Opening and modifying a document

There are times when you also want to modify a document, or get information from it. For example, below is the VBA code for accomplishing these tasks:

Dim oDoc As Document
Set oDoc = Documents.Open FileName:="Mac HD:Folder:Filename"
With oDoc
	.HyphenationZone = InchesToPoints(0.25)
	.HyphenateCaps = False
	.AutoHyphenation = True
End With

In VBA, you set a variable (reference) to the result of the Open statement, which returns a Document object. Then you set some properties of Document or apply some methods to it.

In AppleScript, you can also set a variable to the result of a command. However, you cannot set a variable to the open command from the Standard Suite because it does not return a result.

Workaround for the open command

As much as possible, application developers use the commands in the Standard Suite to maintain consistency in the language, and in doing so, they follow the model supplied by Apple. However, it is possible for application developers to add their own parameters to commands in the Standard Suite, and Word developers added 10 of them. They are all derived from VBA's Open method. That said, the application developers cannot alter the fact that open does not return a result

The following AppleScript example provides a workaround for modifying a document in light of the limitations in the open command:

tell application "Microsoft Word"
	open " Mac HD:Folder:Filename.doc"
	set theDoc to active document
	tell theDoc
		set hyphenation zone ¬
			to (inches to points inches 0.25)
		set hyphenate caps to true
		set auto hyphenation to true
	end tell
end tell

This code opens the document and then sets the variable to active document, which is the document in the front.

Workaround for the open command and an open document

If a document is not already open, the open command opens the file in the front of the application. However, if a document is already open, the file does not open in front, and you end up acting on the wrong document.

The following workaround shows code that you can use if your document is already open, and accommodates the limitations of open:

tell application "Microsoft Word"
	try
		set theDoc to document "Filename.doc"
	on error
		open "Mac HD:Folder:Filename.doc"
		set theDoc to active document
	end try
	tell theDoc
		set hyphenation zone ¬
			to (inches to points inches 0.25)
		set hyphenate caps to true
		set auto hyphenation to true
	end tell
end tell