Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Noting Table Rows Containing a Character.
Heidi has fifteen documents, each comprised chiefly of one long table. She needs to create a macro to search row-by-row and somehow highlight (either by shading, bolding, changing font, etc.) any row that doesn't have a parenthesis character anywhere in the row. Alternatively, she can also highlight rows that do contain a parenthesis character—she just needs to be able to distinguish between rows that do and rows that don't.
There are many ways that such a macro could be approached, but one that searches for an opening or closing parenthesis is relatively easy. The following example will do the search, row by row, and if either character is found, it will highlight the row by making the background yellow.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007 and 2010. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: 
Sub HilightRows()
Dim TargetText1 As String
Dim TargetText As String
Dim oRow As Row
Dim iCol As Integer
'initialize the target characters to find
TargetText = "("
TargetText1 = ")"
'Make sure we're in a table
If Selection.Information(wdWithInTable) Then
'Clear all the old shading
Selection.Tables(1).Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorWhite
'do all the rows
For Each oRow In Selection.Tables(1).Rows
If InStr(oRow.Range.Text, TargetText) > 0 Then _
oRow.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorYellow
If InStr(oRow.Range.Text, TargetText1) > 0 Then _
oRow.Shading.BackgroundPatternColor = wdColorYellow
Next oRow
End If
End Sub
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (11435) applies to Microsoft Word 2007 and 2010. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Noting Table Rows Containing a Character.
Comprehensive VBA Guide Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) is the language used for writing macros in all Office programs. This complete guide shows both professionals and novices how to master VBA in order to customize the entire Office suite for their needs. Check out Mastering VBA for Office 2010 today!
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