How to use onchange event for content controls in word

lucky16 · #1 05-17-2014, 07:12 AM

Hi,

What code should be used for a situation like changing a value from a content control, changes the value of another content control.

I know that this can be performed with the use of "|" from content control properties. But in my case there are more than two content controls and also there lies some text between each.

Can you please help with some sample code on how to do this.

Thank you!
Happy weekend!

gmaxey · #2 05-17-2014, 07:27 AM

What is use of "|" from content control properties?
Unfortunately in no version of Word is there a built in onchange event.
What do want to happen to the other CCs when you change one? If simply replicate the content then you need to map them to a common XML data node.
If you want variable change, then you will need to create a custom onchange event. It is no walk in the sun, but it can be done:

http://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/...om_events.html

macropod · #3 05-17-2014, 03:48 PM

I suspect it's a reference to a technique I used here: https://www.msofficeforums.com/word-...own-lists.html, where the | has nothing to do with content control properties but with parsing some data stored in the content control value. Using the approach in that document, one might also use:

Code:

Private Sub Document_ContentControlOnExit(ByVal ContentControl As ContentControl, Cancel As Boolean)
Dim i As Long, StrDetails As String
With ContentControl
  If .Title = "Client" Then
    For i = 1 To .DropdownListEntries.Count
      If .DropdownListEntries(i).Text = .Range.Text Then
        StrDetails = .DropdownListEntries(i).Value
        Exit For
      End If
    Next
    With ActiveDocument
      With .SelectContentControlsByTitle("Phone/Fax")(1).Range
        If StrDetails <> "" Then
          .Text = Split(StrDetails, "|")(0) & Chr(11) & Split(StrDetails, "|")(1)
        Else
          .Text = ""
        End If
      End With
      With .SelectContentControlsByTitle("Email")(1).Range
        If UBound(Split(StrDetails, "|")) > 0 Then
          .Text = Split(StrDetails, "|")(2)
        Else
          .Text = ""
        End If
      End With
    End With
  End If
End With
End Sub

where the phone & fax #s are output to a content control named Phone/Fax and the email address is output to a content control named Email.

gmaxey · #4 05-18-2014, 07:42 AM

Paul,

Thanks for clearing that up.

Lucky,

Again there is no built-in or easy "OnChange" event for content controls. While Paul's method illustrated above will likely work, it is triggered "OnExit" and you can't be sure that the document user will exit.

If using a dropdown box to make a selection, you can use mapped content controls and create a pseudo onchange event as illustrated in the following example:

1. Add a dropdown CC and three plain text CCs to a document. Title the dropdown "Name" and title the plain text CCs "Phone" "Fax" and "E-Mail" set each of the plain text properties "content cannot be edited."

2. Map all four CCs to a customXMLPart by running the following code:

Code:

Sub MapTheCCs()
Dim oXMLPart As CustomXMLPart
Dim lngIndex
  With ActiveDocument
    Set oXMLPart = .CustomXMLParts.Add("<?xml version='1.0'?>" _
                                   & "<CC_Map xmlns='http://Greg_Maxey/CC_Mapping_Part'>" _
                                   & "<Name></Name>" _
                                   & "<Phone></Phone>" _
                                   & "<Fax></Fax>" _
                                   & "<E-Mail></E-Mail>" _
                                   & "</CC_Map>")
    With .SelectContentControlsByTitle("Name").Item(1)
      With .DropdownListEntries
        For lngIndex = .Count To 2 Step -1
          .Item(lngIndex).Delete
        Next
        .Add "Al", "Al"
        .Add "Bob", "Bob"
        .Add "Charlie", "Charlie"
      End With
 
      .XMLMapping.SetMapping ("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Name[1]")
    End With
    .SelectContentControlsByTitle("Phone").Item(1).XMLMapping.SetMapping ("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Phone[1]")
    .SelectContentControlsByTitle("Fax").Item(1).XMLMapping.SetMapping ("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Fax[1]")
    .SelectContentControlsByTitle("E-Mail").Item(1).XMLMapping.SetMapping ("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:E-Mail[1]")
  End With
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

3. Use the built-in content control before store update event as a pseudo change event using the following code in the ThisDocument module:

Code:

Private Sub Document_ContentControlBeforeContentUpdate(ByVal ContentControl As ContentControl, _
                     Content As String)
Dim oXMLPart As CustomXMLPart
Dim oNode As CustomXMLNode
  Select Case ContentControl.Title
    Case "Name"
      Set oXMLPart = ActiveDocument.CustomXMLParts. _
          SelectByNamespace("http://Greg_Maxey/CC_Mapping_Part").Item(1)
      With oXMLPart
        Set oNode = .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Name[1]")
        Select Case oNode.Text
          Case "Al"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Phone[1]").Text = "123-456-7890"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Fax[1]").Text = "123-456-7891"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:E-Mail[1]").Text = "al@gmail.com"
          Case "Bob"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Phone[1]").Text = "686-333-1121"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Fax[1]").Text = "686-433-1122"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:E-Mail[1]").Text = "bob@yahoo.com"
          Case "Charlie"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Phone[1]").Text = "978-221-3212"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Fax[1]").Text = "978-221-3213"
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:E-Mail[1]").Text = "charlie@attnet.com"
          Case Else
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Phone[1]").Text = vbNullString
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:Fax[1]").Text = vbNullString
            .SelectSingleNode("/ns0:CC_Map[1]/ns0:E-Mail[1]").Text = vbNullString
        End Select
      End With
  End Select
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

lucky16 · #5 06-05-2014, 07:35 AM

THANK YOU very much Maxey.

NobodysPerfect · #6 06-05-2014, 11:04 PM

Hi Greg,

great solution, answers many questions. But I have an additional question.

I (almost) followed your instructions and inserted the four Content Controls, but mistakenly I inserted rich text (instead of plain text) Content Controls.

Running the MapCCs code I got runtime error '6191' ("Data connection cannot be created for Rich Text Content Control" - translated). WHY???

I know mapping Rich Text Content Controls IS possible, so which are the lines in the code to be adjusted to map RT CCs?

Thanks
NP

gmaxey · #7 06-06-2014, 04:52 AM

No problem here if using Word 2013. Are you sure you are using Word 2013?? You can't map rich text type controls in earlier versions.

NobodysPerfect · #8 06-06-2014, 05:05 AM

No, I'm sure, I'm not (using 2013). So I only though I could ...

Strange it seems I've always inserted plain text CCs by chance. Must have been so ... learning never stops.

Thx for the answer
NP

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