1. Problem summary

This is my first time writing VBA for Word. I have multiple documents; each one is larger than 100 pp., with a plaintext index according to paragraph number. I am writing a script to find and bookmark paragraphs according to the numbering format used in my documents, in order to hyperlink index entries and/or cross-reference the documents.

2. Details

Numbering format is {##-###.} with chapter number before the hyphen and paragraph sequence number after. The original numbering does not contain leading zeroes.

I included a font color change in the script so that any paragraph numbers not captured as bookmarks will immediately stand out.

Where I am stuck

• Current script matches the expression {##-###.} anywhere in the document; this is a problem because e.g. tables and figures are numbered using the same format as paragraphs. I need to somehow match this expression only with strings located at the start of a paragraph.
• Current script uses the Bookmarks.Exists method to check for a bookmark of the same name before creating one. I would like to check as well for a bookmark at the same location as Selection.Start, but have not yet learned how.

3. Script

' Variables:
' pNum: verbatim result of the search expression
' arrPNum: array containing padded two-digit chapter at (0) and padded three-digit paragraph at (1)
' CleanPNum: chapter and paragraph reformatted into bookmark name
Sub makeBookmarks() Selection.Find.ClearFormatting With Selection.Find .Text = "[0-9]{1,2}-[0-9]{1,3}." .Replacement.Text = "" .Forward = True .Wrap = wdFindContinue .Format = False .MatchCase = False .MatchWholeWord = False .MatchByte = False .MatchAllWordForms = False .MatchSoundsLike = False .MatchWildcards = True End With For Each para In ActiveDocument.Paragraphs Selection.Find.Execute pNum = Selection If pNum <> "" Then arrPNum = Split(Left(pNum, Len(pNum) - 1), "-") CleanPNum = "para_" & Format$(arrPNum(0), "00") & "_" & Format$(arrPNum(1), "000") End If If ActiveDocument.Bookmarks.Exists(CStr(CleanPNum)) = True Then Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdWord, Count:=1 Else Selection.Font.Color = 15132391 Selection.MoveLeft Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1 With ActiveDocument.Bookmarks .Add Range:=Selection.Range, Name:=CStr(CleanPNum) .DefaultSorting = wdSortByName .ShowHidden = False Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdWord, Count:=1 End With End If Next
End Sub

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