vba - Modifying a table cell's .Range.Text removes any attached comments -

i've written small vba program remove trailing whitespace ms word table cells. iterates through cells of each table , modifies .range.text object using command

c.range.text = myre.replace(c.range.text, "") 

where myre vbscript regexp 5.5 object , myre.pattern = "\s+(?!.*\w)". entire program can found here.

the program works fine except 1 problem. removes comments cells well. before:

after (the space gone, comment):

looking @ local object tree, can see changing c.range.text changes c.range.comments - why?

what can prevent this?

when work range.text, case whenever regex or, indeed, function manipulates strings used, formatting , other non-text characters lost when pure string written cell.

for example, if single character in cell text formatted bold, bold formatting lost. or if change tracking in cell - lost. footnote or endnote lost. comments fall same category.

you need different approach, 1 respects how word stores non-text information in document. here's suggestion loops cells in table, picks range @ end of cell, moves starting point of range long pre-defined whitespace character found. when criterium no longer met, range deleted. (note don't know why needed use range.delete twice - first time had no effect.)

you need work out "whitespace". used space, carriage return , tab character. can add others swhitespace string.

sub removewhitespaceendofcell()   dim cel word.cell   dim swhitespace string   dim rng word.range   dim lwhitespacechars long    'define constitutes whitespace.    'here: space, carriage return , tab   swhitespace = chr(32) & chr(13) & chr(9)   each cel in activedocument.tables(1).range.cells     set rng = cel.range     'set range end of cell     rng.collapse wdcollapseend     rng.moveend wdcharacter, -1     'move starting point long whitespace found     lwhitespacechars = rng.movestartwhile(swhitespace, wdbackward)     'only if whitespace found, delete range     if lwhitespacechars <> 0         'rng.select 'for debugging purposes         rng.delete         rng.delete     end if   next end sub