Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. 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: Checking for a Text Selection Length.

Checking for a Text Selection Length

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 8, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021

There are numerous times when you are writing macros when you will need to determine if the user has made a selection. There are numerous ways you can do this in a macro. The following code illustrates one possible method for accomplishing this in VBA. It sets the value of a flag, bInSelection, to True if there is currently not a selection. Otherwise bInSelection is set to False.

Dim bInSelection As Boolean

bInSelection = False
If Selection.Type=wdSelectionIP Then
    bInselection=True
End If

You might wonder if you could use an approach of checking if the length of the selection is greater than zero, as in this method:

Dim bInSelection As Boolean

bInSelection = False
If Len(Selection) > 0 Then
    bInselection=True
End If

This approach won't work. The reason is because when there is no selection made (the insertion point is collapsed and just blinking), Word still returns a selection length of 1. This is a bit aggravating as it makes no logical sense. Thus, you need to check the Type property of the Selection object, as in the first example above. If you want to shorten it even further, you could use the following:

Dim bInSelection As Boolean

bInselection=(Selection.Type=wdSelectionIP)

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (12175) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Checking for a Text Selection Length.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Ignoring Case in a Comparison

Do you want Excel to take the case of your text into account when it does comparisons in a formula? The IF statement ...

Discover More

Displaying the Document Title Right Away

One of the properties that Word maintains for a document is a title. If you want this title displayed on the title bar ...

Discover More

Using Less Paper on Printouts

If a worksheet contains nothing but a bunch of values in column A, you may be loathe to print the worksheet and "waste" a ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Inserting the Time Remaining Until a Target Date and Time

Would you like a countdown value of some type to appear in your document? You can create your own through the use of a ...

Discover More

Saving Search and Replace Information in a Macro

You may want to save a user's existing Find and Replace settings before changing them in your macro. This tip examines ...

Discover More

Changing the Format of Existing Dates

There are a myriad of ways in which a date can be formatted: day first, month first, number of digits in the year, etc. ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is nine minus 1?

2024-08-08 11:00:46

Timothy J. McGowan

I believe @Barry is correct. This macro gives wrong answers:

Sub IsAnythingSelected()
Dim bInSelection As Boolean
Dim sInSelection As String

bInSelection = (Selection.Type = wdSelectionIP)
sInSelection = "False"
If bInSelection Then sInSelection = "True"

MsgBox ("InSelection = " + sInSelection)
End Sub

I suppose that means I don't understand wdSelectionIP.

Regardless, knowing that, you can get the correct answers by knowing Selection.Type returns the opposite of what you expect:

Sub IsAnythingSelected()
Dim bInSelection As Boolean
Dim sInSelection As String

bInSelection = (Selection.Type = wdSelectionIP)
sInSelection = "True"
If bInSelection Then sInSelection = "False"

MsgBox ("Text is selected = " + sInSelection)
End Sub

2024-07-30 06:59:35

Barry

I am just starting out with VBA for Word and I am confused!!

In the above you state:
It sets the value of a flag, bInSelection, to True if there is currently a selection. Otherwise bInSelection is set to False.

Doesn't the statement:
If Selection.Type=wdSelectionIP Then
bInselection=True
Set the flag TRUE if the selection is just the insertion point and False if text is selected?
Barry

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.