Replace hard returns with soft returns on selected text and button to QAT

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ofw62

Senior Member
Outlook version
Outlook 2016 32 bit
Email Account
Office 365 Exchange
Spent quite some time on searching for an Outlook add-in that automatically replaced hard returns with soft ones.
AFAIK there are none, which is astonishing considering this problem probably exists already since Outlook was introduced.

There are some 3rd party workarounds, like Autohotkey-script, Powertoys Keyboard Manager (mapping the 'Enter'-key)
The Powertoys Keyboard Manager mapping the 'Enter'-key is 'global', hence may affect how the enter-key responds in other applicatons.
For instance, in Excel, where I set up the enter-key to move to the right. With Powertoys enabled, it moves to the left.

FWIW... I have yet found another workaround.

1. add a macro to Outlook replacing hard returns with soft ones on selected text and
2. add a button to the Quick Access Toolbar.

1. Macro reads as follows:

Code: 
Sub ReplaceHardReturns()
'
'
Dim wdSelection As Word.Selection
Dim wdDoc As Word.Document

    Set wdDoc = Application.ActiveInspector.WordEditor
    Set wdSelection = wdDoc.Windows(1).Selection

    wdSelection.Find.ClearFormatting
    wdSelection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
    With wdSelection.Find
        .Text = "^p"
        .Replacement.Text = "^l"
        .Forward = True
        .Wrap = wdFindStop
        .Format = False
        .MatchCase = False
        .MatchWholeWord = False
        .MatchWildcards = False
        .MatchSoundsLike = False
        .MatchAllWordForms = False
    End With
    wdSelection.Find.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End Sub

Note: the .Wrap = wdFindStop
Instead of: .Wrap = wdFindAsk, or .Wrap = wdFindContinue
AFAIK, whilst using either one of the latter two, the graphical message separator (the line) is being removed as well.

1. Add a button to the QAT: Create a button for a macro - HowTo-Outlook


There is an older thread on this matter ("Run macro automatically at sending an email") but that did not work after all.
Don't know why, I thought it would work, I gave up on trying to make it work. Maybe running a macro that edits an email before sending is not possible.
Anyway, as long as there are no dedicated Outlook add-ins mapping the Enter-key (only within Outlook), we have to resort to this kind of relatively poor workarounds.

SnagIt-24082022 103537.png
 
Don't spend too much time on it Diane. Reason is that the macro works fine on selected text, as per above example.
However, a "ctrl-a" and run the macro will remove the message separator (graphic line), which, I assume, is not ideal.

IF..IF.. at all it would be possible to run this macro when sending a mail, then likely removing any separator will likely take place.

FYI: I've been sending back and forth a number of times of test messages to my gmail account, running the macro on selected text each time. Works fine.
 
Just as a short 'follow up' and FWIW: I have been using this macro for almost a year now. Before sending the mail: select text that needs to be corrected - run macro. Where necessary this also works on previously sent parts. In my opinion, the macro is really the best and easiest solution so far.
 
The advantage is you can see that it 1) worked and 2) didn't screw it up. Automated macros save a step but you wont see that it worked like it should until after its sent and you look at the sent item.
 
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