How to Run Word Find and Replace Only in Selected Table Cells in WPS Writer VBA
Question details
The user needs a Word-compatible macro that performs multiple Find and Replace operations inside only the selected table cells, without losing the original table selection after the first replacement.
- Product
- WPS Writer
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Automating several find-and-replace passes in a selected table.
- Observed behavior
- Selection.Find can change or lose the original selection after the first replacement, so subsequent replacements may target the wrong range.
Open the document in WPS Writer and make sure the Developer tab is visible so you can access the macro editor. Confirm that the cursor or selection is inside the table you want to process before running the macro.
Restrict Replacements Using Selection.Tables(1).Range in the Macro
Use this solution when the macro must perform multiple Find and Replace operations and stay limited to the table containing the current selection.
Selection.Find operates against the live selection and can lose the original table context after a replacement. By targeting Selection.Tables(1).Range, the macro uses the full table range as a stable object for repeated replacements.
Click the Developer tab, then select Visual Basic or Macros to open the editor containing your Word-compatible macro code.
Add an early guard such as: If Selection.Information(wdWithInTable) = False Then Exit Sub. This prevents the macro from running when the cursor is not in a table.
Replace Selection.Find with Selection.Tables(1).Range as the target, for example: Selection.Tables(1).Range.Find.Execute FindText:="1 (2–3)", ReplaceWith:="...".
Store Selection.Tables(1).Range in a Range variable once, then call the Find and Replace method on that variable for each replacement pair so the original table range is reused.
Use WPS Writer Macros to Confine Find and Replace to a Selected Table
WPS Writer can run Word-compatible macros and gives you a free, lightweight environment to edit and execute the table-range Find and Replace code. By using Selection.Tables(1).Range in the macro, you keep every replacement within the selected table.
- 1. Open the macro editor: In WPS Writer, enable the Developer tab, click Developer > Macros, and create or edit the macro that contains your Find and Replace code.
- 2. Verify the table context: At the start of the macro, test Selection.Information(wdWithInTable). If it is False, exit the macro or show a prompt asking the user to place the cursor inside a table.
- 3. Target the selected table range: Use Selection.Tables(1).Range as the Find target and run the Find.Execute method on that range for each replacement.
- 4. Run the macro: Press F5 or click Run in the macro editor, then verify that the changes appear only in the selected table.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Selection.Find lose my original table selection after the first replacement?
Selection.Find changes the selection as soon as a replacement is made, so later code no longer refers to the original table. Use Selection.Tables(1).Range or store that range in a Range variable and run each replacement on that range.
How do I check whether the cursor is inside a table before running the macro?
Use Selection.Information(wdWithInTable). If it returns False, exit the macro or show a message; if True, continue with Selection.Tables(1).Range.
Will this method avoid replacing text outside the selected table?
Yes. The code uses the range of Selection.Tables(1), so it only processes the table containing the active selection and ignores body text and other tables.
Can I run multiple Find and Replace operations in the same selected table?
Yes. Assign Selection.Tables(1).Range to a Range variable once, then call Find.Execute on that variable for each search-and-replace pair so the range is not lost between operations.
