Search for a string in a PDF file from Excel - excel

Question

I am searching for a string in a table inside a PDF file using a VBA script. The script is working when called from Word but not when called from Excel.
My PDF has many tables and the goal is to get the table number of the table containing a specific string.
Sub FindTableno()
Dim oTbl As Table
Dim oRow As Row
Dim oCell As Cell
Dim tblno As Integer
On Error Resume Next
' Create a "FileDialog" object as a File Picker dialog box.
Dim fd As Office.FileDialog
Set fd = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
Dim sfileName As String
With fd
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.Filters.Clear
.Title = "Select a PDF File"
.Filters.Add "All PDF Documents", "*.pdf?", 1
If .Show = True Then
sfileName = Dir(.SelectedItems(1)) ' Get the file.
End If
End With
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Application.DisplayAlerts = False
If Trim(sfileName) <> "" Then
Dim objWord As Object ' Create a Word object.
Set objWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
objWord.Visible = False ' Do not show the file.
' Create a Document object and open the Word file.
Dim objDoc As Word.Document
Set objDoc = objWord.Documents.Open(FileName:=fd.InitialFileName & sfileName, Format:="PDF Files", ConfirmConversions:=False)
' Search within tables in selected PDF file
objDoc.Activate
If ActiveDocument.Tables.Count > 0 Then
tblno = 1
For Each oTbl In ActiveDocument.Tables
For Each oRow In oTbl.Rows
For Each oCell In oRow.Cells
oCell.Select
Selection.Find.Execute FindText:="Nutrition Information"
If Selection.Find.Found = True Then
MsgBox (tblno)
Exit Sub
Else
End If
Next
Next
tblno = tblno + 1
Next
End If
MsgBox ("Not Found, Total Tables Searched:" & ActiveDocument.Tables.Count)
End If
Dim X As Variant
X = Shell("powershell.exe kill -processname winword", 1)
End Sub

Answer 1

The main issue is in this part where you use oCell.Select and afterwards Selection.Find. In this case Selection refers to the selected cell in Excel! This is because you didn't specifiy any relation to Word here, so Excel assumes you mean the selected cell in Excel.
I recommend to read How to avoid using Select in Excel VBA. The same is valid for Word VBA code.
Also don't use .Activate or you will get a similar issue. Always reference the worksheet or document directly:
If objDoc.Tables.Count > 0 Then
tblno = 1
For Each oTbl In objDoc.Tables
For Each oRow In oTbl.Rows
For Each oCell In oRow.Cells
oCell.Range.Find.Execute FindText:="Nutrition Information"
If oCell.Range.Find.Found = True Then
MsgBox (tblno)
Exit Sub
End If
Next
Next
tblno = tblno + 1
Next
End If
MsgBox ("Not Found, Total Tables Searched:" & objDoc.Tables.Count)

Answer 2

Thanks #Pᴇʜ, this worked for me
Sub FindTableno()
Dim oTbl As Table
Dim oRow As Row
Dim oCell As Cell
Dim tblno As Integer
' Create a "FileDialog" object as a File Picker dialog box.
Dim fd As Office.FileDialog
Set fd = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)
Dim sfileName As String
With fd
.AllowMultiSelect = False
.Filters.Clear
.Title = "Select a PDF File"
.Filters.Add "All PDF Documents", "*.pdf?", 1
If .Show = True Then
sfileName = Dir(.SelectedItems(1)) ' Get the file.
End If
End With
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Application.DisplayAlerts = True
If Trim(sfileName) <> "" Then
Dim objWord As Object ' Create a Word object.
Set objWord = CreateObject("Word.Application")
objWord.Visible = True ' Do not show the file.
' Create a Document object and open the Word file.
Dim objDoc As Word.Document
'Set objDoc = objWord.Documents.Open(Filename:=fd.InitialFileName & sfileName, Format:="PDF Files", ConfirmConversions:=False)
Set objDoc = objWord.Documents.Open(Filename:=fd.InitialFileName & sfileName, Format:="PDF Files", ConfirmConversions:=False)
' Search within tables in selected PDF file
If objDoc.Tables.count > 0 Then
tblno = 1
For Each oTbl In objDoc.Tables
For Each oRow In oTbl.Rows
For Each oCell In oRow.Cells
pos = InStr(oCell.Range.Text, "Nutrition Information ")
If pos <> 0 Then
GoTo line1
End If
'Else
'End If
Next
Next
tblno = tblno + 1
Next
End If
MsgBox ("Not Found, Total Tables Searched:" & objDoc.Tables.count)
'MsgBox (oCell.Range.Text)
End If
line1:
MsgBox (tblno)
End Sub