Displaying the Document Title Right Away

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 3, 2019)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

Warren is using Word 2003 and needs a way to show the document title (from the document properties) in the title bar of the document window when he first opens the document. Currently, only the filename shows when he first opens the document. The document title shows only after the first time he saves the document.

Actually there is a way to do this, and it will work in Word 97 through Word 2003. All you need to do is add a macro that runs automatically when the document opens. You do this by opening the Visual Basic Editor (Alt+F11) and using the Project Explorer (top-left portion of the Visual Basic Editor) to open the code window for the ThisDocument object for your document. Then, put this macro in the code window:

Private Sub Document_Open()
    Application.Caption = _
      ActiveDocument.BuiltInDocumentProperties(wdPropertyTitle)
End Sub

The macro executes when the document is opened. It grabs the document title (from the properties for the document) and stuffs it into the caption for the program (the title bar).

Note:

If you would like to know how to use the macros described on this page (or on any other page on the WordTips sites), I've prepared a special page that includes helpful information. Click here to open that special page in a new browser tab.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3422) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Printing without Track Changes Marks

If your document has a lot of markup visible in it, you may want to print a copy of the document that doesn't reflect ...

Discover More

Erasing Table Lines

When creating tables, Word provides a handy tool that you can use. Once the table is in place, you can use the table ...

Discover More

Inserting Footnotes

Footnotes appear at the bottom (or foot) of each page. It is an easy task to insert a footnote at any point you desire, ...

Discover More

Create Custom Apps with VBA! Discover how to extend the capabilities of Office 365 applications with VBA programming. Written in clear terms and understandable language, the book includes systematic tutorials and contains both intermediate and advanced content for experienced VB developers. Designed to be comprehensive, the book addresses not just one Office application, but the entire Office suite. Check out Mastering VBA for Microsoft Office 365 today!

More WordTips (menu)

Toggling Font Assignments in a Macro

If you need to quickly switch a text selection from one typeface to another, one way you can do it is with a macro. This ...

Discover More

Resetting Character Formatting in a Macro

Want your macro to get rid of the formatting applied to a selection of text? It's easy enough to do using the Reset ...

Discover More

Converting Text to Uppercase in a Macro

Macros are often used to process documents. If part of the processing involves making text selections uppercase, Word ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is four less than 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.