Workbook exercise #3

Workbook exercise #3: writing VBA programs for MS-Word

Due dates for all assignments can be found on the [main grid] of the course webpage.

Note: The computer lab for CPSC 203 is located in SS018 (the "Tri-Labs"). If you find that your particular version of Word (e.g. Office 365, older versions of Office, MAC users) does not include everything needed for a feature then you should to complete that feature in SS018. Alternatively for the remote learning version of the course you can login to a lab computer from your own. [Information link created by UC-IT with modifications by James Tam, for questions: www.ucalgary.ca/it]

Location of some starting documents (not mandatory): https://pages.cpsc.ucalgary.ca/~tamj/books/chop_suey_chop_chop/examples/VBA/step_by_step/starting/

Name of the document which can contain your VBA program: "Typing a program, opening a specified document - starting". As mentioned it's not mandatory that you use this starting document. However it is provided to ensure that you enter your program into the type of Word document that can contain a macro. (By default Word documents cannot have macros saved within them but this Word document is in a format that will allow for the storage of a VBA program). If you create your own Word document to store your program make sure that you [save it as a macro-enabled document or a ".docm"] AND you name the file exactly as follows "Typing a program, opening a specified document - solution".
Name of a document that your program can open: Example document1 (make sure that this document is located in the same folder that contains your VBA program). Again it's not mandatory that you use this file for credit but it's provided so you have something available that your program can open.

Whether you use the starting macro enabled document (a docm file) or create your own you are to complete the steps below in order to have a working program and you are to submit the document containing your macro. It's recommended that you also copy-paste your program into the body of a Word document (the document containing the macro - if you paste it into another Word document then make sure you submit this document as well so it's available to your marker).

Writing a VBA macro program for Word:

You will be writing a program using the VBA programming language that will prompt the user for a path (location) and a name of a Word document. The program will then try to open document at the specified location.

1.0 GPA for having the program automatically find the path to the currently active Word document.

1.0 GPA for getting the name of the document from the user.

2.0 GPA for opening the document using Word.

Step 1: Open Word and create a new blank document or open the starting document. Close any other Word documents that you may have opened.

Step 2: Save the document under a different name. Under the File tab select the Save As menu option.

Step 3: Select a location that you can remember.

Step 4: In the file name field rename the document as 'Typing a program, opening a specified document - solution.docm'

Step 5: To create a new macro in Word look at the View tab (Macros group) and click on the 'down' arrow triangle when you can then select the "View Macros" option in the menu that appears.

Step 6: Look for the input field under the label "Macro Name" and enter the following 'openingSpecifiedDocument' but without the quotes.

Step 7: Look for the label "Macros in" and select under the pull-down menu the name of the starting document Typing a program, opening a specified document - solution.

Step 8: Under the text Macro name type in 'openingSpecifiedDocument'

Step 9: Click on the 'Create' button.

Step 10: In the VBA code editor, [after line of red colored documentation and before the line containing "End Sub"] enter the following instructions for your VBA program. As a reminder: before typing in each line containing an instruction you should first hit tab so the instruction is indented.

Step 10A: Dim documentName As String

Step 10B: Dim path As String

Step 10C (long instructions such as the following should be entered all on a single line in the VBA editor): documentName = InputBox("Type in the name of the document to open (e.g. Example document1): ")

Step 10D: Documents.Open (documentName)

Step 11: Run the program, click on the 'Play' icon. An error message appears. The specific content of the message will vary. The gist of the message indicates that the file with the name you just typed in could not be found. The error message should also specify the path or location where it tried to open this file. You should be able to verify that this path (or at least the part that you can see in the popup if the path is a long one) is the location of the Word document containing this program.

Step 12: Go back to the code editor and type in the following after what you entered in Step 10C documentName = InputBox(...) and before what you entered in Step 10D Documents.Open(...): path = ActiveDocument.path

Step 13: Delete the instruction that you previously entered in Step 10D Documents.Open (documentName). Retype on this line the following new instruction: Documents.Open (path & documentName)

Step 14: Run the program, click on the 'Play' icon. An error message appears. Look carefully at the information specifying the path and file name. You should see that the name of the last folder and the file name you entered are shown as one word. For instance if program tried to open a file at the location: C:\203\Ex1 and you typed in Example document1 for the name of the file then the path and the file name would appear as C:\203\Ex1Example document1. In this example it's trying to open a file called Ex1Example document1 in the location C:\203. A slash is needed to separate the name of the last folder Ex1 from the name of the file that the program is trying to open Example document1.

Step 15: Delete the instruction from Step 13 Documents.Open (path & documentName). Retype on this line the following new instruction: Documents.Open (path & "\" & documentName)

Step 16: Run the program, click on the 'Play' icon. Another error message appears. This one will likely more challenging for most to decipher because it requires knowledge of file name suffixes used in Windows. (File name suffix = last few characters at the end of a file name after the period e.g. for image file me.jpg the file name suffix is jpg). By default the file name suffix is hidden from the user in Windows. The file name suffix used for Word 2007+ documents is 'docx'. The complete filename and the suffix is needed to open a Word document via Documents.Open

Step 17: Delete the instruction from Step 15: Documents.Open (path & "\" & documentName). Retype on this line the following new instruction (that includes the filename suffix): Documents.Open (path & "\" & documentName & ".docx")

Step 18: Run the program, click on the 'Play' icon. If you completed the steps correctly and what you entered for the document name exactly matches a document residing in the location where your VBA program is located then you should not see any error message. Instead you should note that Word has opened the specified document.

