Re: Word 2004 and AppleScript

From: Peter Edman (edman_at_aya.NoSpam.edu)
Date: 07/15/04 

Date: Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:07:32 -0400

In article <BD1B07ED.6BFA3%berkowit@spoof_silcom.com>,
 Paul Berkowitz <berkowit@spoof_silcom.com> wrote:

> Actually, I answered this two days ago where you first asked this, Peter -
> on Rick Schaut's blog. Did you not go back to check?

Hadn't yet. Wasn't actually expecting a response. You're too kind. The
info there is most helpful.

> You should not find it frustrating that you can't get 'selection of document
> 1', as you certainly can in some applications. You (all of us) need to
> spend time checking things in the dictionary. Word's Object Model does not

Well, I can come to appreciate it as I understand more about it, but
that doesn't make it less frustrating at the time :)

I've spent the past few months coming up to speed with AppleScript
mostly by using InDesign CS -- which, being out there longer than Word
2004, naturally has far more extensive documentation and an active forum
dedicated to helping people script it. So I'm carrying over my
expectations from that (more document-centric) object model.

> control Word. You should spend some time learning about 'text range' : the
> most essential object in all of Word's scripting and (as 'Range') VBA. In

Will begin working on that.

> It's _very_ sensible of the Word developer to have used 'content' rather
> than 'contents'. Many applications run into trouble when they use 'contents'

That's a helpful explanation. I expect that as soon as more example
scripts and (responsible deity willing) the reference guide begin to
emerge, frustration levels will decrease and appreciation for the
developer will increase.

> But learning about Word's 'find' and 'replace' commands are among the most
> knotty complicated things in the object model. Do check up in the VBE Help,

Well, at least you're not promising us an easy time of it!

> and also in the VBA pages at http://www.word.mvps.org/ . (You have to
> refresh a couple of times for each page there in Safari, or else use IE.)

I use Mozilla. It seems to load the pages just fine. Thanks again for
this, and for the corrections to my script.

Peter E.

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