Assigning Ranges

There are several ways to assign an existing Range object to a variable. This topic explains the results of two different techniques. In the following examples, the Range1 and Range2 variables refer to Range objects. For example, the following instructions assign the first and second words in the active document to the Range1 and Range2 variables.

Set Range1 = ActiveDocument.Words(1)
Set Range2 = ActiveDocument.Words(2)

Setting a Range object variable equal to another Range object variable

This following instruction assigns a range variable named Range2 to represent to the same location as Range1.

Set Range2 = Range1

You now have two variables that represent to the same range. When you manipulate the start or end point or the text of Range2, it affects Range1 and vice versa.

Note that the following instruction is the same as Range2.Text = Range1.Text. This instruction assigns the default property of Range1, which is the Text property, to the default property of Range2. It doesn't change what the objects actually refer to.

Range2 = Range1

The ranges (Range2 and Range1) have the same contents, but they may point to different locations in the document or even different documents.

Using the Duplicate property

The following instruction creates a new duplicated Range object, Range2, which has the same start and end points and text as Range1.

Set Range2 = Range1.Duplicate

If you change the start or end point of Range1, it doesn't affect Range2, and vice versa. Because these two ranges point to the same location in the document, changing the text in one range affects the text in the other range.