runtime error 5854 string parameter is too long

Question

I use following macro and sometimes it gives parameter is too long error. how can I solve it?

Sub BoldFirstLetterInSentence()
Dim s As Range
Dim doc1 As Document
Dim doc2 As Document

Set doc1 = Word.Documents("Doc1.docx")
Set doc2 = Word.Documents("Doc2.docx")

For Each s In doc1.Sentences
    If s.Characters(1).Bold = True Then
        Debug.Print s
        With doc2
            Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
            With Selection.Find
                .Text = s
                .Replacement.Text = ""
                .Forward = True
                .Wrap = wdFindContinue
                .Format = False
                .MatchCase = False
                .MatchWholeWord = False
                .MatchWildcards = False
                .MatchSoundsLike = False
                .MatchAllWordForms = False
            End With
            a = Selection.Find.Execute
            If a = True Then
                Selection.Font.Bold = True
            End If
        End With
    End If
Next

End Sub

Answer 1

I figured out an answer to this - hopefully it's of some use 3 years on.

In my application, I'm replacing all occurrences of the string "{Text}" in a document with the replacement text.

The approach is to break the replacement text into "chunks" of 250 characters, and if there are any more chunks remaining, append a new replacement variable ({1} for the first chunk, {2} for the second, etc.), then repeat.

My code below runs in Word 2010 VBA:

Private Sub SearchAndReplace(search As String, replace As String)

Dim i As Integer
Dim chunks As Integer
Dim chunk As String

Selection.GoTo What:=wdGoToSection, Which:=wdGoToFirst ' Go to the start of the document

With Selection.Find
    .ClearFormatting
    .MatchCase = True
    .MatchWholeWord = True

    ' We get error 5854 if the replacement text is greater than 255 characters, so need to work around
    ' How many 250 character "chunks" are there in the replacement text?
    chunks = Round(Len(replace) / 250, 0)                   ' Use 250 to allow for {1}, etc.
    If Len(replace) Mod 250 > 0 Then chunks = chunks + 1      ' Workaround because there's no Ceiling()

    If chunks = 1 Then
        .Execute FindText:="{" & search & "}", ReplaceWith:=replace, replace:=wdReplaceAll
    Else

        ' Replace existing replacement variable (e.g. {Text}) the first chunk's replacement variable (i.e. {1})
        .Execute FindText:="{" & search & "}", ReplaceWith:="{1}", replace:=wdReplaceAll

        ' Replace the text in chunks of less than 255 characters
        For i = 1 To chunks

            ' Get the
            chunk = Mid(replace, ((i - 1) * 250) + 1, 250)

            ' Add the replacement variable for the next chunk to the end of the string
            If i < chunks Then chunk = chunk & "{" & (i + 1) & "}"

            .Execute FindText:="{" & i & "}", ReplaceWith:=chunk, replace:=wdReplaceAll
        Next i

    End If
End With

End Sub

Answer 2

The answer is much simpler than those given here. Don't use Replacement. Simply select the text you want to replace, then TYPE over it.

With ActiveDocument.ActiveWindow.Selection
    .WholeStory
    .Find.ClearFormatting
    .Find.Execute FindText:="Whatever you want to replace"
    Options.ReplaceSelection = True
    .TypeText Text:="Type away to your heart's content.  This string can be as long as it needs to be.  What you're doing here is selecting the part you want to replace, then just start typing, same as you would if you were using Word for real.  Because Selection selects the word you want to replace, when you start typing, that will be replaced with the new text as you type.  No need to worry about String length limitations."
End With