WD97: ErrMsg If AutoText String Exceeds 255 Characters

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

You may receive the following Visual Basic for Applications error when you use the AutoTextEntries property to create AutoText entries:

   Run-time error '5854': String parameter too long.

CAUSE

This error message occurs when the text string is longer than 255 characters.

WORKAROUND

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To work around this problem, modify the macro to insert the text string into the document, select it, add the selection as an AutoText entry, and then remove the text string. The following sample Visual Basic for Application macro demonstrates this procedure:

   Sub setautotextentry()
      Dim autoName As String
      Dim autoEntry As String
      Dim sNewEntry As Object
      ' Sample AutoText Entry Name.
      autoName = "ExampleAutoTextEntryName"
      ' Sample AutoText Entry Text of 1000 characters.
      autoEntry = String(1000, "A")
      On Error GoTo errHandler
      If Len(autoEntry) < 255 Then
         ' If the length of the text is 255 characters or fewer,
         ' add it as a new AutoText Entry.
         ActiveDocument.Selection.Range.Collapse
         Set sNewEntry = NormalTemplate.AutoTextEntries.Add _
         (Name:=autoName, Range:=Selection.Range)
         sNewEntry.Value = autoEntry
      Else
         ' If the length of the text is greater than 255 characters,
         ' insert it into the active document and add it
         ' as a new AutoText Entry.
         ActiveDocument.Selection.Range.Collapse
         ActiveDocument.Selection.Text = autoEntry
         NormalTemplate.AutoTextEntries.Add _
         Name:=autoName, Range:=Selection.Range
         ActiveDocument.Selection.Range.Delete
      End If
   errHandler: ' This line must be left aligned!
   End Sub