Documentation requirements

Although you won't be graded on documentation for exercises it still would be a good idea to include it so you don't miss it in the assignment. What's needed for assignments include: your full name as provided to the university (make sure it matches, don't include 'nicknames'), student identification number, tutorial number. Also you should clearly specify what features of the assignment that you completed or didn't complete. In order to get credit the documentation has to be clear and complete.

Marking and grading

Operating system specific issues: submissions must work on the machines a Windows computers. (For the remote learning semester since access to the lab computers is more challenging: the requirement is that your document works on any Windows computer). It's up to you to test and check this is the case. Non-functional submissions will receive only partial credit (if any at all). Although operating system issues are rare (non-existent?) if you implement your solution on another operating system it's a good idea to check your submission on a Windows computer. (See the administrative video lecture loaded into D2L for the week of Jan. 9 - 15 for suggestions as to how you can do this). Caution for Windows users: take care that you don't accidentally submit a shortcut to a file instead of the actual file. (Check the file name and compare the file size to your original file. Simply downloading the shortcut file as a test won't work because that shortcut will work on your computer but not on anyone else's machine).
Late assignments or components of assignments: Extensions may be granted for reasonable cases by the course instructor with the receipt of the appropriate documentation (e.g., a statutory declaration with a commissioner of oaths). Location of the online form: [PDF file]. Alternate submission mechanisms (non exhaustive list of examples: email, uploads to cloud-based systems such as Google drive, time-stamps, TA memories) cannot be used as alternatives if you have forgotten to submit work or otherwise have not properly submitted into D2L. Only files submitted into D2L by the due date is what will be marked, everything else will be awarded no credit. The final cut off date after which full assignments will not be accepted is after the maximum progressive penalty (listed below) can be applied.
Assignment extensions (must be requested before the assignment is due): may be granted for reasonable cases by the course instructor with the receipt of the appropriate documentation (e.g., a sworn declaration signed by a commissioner of oaths). Typical examples of reasonable cases for an extension include: illness or a death in the family. Example cases where extensions will not be granted include situations that are typical of student life: having multiple due dates, work commitments, forgetting or mixing up due date etc. Tutorial instructors (TAs) will not be able to provide extension on their own and must receive permission from the course instructor first. If you request an extension from me let me know the name of your tutorial instructor and the tutorial number [link to : tutorial and TA information) because the markers won't accept late submissions without directly getting an email from me and I need to know who to contact. Also extensions need to be requested before the due date and not afterward.
How you will be graded for assignments. Because most exercises are fairly simple a marking spreadsheet isn't required. Instead you can find your grade point in the D2L Dropbox and read any comments that the Teaching assistant may have entered.
Questions or concerns about grades have been released: Assignments will be marked by your tutorial instructor (the "Teaching Assistant" or "TA") for your tutorial section (instructor information listed here as well). When you have questions about marking this is the first person that you should be directing your questions towards. If you still have question after you have talked to your TA, then you can talk to your course (lecture) instructor but please indicate in your email that you first contacted your TA before going into your concerns.

Collaboration:

Assignments must reflect individual work; group work is not allowed in this class nor can you copy the work of others. Some "do nots" for your solution: don't publically post it, don't email it out, don't show it to other students, don't get help with your assignment from a tutor (if you have hired one). For more detailed information as to what constitutes academic misconduct (i.e., cheating) for this course please read the following [link].

Submitting your work:

The document must be electronically submitted using D2L.
You need to submit the Word document that contains the macro (a macro-enabled Word document .docm). Do not mistakenly submit the starting document that was opened by your VBA program because it won't contain your program and your marker won't be able to assign you credit.
Make sure that you [check the contents of your submitted files] (e.g., is the file okay or was it corrupted, is it the correct version etc.). It's your responsibility to do this! (Make sure that you submit your assignment with enough time before it comes due for you to do a check). If don't check and there were problems with the submission then you should not expect that you can "learn your lesson" and simply resubmit.

D2L configuration for this course

Do not use compression utilities (such as zip) or archiving utilities (such as tar) otherwise your submission may not be marked. The space savings in D2L is not worth the extra time required by the marker to process each submission.
How often can you submit: Multiple submissions are allowed for this assignment: You can (and really should) submit work as many times as you wish before the due date. Due dates are strict, only what is in D2L by the deadline is what will be marked. Other methods of verifying that your work was completed on time (e.g. checking timestamps, emailed files etc.) will NOT be accepted. However only the latest versions of each individual document are the ones that will be marked, everything else will be ignored (because it is not fair to your marker to sort through multiple versions of your files). In the case of A1 the marker will just look at the latest version of: Calgary and the merged letter that the marker can 'click through'.

Late submissions for assignments when there is no extension granted: Make sure you give yourself enough time to complete the submission process so you don't get cut off by D2L's deadline (or your submission will be automatically flagged as late by D2L and it will be graded appropriately)..

Submission received:	On time	Hours late : >0 and <=24	Hours late: >24 and <=48	Hours late: >48 and <=72	Hours late: >72 and <=96	Hours late: >96
Penalty:	None	-1 GPA	-2 GPA	-3 GPA	-4 GPA	No credit (not accepted)