Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 28, 2025)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Danny is writing a macro and he need to discover the horizontal position of the insertion point, relative to the left margin, in inches. This can be done by using a rather simple macro, such as the following:
Sub HorPos() Location = Selection.Information( _ wdHorizontalPositionRelativeToTextBoundary) MsgBox PointsToInches(Location) End Sub
The macro uses the Information property to determine the distance from the text boundary, in points. This is then converted to inches and displayed. The text boundary is, most often, the left margin in a normally formatted document. In some circumstances it could also be something else, such as the cell boundary in a table or column boundary in a multi-column format.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (3497) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Determining the Horizontal Position of the Insertion Point.
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!
If you want a list of all the fonts used in a document, the answer isn't as simple as you may think. This tip uses macros ...
Discover MoreWriting macros often involves selecting different parts of your document so that some sort of processing can be ...
Discover MoreWhen text is added to your document by a macro, and that text includes quotes or apostrophes, Word won't change the ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
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.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments