Using Regular Expression in Find

ayomama · #1 07-21-2025, 11:53 PM

Hi

What is the flavor of Regular Expressions that Range.Find uses/understands?
What is the pattern (i.e. the value of strSearch below) that will fully match @PART_01, @ERTDRETHH_56 and @ASFGHFGHHFDERTGE_83?

Code:

Dim rngStory As Word.Range, strSearch As String


With rngStory.Find
    .MatchWildcards = True
    .text = strSearch
    .Wrap = WdFindWrap.wdFindStop
    .Execute Forward:=True
End With

Thanks!

macropod · #2 07-22-2025, 01:53 AM

You could use a wildcard Find expression like:
strSearch = "\@[A-Z]@_[0-9]{2}"

ayomama · #3 07-23-2025, 03:30 AM

Thank you Paul, works fine.

Now, what is the pattern to fully match @PART_01 and @ERTDRETHH ?

In other words, I'm looking for the syntax to make the last 3 characters "_01" optional. The 3rd character from last (if present) is always an underscore and the next 2 are numbers.

Thanks again.

vivka · #4 07-23-2025, 08:55 AM

Hi! Unfortunately, you can't use a one-line regex to do this. Try the following, which will work on the selecton, not on the entire doc (it's my personal preference):

Code:

Sub Find_N_Embolden()

Dim rng As range
Dim FindTxt As String
 
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    Set rng = Selection.range
    
    FindTxt = "\@[A-Z]{1,}"
    Do
        With rng.Find
            .text = FindTxt
            .MatchWildcards = True
            .Forward = True
            .Wrap = wdFindStop
            .Execute
        End With
        If rng.Find.found And rng.InRange(Selection.range) Then
            If rng.Characters.Last.Next = "_" And _
                rng.Characters.Last.Next.Next Like "[0-9]" And _
                rng.Characters.Last.Next.Next.Next Like "[0-9]" And _
                Not rng.Characters.Last.Next.Next.Next.Next Like "[A-Za-z0-9]" Then
                rng.MoveEnd unit:=wdCharacter, count:=3
                rng.Font.Bold = True: GoTo lbl_Next
            ElseIf rng.Characters.Last.Next <> "_" Then
                rng.Font.Bold = True
            Else: GoTo lbl_Next
            End If
        Else
            Exit Do
        End If
lbl_Next:
        rng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd
     Loop
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Set rng = Nothing
End Sub

macropod · #5 07-23-2025, 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ayomama

Now, what is the pattern to fully match @PART_01 and @ERTDRETHH ?

In other words, I'm looking for the syntax to make the last 3 characters "_01" optional. The 3rd character from last (if present) is always an underscore and the next 2 are numbers.

You could use a wildcard Find expression like:
strSearch = "\@[A-Z]{2}[A-Z_0-9]{1,}"
but you may get false matches

ayomama · #6 07-24-2025, 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivka

Hi! Unfortunately, you can't use a one-line regex to do this. Try the following, which will work on the selecton, not on the entire doc (it's my personal preference):

Code:

Sub Find_N_Embolden()
...
End Sub

Thank you for this. Not tested yet but this workaround makes sense given the limitations of Word's regex.

vivka · #7 07-25-2025, 08:31 AM

You are welocme! The code seems to work correctly.

gmaxey · #8 07-30-2025, 04:33 PM

Vivka,

Question and comment about your code below.

1. I notice that you (and others I have observed) use the Find.Found method. E.g. If rng.find.found ...

Why? find.found returns True but so does

If .Execute.

2. Your code will error if the one of the find returns is at the end of the document.

Consider:

Code:

Sub Find_N_Embolden()
'Revised GKM
Dim oRng As Range
  Application.ScreenUpdating = False
  Set oRng = Selection.Range
  With oRng.Find
    .Text = "\@[A-Z]{1,}"
    .MatchWildcards = True
    .Forward = True
    .Wrap = wdFindStop
    Do While .Execute
      If oRng.InRange(Selection.Range) Then
        Select Case True
          Case oRng.End = ActiveDocument.Range.End - 1
            oRng.Font.Bold = True
          Case oRng.Characters.Last.Next <> "_"
            oRng.Font.Bold = True
          Case oRng.End <= ActiveDocument.Range.End - 4
            oRng.MoveEnd unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=3
            If Right(oRng.Text, 3) Like "_[0-9][0-9]" Then oRng.Font.Bold = True
        End Select
      End If
      oRng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd
    Loop
  End With
  Application.ScreenUpdating = True
  Set oRng = Nothing
End Sub

Quote:

Originally Posted by vivka

Hi! Unfortunately, you can't use a one-line regex to do this. Try the following, which will work on the selecton, not on the entire doc (it's my personal preference):

Code:

Sub Find_N_Embolden()

Dim rng As range
Dim FindTxt As String
 
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    Set rng = Selection.range
    
    FindTxt = "\@[A-Z]{1,}"
    Do
        With rng.Find
            .text = FindTxt
            .MatchWildcards = True
            .Forward = True
            .Wrap = wdFindStop
            .Execute
        End With
        If rng.Find.found And rng.InRange(Selection.range) Then
            If rng.Characters.Last.Next = "_" And _
                rng.Characters.Last.Next.Next Like "[0-9]" And _
                rng.Characters.Last.Next.Next.Next Like "[0-9]" And _
                Not rng.Characters.Last.Next.Next.Next.Next Like "[A-Za-z0-9]" Then
                rng.MoveEnd unit:=wdCharacter, count:=3
                rng.Font.Bold = True: GoTo lbl_Next
            ElseIf rng.Characters.Last.Next <> "_" Then
                rng.Font.Bold = True
            Else: GoTo lbl_Next
            End If
        Else
            Exit Do
        End If
lbl_Next:
        rng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd
     Loop
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Set rng = Nothing
End Sub

vivka · #9 07-30-2025, 10:37 PM

Thank you, Greg, for your remarks! I fully accept them. My final code taking advantage of your suggestions (If conditions can be replaced wih Case conditions):

Code:

Sub Find_N_Embolden()
'In selection, embolden all '@AnyNumberOfCapitals' or
''@AnyNumberOfCapitals_DigitDigitNotFollowedByDigitOrLetter'.

Dim oRng As range
Dim FindTxt As String
 
    Application.ScreenUpdating = False
    Set oRng = Selection.range
    
    FindTxt = "\@[A-Z]{1,}"
    Do
        With oRng.Find
            .text = FindTxt
            .MatchWildcards = True
            .Forward = True
            .Wrap = wdFindStop
            If .Execute And oRng.InRange(Selection.range) Then
                If oRng.End >= ActiveDocument.range.End - 4 Then
                    oRng.Font.Bold = True: GoTo lbl_Next
                ElseIf oRng.Characters.Last.Next <> "_" Then
                    oRng.Font.Bold = True: GoTo lbl_Next
                ElseIf Right(ActiveDocument.range(oRng.start, oRng.End + 4), 4) Like "_[0-9][0-9][!A-Za-z0-9]" Then
                    oRng.MoveEnd unit:=wdCharacter, count:=3
                    oRng.Font.Bold = True: GoTo lbl_Next
                Else: GoTo lbl_Next
                End If
            Else
                Exit Do
            End If
        End With
lbl_Next:
        oRng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd
     Loop
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Set oRng = Nothing
End Sub

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