copy formatted text into access using vba

Question

I need to save formatted text from Word in an Access Database.

So far I've managed to figure out how to store formatted text in an Access Field (Create a Memo Field in a Table and set the Text Format as Rich Text). Searching SO I have not yet come across a solution as to how to transport said text from word into Access.

I know that it is possible, because you can do it by simply copying and pasting the information if you are doing it manually.

My question, how can I copy formatted text from word into a field in a table using VBA?

Experimentally I created the following to test this. So far without success...

Sub GetComments()
'Imports Analyst Comments from Excel files als OLE Objects.
'---------------------------------

'Access Variables
Dim dbsFundDB As DAO.Database
Dim rsComments As DAO.Recordset

Set dbsFundDB = CurrentDb
Set rsComments = dbsFundDB.OpenRecordset("tblFunds")

'Word Variables
Dim doc             As Word.Application
Dim dcmt            As Word.Document
Dim sectn           As Word.Section
Dim obCommentText   As Object
Dim sAnalystText    As String

'Open New Word File
Set doc = New Word.Application
doc.Visible = True
Set dcmt = doc.Documents.Open(sPathTemplate)
Set sectn = dcmt.Sections(1)

sectn.Range.Select
Selection.InsertFile FileName:="myfile.rtf", Range:="", _
  ConfirmConversions:=False, Link:=False, Attachment:=False

sAnalystText = sectn.Range.Tables(1).cell(1, 1).Range.FormattedText

rsComments.AddNew
rsComments![Long Comment Exec] = sAnalystText
rsComments.Update

sectn.Range.Select
dcmt.Close savechanges:=False
doc.Quit

End Sub

UPDATE I tried implementing the answer from Matt Hall. While the text is indeed copied to the database, it does not yet keep the formatting:

Here is my implementation as a simple test:

Option Explicit
Public Const sPathTemplate As String = "W:\L\BDTP\Products\FundResearchTool\Advisory.docx"
Option Compare Database

Sub GetComments()
'Imports Comments from word and save in DB
'Test soubroutine
'---------------------------------

'Word Variables
Dim obCommentText As Variant
Dim strSQL As String

obCommentText = GetWordContent(sPathTemplate)

strSQL = "insert into [tblText]([TestField]) values('" & obCommentText & "')"

DoCmd.RunSQL strSQL
MsgBox "Import Successful", vbInformation Or vbOKOnly

End Sub
Private Function GetWordContent(strFile As String) As Variant

    ' This function takes the path obtained to the MS-Word Document selected in
    ' the FileToOpen function and then uses that to open that MS-Word Document
    ' and retrieve its text contents

    Dim objDoc As Word.Document

    Set objDoc = GetObject(strFile)

    GetWordContent = CVar(objDoc.Sections(1).Range.Text)

    objDoc.Close

End Function

Answer 1

Here's a method that heavily references this.

Before you start make sure you have these (or your Access version's equivalent) references ticked in VBA editor > Tools > References:

Microsoft Word 15.0 Object Library

Microsoft Office 15.0 Object Library

Assuming you've set up a form with a command button to trigger this MS-Word import, put the following function and subroutine somewhere in that form's VBA module:

1) File Picker Function:

This will allow you to select the MS-Word Document you want to using the old familiar file dialogue window you see throughout Windows. Ultimately, all it does is save the file path and name of the file you've picked for use in in the subroutine described in (2)...

Private Function FileToOpen() As String

    ' This function will essentially allow you to browse to MS-Word document
    ' and then store the path of that file for use in the GetWordContent function

    Dim fDialog As Office.FileDialog
    Dim varFile As Variant

    Set fDialog = Application.FileDialog(msoFileDialogFilePicker)

    With fDialog

        .AllowMultiSelect = False
        .Title = "Select Word document to import"
        .Filters.Clear
        .Filters.Add "Word files", "*.doc?"

        If _
            .Show = True _
        Then
            For Each varFile In .SelectedItems

                FileToOpen = varFile

            Next

        Else

            FileToOpen = ""

        End If

    End With

End Function

2) Get Formatted Text Contents of MS-Word Document Subroutine:

This subroutine will use the file path and name of the MS-Word Document selected in the File Picker function (above) to open the MS-Word document, select all the text, copy it to the clipboard, paste it to a text box on an open form in Access and then close MS-Word...

Private Sub GetWordContent(strFile As String)

    ' This function takes the path obtained to the MS-Word Document selected in
    ' the FileToOpen function and then uses that to open that MS-Word Document
    ' and retrieve its text contents and paste them in to WordDocData textbox on
    ' the currently open form in Access

    ' Create an MS-Word Object:

    Dim objDoc As Object
    Set objDoc = CreateObject("Word.Application")

    ' Open the file selected in FileToOpen() and copy the contents to clipboard:

    With objDoc

        .Documents.Open strFile
        .Visible = True
        .Activate
        .Selection.WholeStory
        .Selection.Copy

    End With

    ' Set the focus to the WordDocData textbox on the Access Form and paste clipboard:

    Me.WordDocData.SetFocus
    DoCmd.RunCommand acCmdPaste

    Me.WordDocDataSrc = strFile

    ' Save record on the form:

    If _
        Me.Dirty _
    Then

        Me.Dirty = False

    End If

    ' A bit hacky this bit. When you close MS-Word after copying a lot of data,
    ' you might get a message asking you if you if you want to keep the last item
    ' you copied. This essentially overwrites the clipboard that currently has
    ' the whole document stored, to just the first 5 characters, which should allow
    ' MS-Word to be closed here without a pop-up message to deal with:

    With objDoc

        .Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdLine
        .Selection.MoveRight Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=5, Extend:=wdExtend
        .Selection.Copy
        .Documents.Close
        .Quit

    End With

    Set objDoc = Nothing

End Sub

Your Command Button's On-click Event:

This subroutine should be run from your command button's on-click event. It essentially calls FileToOpen function and the GetWordContent subroutine in order for the user to select a MS-Word Document and then let the VBA copy and paste the formatted text from the MS-Word Document in to a rich text memo textbox on the open form in Access.

Note that this subroutine makes some assumptions, and refers to names of controls/tables/fields and whatnot that you might not have already setup. These assumptions are:

1. Your form's command button is called cmdGetWordData
2. Your Access database has a table called tblWordDump
3. Your form is bound to the table tblWordDump
4. tblWordDump has 2 memo text fields called WordDocDataSrc and WordDocData to store the imported file path/name and text contents respectively and both are added to your form

Private Sub cmdGetWordData_Click()

    ' This subroutine runs on your command button; it will call both the FileToOpen function and GetWordContent subroutine
    ' to retrieve the text contents of your chosen MS-Word Document.
    ' It will then store both the path the text contents of of your chosen MS-Word Document in 2 fields in a table in Access.

    ' NOTE: this code assumes that your Access database has:
    ' - a table called tblWordDump
    ' - a memo text field in this table called WordDocDataSrc to store the path of MS-Word file imported
    ' - a memo text field in this table called WordDocData with the TextFormat property set to "Rich Text",
    '   which will store the text and text formating of the MS-Word file imported

    Dim strFile As String
    Dim strWordContent As Variant

    ' Select file via File Dialogue

    strFile = FileToOpen

    ' Conditionals when a file was or wasn't selected

    If _
        Len(strFile) > 0 _
    Then

        DoCmd.GoToRecord , , acNewRec

        GetWordContent strFile

        MsgBox "Import Successful", vbInformation Or vbOKOnly

    Else

        MsgBox "No File Selected", vbExclamation Or vbOKOnly

    End If

End Sub

Here's an example Access file of this for you to poke about in.