italicize "the Ns and Ps"

setup

i've come across a journal that's quite specific about formatting. one of the specifications was to italicize all instances of N/n and P/p when they're representing sample size and p value, respectively. i had to work fast since this and other revisions were to be completed under a tight deadline. so, perhaps going batch is a viable path ...

solution

the plan

  1. using selection.find, keywords being N/n/P/p followed by '=', '<', '<=', '>', or '>=', e.g. 'N=', 'p < ',
  2. italicize the 'N/n/P/p' portion of the hit,
  3. repeat until all instances are formatted.

programming language & module(s)

  • VBA

file preps

  • make the doc to apply formatting to has to be the active document, i.e. where the cursor's currently in.

variables to customize

none

the script

italicizeTheNs
Sub italicizeTheNs()

    Dim doc As Document

    Dim trkRevStatus As Boolean

    Dim selStart, selEnd, safeCount As Long

    Dim lan As String

    Dim kwColl As Collection

    

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

    System.Cursor = wdCursorWait

    Set doc = ActiveDocument

    trkRevStatus = doc.TrackRevisions

    doc.TrackRevisions = False

    selStart = Selection.Start

    selEnd = Selection.End

    clearFind

    

    Set kwColl = New Collection

    kwColl.Add "[NnPp][=<≤>≥]"

    kwColl.Add "[NnPp] [=<≤>≥]"

    kwColl.Add "[Nn] \(%\)"

    kwColl.Add "[Nn], %"

    kwColl.Add "[Pp]-value"

    kwColl.Add "[Pp] value"

    

    For Each kw In kwColl

    With Selection

        .HomeKey wdStory

        With .Find

            .MatchWildcards = True

            .Wrap = wdFindStop

            .Text = kw

        End With

        safeCount = 0

        Do While .Find.Execute And safeCount < 1000

            safeCount = safeCount + 1

            doc.Range(.Start, .Start + 1).Font.Italic = True

        Loop

    Next

    

    clearFind

    doc.Range(selStart, selEnd).Select

    doc.TrackRevisions = trkRevStatus

    System.Cursor = wdCursorNormal

    Application.ScreenUpdating = True

End Sub



Sub clearFind()

    With Selection.Find

        .Text = ""

        .Replacement.Text = ""

        .Forward = True

        .Wrap = wdFindContinue

        .Format = False

        .MatchCase = False

        .MatchWholeWord = False

        .MatchByte = True

        .MatchWildcards = False

        .MatchSoundsLike = False

        .MatchAllWordForms = False

    End With

End Sub

output

none. note that the macro does not save the doc. instead, the decision is retained for the user.

note to self

  • remember that only the first character of the .find hits are italicized.
  • add kw in the kwColl to accommodate for more scenarios that need the formatting.
  • may need to tweek safeCount < 1000 in extreme cases where're a scary lot of "the Ns".
VBA publication MW formatting
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