WD97: Unable to Run Macro w/Multiple Command Line Switches

ID: Q181783

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you use Word command-line switches to open a custom template and then run a macro that is stored in the custom template, the macro fails to run and you do not receive an error message.

For example, the following command line will not run the specified macro:

   "<Word path>\WinWord.exe" /t"<template path>\<template name>"
   /m<macroname>

NOTE: The /m<macroname> switch works correctly if the macro is stored in the Normal.dot template instead of the custom template.

WORKAROUND

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/

NOTE: You cannot create an AutoNew or AutoOpen macro to work around this problem. Nor can you place your macro code in the template's document Open or New event procedures. The auto macros and event procedures fail to run.

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods:

Open the Template Directly

Use a command line that opens your custom template, instead of creating a document based on the template, and then runs a macro. In the following example, note the omission of the "/t" Switch.

   "<Word path>\WinWord.exe" "<template path>\<template>.dot" /m<macroname>

Using the default installation paths for Word 97 and its template folder, the command line would be

   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe"<space>
   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\MyTemplate.dot"<space>
   /mMyMacro

where <space> indicates a space character.

Your macro can issue a command to create a new document based on the custom template and then close your custom template. For example:

   Sub MyMacro()

      ' Create a new document based on your custom template.
      Documents.Add (ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate)

      ' Close your custom template.
      Documents(ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate).Close

      MsgBox "Other code goes here."

   End Sub

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q173707
   TITLE     : OFF97: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the versions of Microsoft Word listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

Both Word 7.x and Word 97 have several command line switches that can control how Word starts. These switches include:

   /t<template name> - Starts Word with an alternate template (rather than
                       Normal.dot)

   /m<macroname> - Starts Word and runs the specified macro

For example, if you have a template called MyTemplate.dot containing a macro called MyMacro, you would expect the following command line to create a new document based on MyTemplate and then run the macro MyMacro

   "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office\Winword.exe"<space>
   /t"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Templates\MyTemplate.dot"<space>
   /mMyMacro

where <space> indicates a space character.

Word creates the new document based on MyTemplate, but does not run the macro.

If you remove the "/t" switch from the command line, Word opens the template rather than creating a new document based on the template. With this method, Word runs the specified macro.

NOTE: Microsoft Word versions 6.x and earlier do not support the "/t" command line switch.

For more information about startup switches, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Word Help, type the following text

   "startup switches"

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Control what happens when you start Microsoft Word" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications

Additional query words:

Keywords          : kbdta kbdtacode OffVBA kbmacroexample word97 
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbbug
Solution Type     : kbpending

Last Reviewed: April 7, 1999