Hi all, sorry if my question is off-topic here.
Word used a very bad algorithm to determine where it can break lines (text justification) which has evolved over time, improved considerably, and I know that it is also possible to use the WordPerfect breaking algorithm.

My question is.


Is it possible to use VBA to modify the justification algorithm/rules used by Word?
If not, would it be possible to do that in some other way?

I’ve searched a lot but found no results. I suppose that means messing with Word’s justification is not possible. Nevertheless, I wanted to check here.

You can only choose one of the line-wrap algorithms built into the program itself (e.g. WordPerfect, as you noted).

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Are there more?
Excluding Word native.

Word changed the justification algorithm with the introduction of Word 2013. Presumably, saving it with compatibility for Word 2010 or earlier will default to the older algorithm.
See: Document.SaveAs2 method (Word) | Microsoft Learn and WdCompatibilityMode enumeration (Word) | Microsoft Learn

As for other justification options, see: WdParagraphAlignment enumeration (Word) | Microsoft Learn. I haven't tried the JustifyHi/Low/Med options, so I can't tell you what they do.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

This is really new to me. Thank you!

Is there a way to choose between different settings, e.g. to specifically choose wdAlignParagraphJustifyHi?

The WdParagraphAlignment constants apply to the .ParagraphFormat.Alignment property.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Sorry, I am a complete beginner with VBA so I must ask like this. In the specifications you sent me, there were the following:

wdAlignParagraphJustifyLow-Justified with a low character compression ratio.
wdAlignParagraphJustifyHi-Justified with a high character compression ratio.

Is it possible to choose one enumeration and apply it to the whole document/or selected part, or is that something that is not possible to apply?

Well, yes, you could do that quite simply with a macro like:
or you could apply it to selected paragraphs with a macro like:
As I said, though, I haven't tried the JustifyHi/Low/Med options, so I can't tell you what they do.

For PC macro installation & usage instructions, see: Installing Macros
For Mac macro installation & usage instructions, see: https://wordmvp.com/Mac/InstallMacro.html

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks for the answer and code.
I will try macros and report back if there is any visible change in the text appearance.

Here is what these options do. They are not substitutes for WordPerfect justification.

Text justified with looks almost left aligned, it is not filling full-text width, while the text justified with normal Word justification, appears to be .

Attached Images

Screenshot 2025-02-04 003905.png (54.0 KB, 13 views)