is there a method to extract specific text from a MS Word document?

[edprush]

I it possible to set parameters for text/numbers that I want to extract from a MS Word document?

Has anyone done this?

Thanks.

 

[edprush]

^

 

[mundane]

You should be able to use VBA to programmatically access/modify the document, although I'm not sure exactly what you're trying to do.

 

[edprush]

I don't know a thing about VBA.


What I'm trying to do is extract all text strings from a large MS Word document. This would be similiar to the "Find" feature in MS Word but I need to find all the text strings that match my search criteria and extract them to another text file.

 

[SickBeast]

Tell it to Bill Gates and he'll have an excuse to release a new version of MS Office.

I don't think what you're trying to do is possible, at least not in Word directly. It sounds like something that database software might be able to deal with.

 

[edprush]

bump

 

[HN]

Edit-->Find-->check the box for "Highlight all items found in:" (i'm guessing you want "Main Document")-->Find All

This will find and highlight all instances of your string. Now just copy and paste to wherever.

 

[Smilin]

Originally posted by: SickBeast
Tell it to Bill Gates and he'll have an excuse to release a new version of MS Office.

I don't think what you're trying to do is possible, at least not in Word directly. It sounds like something that database software might be able to deal with.

He already did. It's called Office 2007 and it saves in XML.

 

[edprush]

Originally posted by: HN
Edit-->Find-->check the box for "Highlight all items found in:" (i'm guessing you want "Main Document")-->Find All

This will find and highlight all instances of your string. Now just copy and paste to wherever.

That's very close but I want to define specific strings of text, such as 'text, with out spaces, that contain at least 4 characters and one of the characters has to be a "g". '

 

[HN]

Originally posted by: edprush

Originally posted by: HN
Edit-->Find-->check the box for "Highlight all items found in:" (i'm guessing you want "Main Document")-->Find All

This will find and highlight all instances of your string. Now just copy and paste to wherever.

That's very close but I want to define specific strings of text, such as 'text, with out spaces, that contain at least 4 characters and one of the characters has to be a "g". '

well, if you don't mind doing it by hand, there are a bunch of wildcards you can use (check the "Use wildcards" box in the Find dialog. See here for reference: http://word.mvps.org/FAQS/General/UsingWildcards.htm