How do I get a list of all the headings in a word document by using VBA?
7 Answers
22
votes
You mean like this createOutline function (which actually copy all headings from a source word document into a new word document):
(I believe the astrHeadings = _docSource.GetCrossReferenceItems(wdRefTypeHeading) function is the key in this program, and should allow you to retrieve what you are asking for)
Public Sub CreateOutline()
Dim docOutline As Word.Document
Dim docSource As Word.Document
Dim rng As Word.Range
Dim astrHeadings As Variant
Dim strText As String
Dim intLevel As Integer
Dim intItem As Integer
Set docSource = ActiveDocument
Set docOutline = Documents.Add
' Content returns only the main body of the document, not the headers/footer.
Set rng = docOutline.Content
' GetCrossReferenceItems(wdRefTypeHeading) returns an array with references to all headings in the document
astrHeadings = docSource.GetCrossReferenceItems(wdRefTypeHeading)
For intItem = LBound(astrHeadings) To UBound(astrHeadings)
' Get the text and the level.
strText = Trim$(astrHeadings(intItem))
intLevel = GetLevel(CStr(astrHeadings(intItem)))
' Add the text to the document.
rng.InsertAfter strText & vbNewLine
' Set the style of the selected range and
' then collapse the range for the next entry.
rng.Style = "Heading " & intLevel
rng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd
Next intItem
End Sub
Private Function GetLevel(strItem As String) As Integer
' Return the heading level of a header from the
' array returned by Word.
' The number of leading spaces indicates the
' outline level (2 spaces per level: H1 has
' 0 spaces, H2 has 2 spaces, H3 has 4 spaces.
Dim strTemp As String
Dim strOriginal As String
Dim intDiff As Integer
' Get rid of all trailing spaces.
strOriginal = RTrim$(strItem)
' Trim leading spaces, and then compare with
' the original.
strTemp = LTrim$(strOriginal)
' Subtract to find the number of
' leading spaces in the original string.
intDiff = Len(strOriginal) - Len(strTemp)
GetLevel = (intDiff / 2) + 1
End Function
UPDATE by @kol on March 6, 2018
Although astrHeadings is an array (IsArray returns True, and TypeName returns String()) I get a type mismatch error when I try to access its elements in VBScript (v5.8.16384 on Windows 10 Pro 1709 16299.248). This must be a VBScript-specific problem, because I can access the elements if I run the same code in Word's VBA editor. I ended up iterating the lines of the TOC, because it works even from VBScript:
For Each Paragraph In Doc.TablesOfContents(1).Range.Paragraphs
WScript.Echo Paragraph.Range.Text
Next
17
votes
The easiest way to get a list of headings, is to loop through the paragraphs in the document, for example:
Sub ReadPara()
Dim DocPara As Paragraph
For Each DocPara In ActiveDocument.Paragraphs
If Left(DocPara.Range.Style, Len("Heading")) = "Heading" Then
Debug.Print DocPara.Range.Text
End If
Next
End Sub
By the way, I find it is a good idea to remove the final character of the paragraph range. Otherwise, if you send the string to a message box or a document, Word displays an extra control character. For example:
Left(DocPara.Range.Text, len(DocPara.Range.Text)-1)
2
votes
This macro worked beautifully for me (Word 2010). I've extended the functionality slightly: now it prompts the user to enter a minimum level, and supresses subheadings below that level.
Public Sub CreateOutline()
' from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/274814/getting-the-headings-from-a-word-document
Dim docOutline As Word.Document
Dim docSource As Word.Document
Dim rng As Word.Range
Dim astrHeadings As Variant
Dim strText As String
Dim intLevel As Integer
Dim intItem As Integer
Dim minLevel As Integer
Set docSource = ActiveDocument
Set docOutline = Documents.Add
minLevel = 1 'levels above this value won't be copied.
minLevel = CInt(InputBox("This macro will generate a new document that contains only the headers from the existing document. What is the lowest level heading you want?", "2"))
' Content returns only the
' main body of the document, not
' the headers and footer.
Set rng = docOutline.Content
astrHeadings = _
docSource.GetCrossReferenceItems(wdRefTypeHeading)
For intItem = LBound(astrHeadings) To UBound(astrHeadings)
' Get the text and the level.
strText = Trim$(astrHeadings(intItem))
intLevel = GetLevel(CStr(astrHeadings(intItem)))
If intLevel <= minLevel Then
' Add the text to the document.
rng.InsertAfter strText & vbNewLine
' Set the style of the selected range and
' then collapse the range for the next entry.
rng.Style = "Heading " & intLevel
rng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd
End If
Next intItem
End Sub
Private Function GetLevel(strItem As String) As Integer
' from http://stackoverflow.com/questions/274814/getting-the-headings-from-a-word-document
' Return the heading level of a header from the
' array returned by Word.
