Check Value of Variable Using REF Field Code in MS Word: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding REF Field Code

REF field code is used to reference a named item, such as a bookmark, a field, or a variable, in a Microsoft Word document. It allows you to insert the value of a variable or a field into the document at a specific location. In this guide, we will explore how to use the REF field code to check the value of a variable.

Setting Up the Variables

Before we dive into the details of using the REF field code, let's first set up the variables we will be working with. For this example, we will create two variables, SET0 and SET1, using the following steps:

1. Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
2. In the Project Explorer, right-click on the document name and select Insert > Module.
3. Add the following code:

 Option Explicit
Public SET0 As String
Public SET1 As String

This code defines two public variables, SET0 and SET1, which we will assign values to later.

Assigning Values to the Variables

Now that we have defined our variables, let's assign some values to them. For this example, we will assign the value "Variable Value 1" to SET0 and "Variable Value 2" to SET1. You can modify these values to suit your needs.

4. Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
5. Add the following code:

Private Sub Document_Open()
SET0 = "Variable Value 1"
SET1 = "Variable Value 2"
End Sub

This code assigns the values "Variable Value 1" and "Variable Value 2" to the SET0 and SET1 variables, respectively, when the document is opened.

Using REF Field Code to Check Variable Values

Now that we have set up our variables, let's use the REF field code to check their values. To do this, follow these steps:

7. Go to the location in your document where you want to display the variable values.
8. Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor.
9. Insert a new field using the Insert > Quick Parts > Field > Text variable command.
10. In the Field Properties dialog box, name the field, for example, "Field1".
11. In the "Formula" tab, enter the following formula:

=REF Fields("Field2").Result

Note that "Field2" is the name of a new field that we will create next.

11. Create a new field using the Insert > Quick Parts > Field > Text variable command.
12. Name this field "Field2".
13. In the "Formula" tab, enter the following formula:

=SET0

This field will display the value of the SET0 variable.

15. Create another field using the Insert > Quick Parts > Field > Text variable command.
16. Name this field "Field3".
17. In the "Formula" tab, enter the following formula:

=SET1

This field will display the value of the SET1 variable.

19. Switch back to the document view and update the document.

Now, when you open the document, the values of the SET0 and SET1 variables will be displayed in the locations where the fields are inserted.

Summary and References

In this article, we explored how to use the REF field code in Microsoft Word to check the values of variables. We set up two variables, assigned values to them, and used the REF field code to display the variable values in the document. Here are some references for further reading:

• Use the REF field to refer to another field or content
• Use text variables in Word documents