Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: Moving to the Start or End of the Real Document.
In other issues of WordTips you learn how to use the HomeKey and EndKey methods to move to the beginning or end of a document within a VBA macro. These work great, provided the insertion point is within the main body of the document when the macro is executed. It doesn't always work as expected if the insertion point is someplace else, however.
For instance, if your insertion point is located in a header or footer, then HomeKey and EndKey will result in moving to the beginning or end of the header or footer, not the entire document. To make absolutely sure you go to where you expect in the document, this means you need to use a different VBA approach. The following code line will take you to the beginning of the document, regardless of your insertion point location:
Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToSection, Which:=wdGoToFirst
Likewise, to jump to the end of the real document you can use the following:
ActiveDocument.Characters.Last.Select Selection.Collapse
The lack of elegance and symmetry between the two commands is unfortunate, but without knowing where the insertion point is located, these commands are safer than using HomeKey and EndKey alone.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (13315) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Moving to the Start or End of the Real Document.
Do More in Less Time! Are you ready to harness the full power of Word 2013 to create professional documents? In this comprehensive guide you'll learn the skills and techniques for efficiently building the documents you need for your professional and your personal life. Check out Word 2013 In Depth today!
Do you need to highlight certain words in a document, and aren't quite sure how to go about it? Using the techniques ...
Discover MoreWhen using a macro to process a document in some way, you often need to know the number of paragraphs in the document. ...
Discover MoreNeed to know if a number in a macro is odd or even? It's easy to figure out with the simple calculation shown in this tip.
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2018 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, and 2013. 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: 
Comments