Word 2000 Developer's Handbook

By Guy Hart-Davis

The Word 2000 Developer's Handbook shows you how to use Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), Office's built-in programming environment, to extend Word's capabilities and make it work the way you need it to. With this book, you'll learn how to program VBA to do everything from automating daily tasks to developing complex custom solutions for your workplace. Book jacket.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0782123295
• ISBN13: 9780782123296
• Release Date: July 1999
• Publisher: Sybex Inc
• Length: 1248 Pages
• Weight: 4.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 3.0" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

A Comprehensive Book for the Serious Developer

I bought this book after doing some serious VBA programming for Excel and having been in and out of software development for many years. It's tough to write a book for all users, novice and experienced. This book falls in between those two extremes.If you've never done any programming, you'll likely be frustrated by the slow start into actual programming. Some readers will need a "Hello world" routine up front. On the other hand, if you're an experienced programmer, you'll find that 60 to 70 percent of the book is way below your level and needs. But wait a minute, we're talking about a 1200+ page book! If just 10 percent is on target for you and you can find what you need, it's a steal.The content of the book is far, far, far beyond what Microsoft provides with built-in menus and help. Anyone who claims otherwise simply hasn't done any serious VBA programming. A large percentage of the commands and structures covered here absolutely cannot be generated by automated recording. For example, I wrote a code that scans a document, finds all the acronyms, determines whether the acronym definitions are provided, and builds and/or updates an acronym table at the end. It flags all undefined acronyms and it color-codes duplicate definitions and out-of-order definitions. It includes a toolbar for helping navigate the document. It also includes a capability for combining acronym tables from multiple sources. You have to really get immersed to code a task even as conceptually simple as this one, and this book is what you need to get through it.The most challenging thing about being productive with VBA is the horrendously large object model. Some of the best programmers I know -- and I'm talking guided-missile engineers and the like - have turned away from VBA because the object model required too much of a learning curve. This book does a good job of laying most of the object model out in logical order. (If you're unfamiliar with the term "object model," don't be intimidated - it's not that it's all that hard to master in small steps; it's just big; and you may be able to find what you want and apply it quickly.)The book isn't perfect: I've found two errors, but that's not bad, considering its size. Overall, it's very authoritative. While using this book, I occasionally needed to turn elsewhere for additional information. My favorite companion book is Sams Teach Yourself Visual Basic for Applications 5, which has a strong orientation towards Excel. The bad news about both of these books is that they're getting old. I wouldn't yet call them "dated," but the authors/publishers will need to produce updated editions in the next few years. I, for one, really hope they do. That's the (selfish) reason for writing this review. I have to wonder, though, how many Word users will ever need a book this advanced. I'm giving the book five stars, because it is, by far, the best ever written on its subject. I wouldn't want to do without it.

A great book

I bought this book because I needed to learn VBA for my job. The author does an excellent job explaining things and doesn't wander off into theory like many other books do. There are plenty of examples to learn from and after about three days of reading I had enough of an understanding of VBA to begin using the book as a reference to look up things I wanted to do. I saw another review state this book was her bible, I have to agree because this book stays by my side and has helped me learn what I needed to. If you need to learn VBA quickly and you don't have a background in programming buy this book!

some extra info

The code of all programs, forms and templates are now available from the Sybex web site.

This is my BIBLE!

Guy Hart-Davis is my hero. As you can tell, I really love this book. I can honestly say that I've read it from cover-to-cover and that I use it on a daily basis when I am working. I had previous experience with Visual Basic and with developing in Access, but no experience in working with Word 2000. I couldn't do the project I am working on without this book. I find it very easy to flip to the section I am in need of and get help from his examples. If you want to develop applications in Word, buy it. I look forward to more books from Hart-Davis.

Most comprehensive Word VBA book

Lots of imformation about MS Office Word Visual Basic Application programming. I have no problem reading this book, because I have some Visual Basic background. VBA is a subset of VB. Beefore reading this book, you may need to have some Visual Basic programming knowledge, because this book doesn't teach basic elemental syntex of programming.