Knowledge Base

WD97: Extend Mode (EXT) Is Unexpectedly Deactivated

Article ID: 181104

Article Last Modified on 8/20/2007

APPLIES TO

This article was previously published under Q181104

SYMPTOMS

After you activate the extend mode feature in Microsoft Word by pressing F8, extend mode may become deactivated if you do any of the following:
  • You switch to a different document window. (Extend mode is no longer active when you return to the original document window.)

    -or-
  • You run ExtendMode in a macro. ExtendMode is the functional version of the WordBasic ExtendSelection macro command or the Visual Basic for Applications ExtendMode/Expand methods.

    -or-
  • You click any menu command and then click OK or Cancel.

CAUSE

This behavior is by design in Word. Word changes the status of the Extend command when a new command is chosen.

MORE INFORMATION

When you activate the extend mode feature by pressing F8, the Word status bar displays EXT. While extend mode is active, Word selects text when you press directional keys.

Selection.ExtendMode and Selection.Information(wdSelectionMode) are Visual Basic for Applications commands that return the status of the extend mode feature.

In the following syntax examples, "x" equals 0 (zero) if extend mode is inactive, and "x" equals a non-zero number if extend mode is active:

x = Selection.ExtendMode
x = Selection.Information(wdSelectionMode)

However, if you run these commands in a macro, Word always deactivates extend mode and sets the value of "x" to 0 (zero).

NOTE: Both commands operate correctly, returning the actual status of the extend mode feature if you run the commands by choosing the Step button in the macro-editing window.

Additional query words: extend selection extendselection execute turn off turned stop stopped inactive

Keywords: kbdtacode kbmacroexample kbprb KB181104


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