WD2000: Error Message Using WordMail: "This method or property is not available"

ID: Q237338

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word 2000

SYMPTOMS

When you are using Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages (in Microsoft Outlook 2000, on the Tools menu, click Options and then click the Mail Format tab) and you try to automate Word from another program, you may encounter problems processing some Word commands. For example, you may receive Automation errors such as "This method or property is not available" or other errors.

This article describes how to check whether WordMail is running when using Automation to automate Word from another program.

CAUSE

This problem can occur when all of the following conditions are true:

You use the GetObject function to automate Word from another program.

You are using Microsoft Word to edit e-mail messages (in Microsoft Outlook 2000, on the Tools menu, click Options and then click the Mail Format tab).

There is an e-mail message open for editing.

The GetObject function allows you to retrieve the current or running instance of Word. However, because using Word to edit e-mail messages uses a hidden or non-visible instance of Word, GetObject may return the WordMail instance. There is no way to control which instance of Word is returned.

For example, the following Visual Basic for Applications code sample may cause the following error message:

Run-time error '4605': "The Open method or property is not available

if the current selection is within a WordMail message instead of the Word main document window:


Dim wdObj As Word.Application
Set wdObj = GetObject(, "word.application")
wdObj.Documents.Open "c:\my documents\doc1.doc"

RESOLUTION

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 a Microsoft Certified Solution Provider or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Solution Providers, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

http://www.microsoft.com/mcsp/

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/overview/overview.asp

To determine whether the focus is in a WordMail message, use the Selection.Information property together with the FocusInMailHeader property to determine whether a WordMail instance or a Word instance has the focus.

FocusInMailHeader Property

The FocusInMailHeader property returns True if the insertion point is in a WordMail header field (the To field, for example).

Selection.Information Property

Use the Selection.Information property to return information about the specified or current selection.

The syntax of the Selection.Information property is

Selection.Information(Type)

where Type is a constant specifying the information to return.

Use wdInWordMail as the Type constant to return a value that indicates the WordMail location of the selection, as shown in the following table:
   Value       WordMail Location
   -----------------------------

   0(zero)     The selection or range isn't in a WordMail message.
   1           The selection or range is in a WordMail send note.
   2           The selection or range is in a WordMail read note. 

Example

The following sample code demonstrates how to use these properties to determine whether WordMail or Word has the current focus:


Sub CheckForWordMail()
   Dim wdObj As Word.Application
   Dim boolWordMail As Boolean
   ' Initialize values.
   boolWordMail = False
   ' If Word is running or a WordMail e-mail
   ' message is open, use GetObject. If Word
   ' or WordMail is not running, an error will occur.
   On Error Resume Next
   Set wdObj = GetObject(, "word.application")
   If Err.Number = 0 Then
      ' If no error has occurred, call isWordMail Function
      ' to see if Word instance is Word or WordMail.
      boolWordMail = isWordMail(wdObj)
   Else
      ' If an error has occurred, create
      ' new instance of Word.
      Set wdObj = CreateObject("word.application")
      wdObj.Documents.Add
   End If
   If boolWordMail Then
      ' <Code to use for WordMail Instance>, for example:
      MsgBox "Focus in WordMail."
   Else
      ' <Code to use for Word Instance>, for example:
      MsgBox "Focus in Word."
   End If
   ' Free the object variable in memory.
   Set wdObj = Nothing
End Sub

Function isWordMail(oWord As Word.Application) As Boolean
   ' Is focus in a WordMail Header (To, CC or Subject line)?
   If oWord.Application.FocusInMailHeader Then
      isWordMail = True
      Exit Function
   End If
   ' If not in WordMail Header, is focus in
   ' the body of a WordMail message?
   If oWord.Selection.Information(wdInWordMail) Then
       isWordMail = True
   End If
End Function

For more information about Information property, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type Information property in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.
For more information about FocusInMailHeader property, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type FocusInMailHeader property in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.
For more information about GetObject Function, in the Visual Basic Editor, click Microsoft Visual Basic Help on the Help menu, type GetObject Function in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.

REFERENCES

For additional information about using automation with Word, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q237337 WD2000: How to Use (OLE) Automation with Word

For more information about using the sample code in this article, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Q212536 OFF2000: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles

Additional query words: vba


Keywords          : kbdta kbwordvba wd2000 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: July 22, 1999