Replace Module Text in MS Access using VBA

Question

How do I do a search and replace of text within a module in Access from another module in access? I could not find this on Google.

FYI, I figured out how to delete a module programatically:

Call DoCmd.DeleteObject(acModule, modBase64)

Answer 1

Check out the VBA object browser for the Access library. Under the Module object you can search the Module text as well as make replacements. Here is an simple example:

In Module1

Sub MyFirstSub()
    MsgBox "This is a test"
End Sub

In Module2

Sub ChangeTextSub()
    Dim i As Integer

    With Application.Modules("Module1")
        For i = 1 To .CountOfLines
            If InStr(.Lines(i, 1), "This is a Test") > 0 Then
                .ReplaceLine i, "Msgbox ""It worked!"""
            End If
        Next i
    End With
End Sub

After running ChangeTextSub, MyFirstSub should read

Sub MyFirstSub()
MsgBox "It worked!"
End Sub

It's a pretty simple search but hopefully that can get you going.

Answer 2

I assume you mean how to do this programatically (otherwise it's just ctrl-h). Unless this is being done in the context of a VBE Add-In, it is rarely (if ever) a good idea. Self modifying code is often flagged by AV software an although access will let you do it, it's not really robust enough to handle it, and can lead to corruption problems etc. In addition, if you go with self modifying code you are preventing yourself from ever being able to use an MDE or even a project password. In other words, you will never be able to protect your code. It might be better if you let us know what problem you are trying to solve with self modifying code and see if a more reliable solution could be found.

Answer 3

After a lot of searching I found this code:

''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
'Function to Search for a String in a Code Module. It will return True if it is found and
'False if it is not. It has an optional parameter (NewString) that will allow you to
'replace the found text with the NewString. If NewString is not included in the call
'to the function, the function will only find the string not replace it.
'
'Created by Joe Kendall 02/07/2003
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

Public Function SearchOrReplace(ByVal ModuleName As String, ByVal StringToFind As String, _
        Optional ByVal NewString, Optional ByVal FindWholeWord = False, _
        Optional ByVal MatchCase = False, Optional ByVal PatternSearch = False) As Boolean

    Dim mdl As Module
    Dim lSLine As Long
    Dim lELine As Long
    Dim lSCol As Long
    Dim lECol As Long
    Dim sLine As String
    Dim lLineLen As Long
    Dim lBefore As Long
    Dim lAfter As Long
    Dim sLeft As String
    Dim sRight As String
    Dim sNewLine As String

    Set mdl = Modules(ModuleName)

    If mdl.Find(StringToFind, lSLine, lSCol, lELine, lECol, FindWholeWord, _
            MatchCase, PatternSearch) = True Then
        If IsMissing(NewString) = False Then
            ' Store text of line containing string.
            sLine = mdl.Lines(lSLine, Abs(lELine - lSLine) + 1)
            ' Determine length of line.
            lLineLen = Len(sLine)
            ' Determine number of characters preceding search text.
            lBefore = lSCol - 1
            ' Determine number of characters following search text.
            lAfter = lLineLen - CInt(lECol - 1)
            ' Store characters to left of search text.
            sLeft = Left$(sLine, lBefore)
            ' Store characters to right of search text.
            sRight = Right$(sLine, lAfter)
            ' Construct string with replacement text.
            sNewLine = sLeft & NewString & sRight
            ' Replace original line.
            mdl.ReplaceLine lSLine, sNewLine
        End If
        SearchOrReplace = True
    Else
        SearchOrReplace = False
    End If

    Set mdl = Nothing
End Function

Answer 4

additional for the function (looping through all the lines)

Public Function ReplaceWithLine(modulename As String, StringToFind As String, NewString As String)
    Dim mdl As Module
    Set mdl = Modules(modulename)

    For x = 0 To mdl.CountOfLines
     Call SearchOrReplace(modulename, StringToFind, NewString)
    Next x

    Set mdl = Nothing
End Function

Enjoy ^^