How can I have MATLAB find and replace text in a MS Word document

I am running MATLAB to read in several txt documents and crunch the numbers and provide a formated MS Word document as an output.

I have a template Word document that has 8 lines that need to be modified based on the number crunching MATLAB does for me. I can have MATLAB make a string variable that says the words that need to be placed in the Word document at the specific points.

The problem I have is how to have MATLAB open the Word document and find/replace the desired lines of text.

Are there any ideas?

Thanks!

Answer 1

[Astik Sachan]

You can use following code as well and edit it as per need!

[fname path] = uigetfile('*.doc*');
fpath = [path fname];
find_txt = 'Text';
replace_txt = 'Replaced';

w = actxserver('Word.Application');
w.Documents.Open(fpath);

w.Selection.Find.Font.Size = 20.5;
w.Selection.Find.Font.Name = 'Calibri';

w.Selection.Find.Execute(find_txt,1,0,0,0,0,1,0,1,replace_txt,2,0,0,0,0); %forward
w.Selection.Find.Execute(find_txt,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,replace_txt,2,0,0,0,0); %backward

w.ActiveDocument.Save

w.ActiveDocument.Close

For More Information about other arguments used in Find Execute function you can visit: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/office/ff193977.aspx

[Arnaud Bitoun]

Thank you Astik for this helpful code. How do you do if you are looking to change text in the Header ?

[Merve]

thank you for the code, it is very helpful but it doesn't change the text in header.

Answer 2

[Robert]

I was able to figure it out after piecing together lots of stuff I found on the internet. Basically, to find all the "hello" text and replace them with "goodbye" in the document D:\Doc1.doc, you:

Word = actxserver('Word.application'); Wrod.Visible = 0; set(Word,'DisplayAlerts',0); Docs = Word.Documents; Doc = Docs.Open('D:\Doc1.doc'); setection = Word.Selection; selection.Find.Execute('<text you want to find>',0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,'<Text you want to replace>',2,0,0,0,0); Doc.Save; Docs.Close; invoke(Word,'Quit'); delete(Word);

All the zeros and ones correspond to different settings of the Execute method. Most of the zeros correspond to formatting and the ones correspond to continueing the find. The two corresponds to replace all. These can be found if you look up the Execute method.

Hope this helps someone else.

[Robert]

<text you want to find> = hello

<text you want to replace> = goodbye

Answer 3

[Gordon]

Tried this code and it works. Corrected one typo though. Code should be:

Word = actxserver('Word.application'); 
Wrod.Visible = 0; 
set(Word,'DisplayAlerts',0);
 Docs = Word.Documents; 
Doc = Docs.Open('D:\Doc1.doc');
 selection = Word.Selection; selection.Find.Execute('<text you want to find>',0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,'<Text you want to replace>',2,0,0,0,0);
 Doc.Save; 
Docs.Close;
 invoke(Word,'Quit');
 delete(Word);

[Gordon]

Corrected another typo. Should be:

Word = actxserver('Word.application'); 
Word.Visible = 0; 
set(Word,'DisplayAlerts',0); 
Docs = Word.Documents; 
Doc = Docs.Open('D:\Doc1.doc');
 selection = Word.Selection;
 selection.Find.Execute('<text you want to find>',0,0,0,0,0,1,1,0,'<Text you want to replace>',2,0,0,0,0);
 Doc.Save;
 Docs.Close;
 invoke(Word,'Quit');
 delete(Word);