.Format = True 
.MatchCase = False 
.MatchWholeWord = False 
.MatchWildcards = False 
.MatchSoundsLike = False 
.MatchAllWordForms = False
.Execute
End With 
Selection.Copy
End Sub

Your code sets up the find criteria but doesn't run the find. I haven't tried this, but I've done a lot of coding for replace. I expect it will work.

See How to modify a recorded macro

[Ulodesk]

Thanks, Charles. It's an improvement, but unfortunately, it stops after finding the first instance of the word. The rest of my macro copies it and pastes it into the new document. I end up with a new, one-word document.

I have spent well over an hour on this, reading the reference you provided, going into help, running through menus of available properties and actions, etc. etc. Clearly, I will never be any good at this, and I must say, it's awfully frustrating. I have yet to find any source anyhere on beginning VBA that takes an approach that seems obvious to me with respect to providing a useful guide to common sorts of procedures. I say that, despite realizing how vast the options are. My example here typifies the problem: Nowhere can I find a simple indicator of, "Repeat the above for the whole document." I have copied from simple macros in VBA's own Help that should fit nicely, and get nothing but compile errors, term undefined, etc.

Anyway. Any suggestions? I mean, other than giving up entirely and taking a vacation?

[Charles Kenyon]

So, if the original document contains the word "the" 280 times, you want a new document with the typed 280 times and nothing else?
thethethethethethethe...

What is it you are trying to accomplish with your macro?

[Ulodesk]

Well, almost. The words come in, each in its own paragraph, from which I can proceed with table creation, which was to be my next endeavor if I could get this to succeed. From studying other macros, it appeared to me that I could also create a list of words to be found and copied.

This is by no means an urgent task, Charles, rather one of self-education to improve my professional Word skills, so I do not wish to divert your time from assistance to others who may need your expertise more immediately.

Thank you.

[macropod]

Perhaps you'd be interested in something like this:
http://www.vbaexpress.com/forum/show...8&postcount=19
or:
https://www.msofficeforums.com/word/...sage-same.html
or:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...9-316f76abbe13

[Ulodesk]

Thank you. It will take me a good while to digest these, but you have provided much from which to learn.

Philip