Insert Bar Codes into the Header or Footer of your Document

Background:
This article describes how to use the ActveX Control to insert a barcode image into the header or footer of a MS Word 97/2000 document.

Solution:
To use the code below Download a fully working example of this macro and jump to step 10 or if you are confident with Word VBA Programming:

1. Copy the Sub InsertBarCodes() Routine to the clipboard by highlighting it and pressing Ctrl + C.
2. In Microsoft Word, Open the Visual Basic Editor by pressing Alt + F11
3. Insert a new Module, by clicking on Insert|Module
4. Paste the code into the module
5. Create a User Form by going to the Insert Menu and chooseing User Form.
6. Rename the User Form "frmMain" using the Properties sheet (View Propeties)
7. Add a textbox to the Userform and name it "txtMessage"
8. Add the TALBARCD control to the form.
9. Add a command button and use the following code for its onClick Event: frmMain.hide
   
10. Run the macro by going to the "Tools" menu, selecting "macro" and clicking on "Macros" and then double clicking on "InsertBarCodes" from the list.

Sub InsertBarCodes()
'
' InsertBarCodes Macro (activeX Version)
' Macro written 6/28/01
'

On Error Resume Next ' ignore errors

'Delete barcode image file if it exists
Kill ("C:\barcode.wmf")

If Application.Documents.Count < 1 Then
Beep
MsgBox "This macro cannot be run with no documents open!"
GoTo Quit
End If

'display form
frmMain.Show

'Get message to encode
BCData$ = frmMain.txtMessage.Text

' remove any carriage return/line feeds from the selected text
If Right$(BCData$, 1) = Chr(13) Then
BCData$ = Left$(BCData$, Len(BCData$) - 1)
ElseIf Right$(BCData$, 1) = Chr(10) Then
BCData$ = Left$(BCData$, Len(BCData$) - 2)
End If

' strip off trailing spaces
BCData$ = RTrim$(BCData$)

' if no text is selected then quit
If Len(BCData$) = 0 Then GoTo Quit

frmMain.TALBarCd1.BarHeight = 250 'set height to 1/4"
frmMain.TALBarCd1.Message = BCData$ ' Generate the bar code
frmMain.TALBarCd1.SaveBarCode "C:\barcode.wmf" ' save to disk

'open header/footer view
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.SeekView = wdSeekCurrentPageFooter

'Use the following line to insert the barcode into the Header
'ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.SeekView = wdSeekCurrentPageHeader

'Delete last barcode if exists
Selection.Delete Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1

'insert barcode image
Selection.InlineShapes.AddPicture FileName:="C:\barcode.wmf", _
LinkToFile:=False, SaveWithDocument:=True

'close header/footer view
ActiveWindow.ActivePane.View.SeekView = wdSeekMainDocument

Quit:
End Sub

Make sure you enable the macros when opening the document. In Word 2000 also make sure that the macro security level is set to medium. (Check under Tools|Macro|Security).