WD: Word Count Does Not Count Spaces

ID: Q114180

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Word, when you use the Word Count command on the Tools menu, the result for characters does not include the number of spaces and tabs in your document.

If you choose Summary Info from the File menu and click Statistics, the result for characters also doesn't include spaces and tabs.

The character count feature includes alphabetic and numeric characters including punctuation marks and special symbols, such as periods and commas, but excludes spaces and tabs.

WORKAROUND

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   http://www.microsoft.com/supportnet/refguide/
The following macro counts all the characters in the document including spaces and tabs- Example 1: 

   Sub MAIN
      If IsMacro() Then
         MsgBox "This will not run in a macro window."
      Else
         ScreenUpdating
         EditBookmark .Name = "NumCharPlaceHolder", .Add
         EditSelectAll
         Number = Len(Selection$()) - 1
         StartOfDocument
         If SelInfo(12) <> - 1 Then
            EditGoTo .Destination = "t"
         EndIf
         While SelInfo(12) = - 1
            If SelInfo(12) = - 1 Then
               Rows = SelInfo(15) * 2
               While SelInfo(13) <> SelInfo(15)
                  NextCell : Count = Count + 2
               Wend
               Count = Count + (SelInfo(18) * 2)
            End If
            Number = Number - Count - Rows
            count = 0
            EndOfRow 1
            CharRight 2
            EditGoTo .Destination = "t"
         Wend
         EditBookmark .Name = "NumCharPlaceHolder", .Goto
         EditBookmark .Name = "NumCharPlaceHolder", .Delete
      End If
      MsgBox "Character Count:" + Str$(Number)
   End Sub
Below is an additional macro which counts all the characters in the document including spaces and tabs to workaround this problem- Example 2: 

   StartOfDocument
   Count = 0
   While CmpBookmarks("\sel", "\endofdoc") <> 0
       CharRight 1
       Count = Count + 1
   Wend
   MsgBox "word count" + Str$(Count + 1)
         ' If you would not like to count the last Paragraph mark make
         ' the last line of the macro read: 
         ' Msgbox "Word Count" + Str$(Count)
NOTE: These macros include tabs, spaces and paragraph marks (except the last one in the document). These macros do not take into consideration inline objects. They count each inline object as one character. They do not count text and graphics positioned in the drawing layer.

MORE INFORMATION

This functionality is different in Word 2.x for Windows, which includes spaces, tabs, and paragraph marks in the count.

In Word 97 for Windows and Word 98 Macintosh Edition, the count of characters includes spaces but not tabs.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, page 101

Additional query words: character count statistics document summary info 

Keywords          : kbmacro wordnt kbmacroexample winword ntword macword word6 word7 word95 
Version           : WINDOWS:6.0,6.0a,6.0c,7.0,7.0a; MACINTOSH:6.0,6.0.1,6.0.1a
Platform          : MACINTOSH WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

Last Reviewed: April 9, 1999