TextRange Object

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TextRange

Contains the text that's attached to a shape, as well as properties and methods for manipulating the text.

Using the TextRange Object

This topic describes how to:

• Return the text range in any shape you specify.
• Return a text range from the selection.
• Return particular characters, words, lines, sentences, or paragraphs from a text range.
• Insert text, the date and time, or the page number into a text range.

Return a text range from any shape you specify

Use the TextRange property of the TextFrame object to return a TextRange object for any shape you specify. Use the Text property to return the string of text in the TextRange object. The following example adds a rectangle to the active publication and sets the text it contains.

  Sub AddTextToShape()
    With ActiveDocument.Pages(1).Shapes.AddShape(Type:=msoShapeRectangle, _
        Left:=72, Top:=72, Width:=250, Height:=140)
        .TextFrame.TextRange.Text = "Here is some test text"
    End With
End Sub

Because the Text property is the default property of the TextRange object, the following two statements are equivalent.

  ActiveDocument.Pages(1).Slides(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame _
    .TextRange.text = "Here is some test text"
ActiveDocument.Pages(1).Slides(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame _
    .TextRange = "Here is some test text"

Use the HasTextFrame property to determine whether a shape has a text frame, and use the HasText property to determine whether the text frame contains text.

Return a text range from the selection

Use the TextRange property of the Selection object to return the currently selected text. The following example copies the selection to the Clipboard.

  Sub CopyAndPasteText()
    With ActiveDocument
        .Selection.TextRange.Copy
        .Pages(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame.TextRange.Paste
    End With
End Sub

Return particular characters, words, lines, sentences, or paragraphs from a text range

Use one of the following methods to return a portion of the text of a TextRange object: Characters, Lines, Paragraphs, or Words. The following example formats the second word in the first shape on the first page of the active publication. For this example to work, the specified shape must contain text.

  Sub FormatWords()
    With ActiveDocument.Pages(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame _
            .TextRange.Words(2).Font
        .Bold = msoTrue
        .Size = 15
        .Name = "Snap ITC"
    End With
End Sub

Inserting text, the date and time, or the page number into a text range

Use one of the following methods to insert characters into a TextRange object: InsertAfter, InsertBefore, InsertDateTime, InsertPageNumber, or InsertSymbol. This example inserts a new line with text after any existing text in the first shape on the first page of the active publication.

  Sub InsertNewText()
    Dim intCount As Integer
    With ActiveDocument.Pages(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame _
            .TextRange
        For intCount = 1 To 3
            .InsertAfter vbLf & "This is a test."
        Next intCount
    End With
End Sub