TabStops Collection

ParagraphFormat TabStops
TabStop

A collection of TabStop objects that represent the custom and default tabs for a paragraph or group of paragraphs.

Using the TabStops Collection

Use the Tabs property to return the TabStops collection. The following example clears all the custom tab stops from the first paragraph in the active publication.

Sub ClearAllTabStops()
    ActiveDocument.Pages(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame.TextRange _
        .ParagraphFormat.Tabs.ClearAll
End Sub
		

The following example adds a tab stop positioned at 2.5 inches to the selected paragraphs and then displays the position of each item in the TabStops collection.

Sub Tabs()
    Dim intTab As Integer
    Selection.TextRange.ParagraphFormat.Tabs _
        .Add Position:=InchesToPoints(2.5), _
        Alignment:=pbTabAlignmentLeading, Leader:=pbTabLeaderNone
    With Selection.TextRange.ParagraphFormat
        For intTab = 1 To .Tabs.Count
            MsgBox "Position = " & PointsToInches _
               (.Tabs(intTab).Position) & " inches"
            intTab = intTab + 1
        Next intTab
    End With
End Sub
		

Use the Add method to add a tab stop. The following example adds two tab stops to the selected paragraphs. The first tab stop is a left-aligned tab with a dotted tab leader positioned at 1 inch (72 points). The second tab stop is centered and is positioned at 2 inches.

Sub AddNewTabs()
    With Selection.TextRange.ParagraphFormat.Tabs
        .Add Position:=InchesToPoints(1), _
            Leader:=pbTabLeaderDot, Alignment:=pbTabAlignmentLeading
        .Add Position:=InchesToPoints(2), _
            Leader:=pbTabLeaderNone, Alignment:=pbTabAlignmentCenter
    End With
End Sub
		

Use Tabs (index), where index is the location of the tab stop (in points) or the index number, to return a single TabStop object. Tab stops are indexed numerically from left to right along the ruler. The following example removes the first custom tab stop from the first paragraph in the active publication.

Sub ClearTabStop()
    ActiveDocument.Pages(1).Shapes(1).TextFrame.TextRange _
        .ParagraphFormat.Tabs(1).Clear
End Sub
		

The following example changes the second tab in the selection to a right-aligned tab stop.

Sub ChangeTabStop()
    Selection.TextRange.ParagraphFormat.Tabs(2) _
        .Alignment = pbTabAlignmentTrailing
End Sub