Repeating the same number through a Word Doc

BaZmO*

In Excel you can have a number in Cell A1 and then make any number of cells throughout the document equal to that number. Therefore if you're changing that number you only have to do it once. Is there a way to do the same thing in Word?

Baz_

Very interesting question. My initial gut reaction was no.

However, it may be possible with macros...

The other possibility, and this is off the cuff, I have no experience of attempting it, but is it possible to embed an excel spreadsheet with the properties you want already present prior to embedding it?

They are my initial thoughts, I'm too busy to research them myself, and I have never used such techniques so I can't guarantee that if you research them yourself you won't end up at the bottom of a dead ended rabbit hole. If you do manage to find a solution, and especially if my post helped inspire the solution, can you please post the solution back here as I would love to know if it is possible.

HTH

Victor

Create the spreadsheet (each cell should contain =$A$1). Copy it into Word. You may need to re-format the text.

Why would you want the same number thousands of times?

namenotavailablE

I've done something like this for tax rates scattered throughout a document (it also works with text) which I wanted to be able to update should rates change. How I did it was as follows:

1. At the last page (I set mine to not to print), create a table filled with bookmarks of each specific number you require.
2. Then insert a field in each location of your main document where you want that number to be used. It's done through 'Quick parts' and you need to insert a bookmark

To immediately update the numbers, simply change the bookmark value as stored on the last page, pres Ctrl + A to select your entire document and then press F9.

beauf

You can also do it using VBA. You can name a bookmark or field code. Then set it's value in code and loop through them all.

Mail merges and letter templates work in a similar way.

But you can use it for populating all sorts of content, images, charts, tables.

Word is immensely powerful and flexible. Most people only use about 10% of its functionality. Most don't learn to use that 10% properly either.

BaZmO*

Thanks for the replies. I’ll give some of them a try once I’m back at my computer.

I don’t need to have the number repeat “thousands” of times as one poster suggested. There’s just a few docs that I have that are updated on a monthly basis that have the same number throughout so it’d be handy if if could just update one field and it would auto update the rest.

jasonb

Word can be fun with this kind of things, and not fun in a good way!

Another suggestion, while not as automatic, is you could do a Find and Replace every month and find all of the old number and replace it with the new number. If you choose Replace All it'll only take one or two clicks. Of course, that would replace every instance of that number, including ones that maybe you don't want replaced?

beauf

You could have all the docs have a macro or link that when opened they update the number from central document be it word or Excel.

Then you just update one doc or sheet and all the rest get it one they are opened.

Assuming these are all on network or something..