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. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Workbook, Once Created, is Too Big for Memory

Understanding how Excel uses memory, how much it allows, and how to work around the limitations.

Discover More

Word Won't Maximize

Sometimes, for whatever reason, your computer might not display Word or other programs properly. There are a few things ...

Discover More

Rounding Numbers

The primary method of rounding values is to use the ROUND function in your formulas. Here's an introduction to this ...

Discover More

Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!

More WordTips (menu)

Creating a String

Need to use a macro to create a text string? One easy way to do it is to use the String function, described in this tip.

Discover More

Aligning a Paragraph in a Macro

If you are applying formatting from within a macro, you may want to change the alignment of various paragraphs. Here's ...

Discover More

Determining the Horizontal Position of the Insertion Point

Need to figure out how far the insertion point is from the left margin? You can do so by using this small macro that ...

Discover More
Subscribe

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.

What is four more than 4?

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.

Videos
Subscribe

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

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.