Organization

The book is divided into three parts:

• Part 1, "Learning WordBasic," gets you started programming in WordBasic
  or learning the details of WordBasic if you already know another Basic programming language.
• Part 2, "WordBasic Reference," documents all the statements and functions in the WordBasic language.
• Part 3, "Appendixes," provides information about advanced topics such as workgroup and ODBC extensions, the Word API, and AppleScript™.

Part 1, "Learning WordBasic"

This part includes the following:

• Chapter 1, "Introduction," presents a brief overview of WordBasic as well as suggestions on learning how to program.
• Chapter 2, "Getting Started with Macros," presents step-by-step procedures
  to get you started recording macros.
• Chapter 3, "WordBasic Fundamentals," gives an overview of the primary elements of WordBasic.
• Chapter 4, "Advanced WordBasic," completes the discussion of the language.
• Chapter 5, "Working with Custom Dialog Boxes," gives tips on designing dialog boxes with the Dialog Editor and shows you how to use dialog functions in your macros to create dynamic dialog boxes.
• Chapter 6, "Debugging," explains techniques for testing and troubleshooting your macros.
• Chapter 7, "The Well-Behaved Macro," shows you how to make your macros robust and stable.
• Chapter 8, "Communicating with Other Applications," shows you how to integrate applications using dynamic data exchange (DDE) and OLE Automation.
• Chapter 9, "More WordBasic Techniques," illustrates ways to develop powerful macros and custom wizards using WordBasic.

Part 2, "WordBasic Reference"

This part includes the following:

• "Language Differences Across Versions of Word" identifies WordBasic statements and functions that operate differently or are not available in one or more versions of Word.
• "Language Summary" presents the WordBasic language in lists of related statements and functions.
• "Statements and Functions" is an alphabetic reference for WordBasic, with thorough examples.
• "Operators and Predefined Bookmarks" describes all the available mathematical operators and built-in bookmarks.
• "Error Messages" is a comprehensive list of the Word and WordBasic error messages and their associated numbers, which you can use to handle errors
  in your macros.

Part 3, "Appendixes"

This part includes the following:

• Appendix A, "Workgroup Extensions for Microsoft Word," describes the MAPI functions provided in WBMAPI.DLL (a library of functions included on the Microsoft Word Developer's Kit disk), which you can use to integrate WordBasic macros with electronic mail programs such as Microsoft Mail on any Windows® platform.
• Appendix B, "ODBC Extensions for Microsoft Word," presents the ODBC functions available in the WBODBC.WLL add-in library (provided on the Microsoft Word Developer's Kit disk) for adding enhanced database functionality to WordBasic macros on any Windows platform.
• Appendix C, "Microsoft Word Application Programming Interface," is a guide to using the Word API, the tools provided on the Microsoft Word Developer's Kit disk, and a programming language such as Microsoft Visual C++™ to create your own Word add-in libraries of custom functions, which you can access directly from Word or a WordBasic macro.
• Appendix D, "AppleScript," describes the unique AppleScript scripting commands available for controlling Word with scripts on the Apple® Macintosh®.
• Appendix E, "Operating Limits," documents Word and WordBasic operating limits.