Identify current column on a page

sts023 · #1 07-18-2019, 04:52 AM

In Word 2010 I have a landscape document which has three equal width columns on page 1, and 2 columns on page 2, the firsty being 1/3 of the width, the second being 2/3 of the width.
I have a variable (in terms of number of lines) amount of text in the first column of page 2, and I wish to insert three lines of text at the bottom of the first column on page 2, in a formatted box.
My plan was to identify how many lines are left in column 1 by inserting blank lines (vbLf) until the column number changes.
My problem is that the only references I can find to columns all seem to relate to tables, not to the current page.
Does anyone know how I can access the current page's current column number (if such a thing exists).
I've tried various "promising" methods, e.g.

Code:

'
' Code snippet
'
Dim grng                        As Word.Range
Dim intColNo                  As Integer
'

  Set grng = ActiveDocument.Content
  grng.Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseEnd
'The next line fails, telling me I'm not in a Table.
  intColNo = grng.Columns.Count
'The next line always returns -1.
  intColNo = grng.Information(wdEndOfRangeColumnNumber)

but I can't find one that works.

Can any kind soul help?

gmayor · #2 07-18-2019, 05:58 AM

wdEndOfRangeColumnNumber relates to tables as you have discovered however following that line of thought you could use instead the horizontal page position to determine where the cursor or range is e.g. as in the following function. The three figures are the horizontal page positions of the three left margins.

Code:

Function WhichPageCol(oRng As Range) As Long
    Select Case True
        Case oRng.Information(wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToPage) >= 72 And _
             oRng.Information(wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToPage) <= 316.5
            WhichPageCol = 1
        Case oRng.Information(wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToPage) >= 316.5 _
             And oRng.Information(wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToPage) <= 561
            WhichPageCol = 2
        Case oRng.Information(wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToPage) >= 561
            WhichPageCol = 3
    End Select
End Function

sts023 · #3 07-18-2019, 06:52 AM

Thanks gmayor - that helped a lot!

What is slightly embarrassing is that in order to switch from a three column page 1 to a two column page 2, and in order to keep column 1 the sam width on each page I had already determined the column width.

A brilliant example of ACTUAL lateral thinking!

I was thinking of identifying the vertical position of the "cursor", which is moderately easy when encountering a page break, but still eluded me when forcing a column break.

Going horizontal works a treat.

(Although you'd think there would be some convenient Information property like "wdCurrentColumnOnPage"; or is that falling into the trap of assuming Microsoft want to be helpful?)

Thanks again...

sts023 · #4 07-18-2019, 10:40 AM

Looks like I spoke too soon.

When processing with frequent "Stop" commands to check all is working, my code runs perfectly.

However, when running end-to-end it loops/freezes (i.e. it becomes unresponsive and I have to use Task Manager to dismis Word).

I've had similar issues with Excel in the past, where some functions need the VBA to be paused to allow the system to catch up. Is this a known issue with Range.Information?

(Note: My personal variable naming convention means that
any variable starting with "g" is declared globally in a separate "Globals" module)

In my document formatting I use the following code, which recovers the horizontal end points for each column:-

Code:

Public Sub SetColsInWholeDoc(intCols As Integer)
'#######################################
'# Set the required number of columns. #
'# N.B. The numcolumns parameter seems #
'#      to be the EXTRA columns (above #
'#      the basic 1), so we subtract   #
'#      1 from the User's specified    #
'#      column count.                  #
'#######################################
'*
'** Check it's a valid request.
'*
  If intCols < 2 Then Exit Sub
'*
'** Now set the required column count.
'*
  With Selection.Sections(1)
    With .PageSetup.TextColumns
      .SetCount NumColumns:=intCols - 1
      .Add Spacing:=InchesToPoints(0.25), _
                    EvenlySpaced:=True
    End With
    glngColWidth = .PageSetup.TextColumns(1).width
    gsngColWInches = PointsToInches(glngColWidth)
'    MsgBox glngColWidth & " pts, " & gsngColWInches & " inches"
  End With
'*
'** Set up horizontal end point of
'** of each page column.
'*
  glngCol1HEnd = glngColWidth
  Select Case intCols
    Case 1
      glngCol2HEnd = 0
      glngCol3HEnd = 0
    Case 2
      glngCol2HEnd = glngColWidth * 2
      glngCol3HEnd = 0
    Case 3
      glngCol2HEnd = glngColWidth * 2
      glngCol3HEnd = glngColWidth * 3
  End Select
End Sub 'SetColsInWholeDocc

then in order to determine the current column I "collapse to end" the range "rng" and call the function funGetCurPageCol as follows:-

Code:

Public Function funGetCurPageCol(rng As Range) As Long
Dim lngH                        As Long
  lngH = rng.Information(wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToPage)
  Select Case True
    Case lngH <= glngCol1HEnd
      funGetCurPageCol = 1
    Case lngH > glngCol1HEnd And _
         lngH <= glngCol2HEnd
      funGetCurPageCol = 2
    Case lngH > glngCol2HEnd
      funGetCurPageCol = 3
  End Select
End Function 'funGetCurPageCol

Any ideas? It's weird that it works on "step through" but not at normal pace...

Guessed · #5 07-18-2019, 05:25 PM

It appears you are going off down rabbit holes instead of addressing your actual requirement

Quote:

Originally Posted by sts023

I wish to insert three lines of text at the bottom of the first column on page 2, in a formatted box.

The following macro will move the contents of the current paragraph into a coloured box at the bottom of the first column on the current page. You could modify that to suit your specific requirements

Code:

Sub AddACallout()
  Dim aRange As Range, aShape As Shape, sCallout As String
  Dim bLeft As Boolean, i As Integer, sPath As String, iWidth As Integer
  
  iWidth = Selection.Sections(1).PageSetup.TextColumns(1).Width
    
  'Must be in Page Layout view for macro to show effect
  If ActiveWindow.View.SplitSpecial = wdPaneNone Then
    ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.Type = wdPrintView
  Else
    ActiveWindow.View.Type = wdPrintView
  End If

  If Selection.Paragraphs.Count > 1 Then
    Set aRange = Selection.Range
    aRange.Start = aRange.Paragraphs.First.Range.Start
    aRange.End = aRange.Paragraphs.Last.Range.End
  Else
    Set aRange = Selection.Paragraphs(1).Range
  End If
  sCallout = aRange.Text
  aRange.Text = ""

  Set aShape = ActiveDocument.Shapes.AddShape(Type:=msoShapeRectangle, Left:=0, Top:=2, Width:=iWidth, Height:=80, Anchor:=aRange)  'msoShapeRoundedRectangle
  With aShape
    .TextFrame.TextRange = Left(sCallout, Len(sCallout) - 1)
    .TextFrame.TextRange.Style = "Normal"
    .TextFrame.MarginTop = 0
    .TextFrame.MarginLeft = 4
    .TextFrame.MarginRight = 4
    .TextFrame.MarginBottom = 4
    .TextFrame.AutoSize = True
    .WrapFormat.Type = wdWrapSquare
    .WrapFormat.Side = wdWrapBoth
    .RelativeVerticalPosition = wdRelativeVerticalPositionBottomMarginArea
    .Top = -.Height
    .RelativeHorizontalPosition = wdRelativeHorizontalPositionMargin
    .Left = wdShapeLeft
    .Line.Visible = msoFalse
    .Fill.ForeColor = RGB(150, 230, 230)
  End With
End Sub

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