PrivateProfileString Property

Returns or sets a string in a settings file or the Windows registry. Read/write String.

expression   Required. An expression that returns a System object.

FileName   Required String. The file name for the settings file. If there's no path specified, the Windows folder is assumed. If you're using Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT to return the value of a registry entry, FileName must be an empty string ("").

Section   Required String. The name of the section in the settings file that contains Key. In a Windows settings file, the section name appears between brackets before the associated keys (don't include the brackets with Section). If you're returning the value of an entry from the Windows registry, Section should be the complete path to the subkey, including the subtree (for example, "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\version\Word\Options").

Key   Required String. The key setting or registry entry value you want to retrieve. In a Windows settings file, the key name is followed by an equal sign (=) and the setting. If you're returning the value of an entry from the Windows registry, Key should be the name of an entry in the subkey specified by Section (for example, "STARTUP-PATH").

Remarks

You can write macros that use a settings file to store and retrieve settings. For example, you can store the name of the active document when you quit Word so that it can be reopened automatically the next time you start Word. A settings file is a text file with information arranged like the information in the Windows 3.x WIN.INI file.

Example

This example sets the current document name as the LastFile setting under the MacroSettings heading in Settings.txt.

System.PrivateProfileString("C:\Settings.txt", "MacroSettings", _
    "LastFile") = ActiveDocument.FullName

This example returns the LastFile setting from Settings.txt and then opens the document stored in LastFile.

LastFile = System.PrivateProfileString("C:\Settings.Txt", _
    "MacroSettings", "LastFile")
If LastFile <> "" Then Documents.Open FileName:=LastFile

This example displays the value of the EmailName entry from the Windows registry.

aName = System.PrivateProfileString("", _
    "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\" _
    & "Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings", "EmailName")
MsgBox aName