WD: DDE with International Versions of Word for Windows

ID: Q81734

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0
Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1

SUMMARY

You can use dynamic data exchange (DDE) to communicate directly with any version of Microsoft Word, including international versions. However, if the syntax of the macro commands in the international version is unknown, or if the DDE syntax used needs to communicate with multiple international versions, you must use the SendKeys command.

MORE INFORMATION

Although macros from one version of Word are translated automatically when a file moves from one version to another (for example, from English to German), you cannot send macro commands in "language-transparent" form to any version of Word for Windows.

If you send the following command to Word for Windows:

   FilePrint.NumCopies=2

the macro works correctly in the English version, but it does not work correctly in the German version. In the German version, the command must read as follows:

   DteiDruck.Exemplare=2

WORKAROUND

You can send the SendKeys statements through DDE because they are part of the WordBasic language and are not translated for any language version. This provides access to any specific dialog box in any localized version of Word for Windows based on the keystrokes used to invoke the desired command.

To call FilePrint and print two copies of the active document in any language version of Word for Windows, use the following lines:

Word 6.0, 7.0

   SendKeys "%-{right}{down 11}{enter}2{enter}"

Word 2.0

   SendKeys "%-{right}{down 10}{enter}"
   SendKeys "2"

Note: Word for Windows versions 1.x and 2.x differ in their menu structure; therefore, to send the above command to any language version of Word for Windows version 1.x, use the following lines:

   SendKeys "%-{right}{down 7}{enter}"
   SendKeys "2"

Reference(s):

"Using WordBasic," by WexTech Systems and Microsoft, Chapter 5

"Word for Windows and OS/2 Technical Reference," Chapter 8

Kbcategory: kbusage kbmacro KBSubcategory: Additional query words: 1.0 1.1 1.1a 2.0 1.x 2.0 winword2 word6 macword 6.0.1 winword 7.0 word95 word7 winword 2.0a 6.0 6.0a 6.0c

Keywords          : kbmacro winword macword word6 winword2 word7 word95 
Version           : WINDOWS: 1.x, 2.x, 6.0, 7.0; MACINTOSH: 6.0, 6.0.1

Last Reviewed: November 18, 1997