' The number of leading spaces indicates the
' outline level (2 spaces per level: H1 has
' 0 spaces, H2 has 2 spaces, H3 has 4 spaces.
Dim strTemp As String
Dim strOriginal As String
Dim intDiff As Integer
' Get rid of all trailing spaces.
strOriginal = RTrim$(strItem)
' Trim leading spaces, and then compare with
' the original.
strTemp = LTrim$(strOriginal)
' Subtract to find the number of
' leading spaces in the original string.
intDiff = Len(strOriginal) - Len(strTemp)
GetLevel = (intDiff / 2) + 1
End Function
1
votes
Fastest method for extracting of all headings (to LEVEL5).
Sub EXTRACT_HDNGS()
Dim WDApp As Word.Application 'WORD APP
Dim WDDoc As Word.Document 'WORD DOC
Set WDApp = Word.Application
Set WDDoc = WDApp.ActiveDocument
For Head_n = 1 To 5
Head = ("Heading " & Head_n)
WDApp.Selection.HomeKey wdStory, wdMove
Do
With WDApp.selection
.MoveStart Unit:=wdLine, Count:=1
.Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseEnd
End with
With WDApp.Selection.Find
.ClearFormatting: .text = "":
.MatchWildcards = False: .Forward = True
.Style = WDDoc.Styles(Head)
If .Execute = False Then GoTo Level_exit
.ClearFormatting
End With
Heading_txt = RemoveSpecialChar(WDApp.Selection.Range.text, 1): Debug.Print Heading_txt
Heading_lvl = WDApp.Selection.Range.ListFormat.ListLevelNumber: Debug.Print Heading_lvl
Heading_lne = WDDoc.Range(0, WDApp.Selection.Range.End).Paragraphs.Count: Debug.Print Heading_lne
Heading_pge = WDApp.Selection.Information(wdActiveEndPageNumber): Debug.Print Heading_pge
If Wdapp.Selection.Style = "Heading 1" Then GoTo Level_exit
Wdapp.Selection.Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseStart
Loop
Level_exit:
Next Head_n
End Sub
1
votes
Following Wikis comment on VonC answer, here is the code that worked for me. It makes the function faster.
Public Sub CopyHeadingsInNewDoc()
Dim docOutline As Word.Document
Dim docSource As Word.Document
Dim rng As Word.Range
Dim astrHeadings As Variant
Dim strText As String
Dim longLevel As Integer
Dim longItem As Integer
Set docSource = ActiveDocument
Set docOutline = Documents.Add
' Content returns only the
' main body of the document, not
' the headers and footer.
Set rng = docOutline.Content
astrHeadings = _
docSource.GetCrossReferenceItems(wdRefTypeHeading)
For intItem = LBound(astrHeadings) To UBound(astrHeadings)
' Get the text and the level.
strText = Trim$(astrHeadings(intItem))
intLevel = GetLevel(CStr(astrHeadings(intItem)))
' Add the text to the document.
rng.InsertAfter strText & vbNewLine
' Set the style of the selected range and
' then collapse the range for the next entry.
rng.Style = "Heading " & intLevel
rng.Collapse wdCollapseEnd
Next intItem
End Sub
Private Function GetLevel(strItem As String) As Integer
' Return the heading level of a header from the
' array returned by Word.
' The number of leading spaces indicates the
' outline level (2 spaces per level: H1 has
' 0 spaces, H2 has 2 spaces, H3 has 4 spaces.
Dim strTemp As String
Dim strOriginal As String
Dim longDiff As Integer
' Get rid of all trailing spaces.
strOriginal = RTrim$(strItem)
' Trim leading spaces, and then compare with
' the original.
strTemp = LTrim$(strOriginal)
' Subtract to find the number of
' leading spaces in the original string.
longDiff = Len(strOriginal) - Len(strTemp)
GetLevel = (longDiff / 2) + 1
End Function
1
votes
Why reinventing the wheel so many times?!?
A "list of all headings" is just the standard Word index of document!
This is what I got by recording a macro while adding index to the document:
Sub Macro1()
ActiveDocument.TablesOfContents.Add Range:=Selection.Range, _
RightAlignPageNumbers:=True, _
UseHeadingStyles:=True, _
UpperHeadingLevel:=1, _
LowerHeadingLevel:=5, _
IncludePageNumbers:=True, _
AddedStyles:="", _
UseHyperlinks:=True, _
HidePageNumbersInWeb:=True, _
UseOutlineLevels:=True
End Sub
