TrailBlazer

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TrailBlazer

TrailBlazer produces pathways through the forest of trees, the words in your document.

In its simplest form cmd_TrailSolicitString, TrailBlazer will solicit a string and then hyperlink all occurrences of that string in the current document. Use the macro SolictString for this purpose.

The macro cmd_TrailWord obtains the string from the current word selected in the body of text in the current document.

The macro cmd_TrailActiveDocument makes use of all marked index entries ({XE}) in the body of text in the current document. If you have made use of my smart indexer tool, your document will be populated with index entries. TrailBlazer will operate automatically on these index entries.

Fast Start

Click on any common word in your document, Click on the TrailBlazer menu in the TrailBlazer toolbar, click on cmd_TrailWord.

Shortcut keys

None have been assigned to this application.

The TrailBlazer toolbar

"?" Tells you the name of this application. Use this name in communicating problems to me

"!" Brings up the GUI form for easy access to the INI file. You can always edit the INI file with your favorite text editor or NotePad.exe.

"TrailBlazer" brings up TrailBlazer's menu of macro commands.

Related applications

Indexer

My Indexer will locate interesting words in your document and set them up as index fields (from which it builds an index, or a keyword list if you want to save as HTML). Those same index fields can be employed by TrailBlazer to map all the interesting words in your document.

Files

My Files processor will allow you to TrailBlaze thousands of documents automatically. To each document you will apply a process which consists of IndexActiveDocument and TrailBlazeActiveDocument. All done!

User Macros

As a user you can issue these calls from your toolbar, by assigning shortcut keys, or by following Word's menu items: Choose Tools, Macro, Macros, scroll down to the appropriate name and run the macro.

ConvertHyperlinks

Converts all the hyperlinks in the document to fixed text. This will obliterate TrailBlazer’s efforts so far, plus any other hyperlink fields you may have had in your document.

GUI

Displays the GUI form by which you can change TrailBlazer’s environment. Please read the section on TrailBlazer’s environment for more details.

RemoveIndexEntries

Converts all the Index fields in the document to fixed text. This will obliterate any Index fields you may have had in your document, whether you created them manually or by using our Indexer product..

TrailActiveDocument

This will as many trails as you have index words. TrailBlazer analyses your index entries, and blazes a trail for each word.

TrailSelection

TrailBlazer takes your selection as a string, and blazes a trail through every occurrence of that string.

TrailSolicitString

TrailBlazer solicits a string from the user through an Input Box mechanism, and blazes a trail through every occurrence of that string.

TrailWord

TrailBlazer uses the word identified at the current selection point, and blazes a trail through every occurrence of that word. The word need not be selected completely – any part of it will suffice.

ResetIni

TrailBlazer will reset all environment values to their defaults. Use this if you feel that you have made a hopeless mess of the Trail.INI file.

WhoAmI

TrailBlazer reports its full name; you can use this to help report problems.

Developer Procedures

As an application developer you can make use of any TrailBlazer macros that you find useful.

Additionally you can tap into the procedures which serve the user macros.

TrailString(strWord As String)

TrailBlazer will blaze a trail through the ActiveDocument, using the supplied string as a search string.

Sub TESTTrailString()
Call Initialize
Call TrailString("INI")
End Sub

Initialize()

Used to initialize TrailBlazer's environment variables.

RefreshGUIFromINI(frm As UserForm)

Resets the controls of the GUI form from the INI file.

Sub TESTRefreshGUIFromINI()
Call Initialize
Load frmTrailBlazer
Call RefreshGUIFromINI(frmTrailBlazer)
End Sub

strINIFile(ByVal strSect As String) As String

Returns the full name of the TrailBlazer environmental file.

Sub TESTstrINIFile()
Call Initialize
MsgBox strINIFile(c.strApplication)
End Sub

Example 1

I want to click with the mouse and be taken to each occurrence of the word "Trail" in this document.

Steps:

1 Click with the mouse anywhere in this word "trail" or any other place where you see the string "trail".

2 On the TrailBlazer toolbar, click on the Trail menu, then click on the menu item cmd_TrailWord.

3 Wherever the five letters "trail" appear, you will see a hyperlink format - bright blue.

4 Click on any occurrence of a hyperlink and you will be taken to the next occurrence.

Example 2

I want to click with the mouse and be taken to each successive occurrence of the word "Trail" in this document in the forward direction.

Steps:

1 On the TrailBlazer toolbar, click on the GUI form item ("!") or choose cmd_GUI from the Trail menu.

2 Choose Link Forward, then choose OK.

3 Continue as for the exercise in cmd_TrailWord.

Example 3

I want to nominate a string of characters, such as "er", rather than a complete word, and be taken to each occurrence of the word "Trail" in this document.

Steps:

1 On the TrailBlazer toolbar, click on the Trail menu, then click on the menu item cmd_TrailSolicitString.

2 In the InputBox that appears, type your two letters "er", without the quotes. Choose OK.

3 Wherever the two letters "er" appear, you will see a hyperlink format - bright blue.

4 Click on any occurrence of a hyperlink and you will be taken to the next occurrence.

Example 4

I have previously used your Indexer tool (or have created my own {XE} entries) and want to hyperlink all those words.

Steps:

1 On the TrailBlazer toolbar, click on the Trail menu.

2 Click on the menu item cmd_TrailActiveDocument.

Example 5

I want to remove all hyperlinks from my document

Steps:

1 On the TrailBlazer toolbar, click on the Trail menu

2 Click on the menu item cmd_RemoveHyperlinks.

Toronto and Mississauga, Friday, March 19, 2010 1:03 PM