How can I extract text question between characters

Matrix2021 · #1 12-24-2020, 12:08 PM

Hi Microsoft World.

I have a Concern. I am not sure if you can help me. I just don't know...
My concern is. How can I extract text question between characters, on a 300 page word document.

Example:

. How are you today?

To

How are you today

How do you wan me to proceed?

Thanks in advance

gmayor · #2 12-24-2020, 09:37 PM

Looking for text between two very common characters such as '.' and '?' is bound to produce lots of false positives. It is necessary to narrow the search criteria.

In this example I would simply search for the string and remove the unwanted characters e.g.

Code:

Sub Macro1()
Const strFind As String = ". How are you today?"
Dim sText As String
    Selection.HomeKey wdStory
    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
    With Selection.Find
        Do While .Execute(findText:=strFind, _
                          MatchWildcards:=False, _
                          Wrap:=wdFindStop, _
                          Forward:=True) = True
            sText = Replace(Selection.Range, ". ", "")
            sText = Replace(sText, "?", "")
            'do something with the found text e.g.
            MsgBox sText
        Loop
    End With
lbl_Exit:
    Exit Sub
End Sub

but see Replace using wildcards

Matrix2021 · #3 12-25-2020, 02:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gmayor

Looking for text between two very common characters such as '.' and '?' is bound to produce lots of false positives. It is necessary to narrow the search criteria.

In this example I would simply search for the string and remove the unwanted characters e.g.

Code:

Sub Macro1()
Const strFind As String = ". How are you today?"
Dim sText As String
    Selection.HomeKey wdStory
    Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
    With Selection.Find
        Do While .Execute(findText:=strFind, _
                          MatchWildcards:=False, _
                          Wrap:=wdFindStop, _
                          Forward:=True) = True
            sText = Replace(Selection.Range, ". ", "")
            sText = Replace(sText, "?", "")
            'do something with the found text e.g.
            MsgBox sText
        Loop
    End With
lbl_Exit:
    Exit Sub
End Sub

but see Replace using wildcards

Hi Gmayor.

I am sorry. Thanks for your reply.

The problem is this. The above question is an example (. How are you today?) I am not sure if that question "how are you today?" is in the word document. (However, it's only one question).

What I'm trying to accomplish is this? How can I extract all types of questions between 2 types and 2 groups of characters?

. Question #1?
, question #2?
. Question #107? and so on...

Usually, questions in a paragraph have a period "." or a commo "," before the question and ends with a question mark "?".

I am sorry Gmayor, you mention. that the 2 characters "is bound to produce lots of false positives".

The question is, how am I going to work around this? What are other solutions do I have? How can I prevent "false positives"?

Thanks in advance

Cheers

Happy holiday

gmayor · #4 12-26-2020, 09:54 PM

Your further explanation doesn't help I'm afraid. What else is in the document besides the questions? Are the questions automatically numbered? Are the questions each in a paragraph. Is there other text in the paragraph that you don't want? Where do you want to extract the questions to? Without seeing a sample of the actual document, it is not possible to provide a solution.

Matrix2021 · #5 12-27-2020, 04:45 AM

Hello Gmayor.

Thanks for your feed back.

I have extract some of the paragraphs of the book. The questions are between the characters. The characters are highlighted the in red.

I have discovered more characters during the search in the book... Examples

. Question?
" Question?
Question? Note: this one do not have a character in front of the question.

Question? Note: the character in front is a bullet point.

and lastly.
, Question? Please Note: I am sorry, I have change my mind as most of the comm "," is path of the questions...

I am not sure if the sample word document would help. the book have 779 questions.

What do you suggest I do to move forward?

Thanks in advance Gmayor

Have a blessed one.

gmayor · #6 12-27-2020, 09:37 PM

The following works with your example:

Code:

Sub ExtractQuestions()
'Graham Mayor - https://www.gmayor.com - Last updated - 28 Dec 2020
Dim oDoc As Document, oTarget As Document
Dim oRng As Range
Dim sQuestion As String
    Set oDoc = ActiveDocument
    Set oTarget = Documents.Add
    Set oRng = oDoc.Range
    With oRng.Find
        Do While .Execute(findText:=Chr(63))
            sQuestion = oRng.Sentences(1).Text
            sQuestion = Replace(sQuestion, Chr(63), "")    'eliminate question mark
            sQuestion = Replace(sQuestion, Chr(147), "")    'eliminate opening smart quote
            sQuestion = Replace(sQuestion, Chr(148), "")    'eliminate closing smart quote
            sQuestion = Replace(sQuestion, Chr(13), "")    'eliminate paragraph break
            oTarget.Range.InsertAfter sQuestion & vbCr    ' write to new document
            oRng.Collapse 0
        Loop
    End With
lbl_Exit:
    Set oRng = Nothing
    Set oDoc = Nothing
    Set oTarget = Nothing
    Exit Sub
End Sub

Matrix2021 · #7 12-28-2020, 09:57 AM

Solution Solved

Hello Gmayor.

The code you have provide for me have worked wonderful. I appreciate the extra step that you have given to me by allowing the list of words to transferred to another word document.

I just want to say.

Thank you very much.

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