How-to: Automate Microsoft Word in PowerShell using a COM object.

For the script below to work, the computer will need to have a copy of Microsoft Word already installed.

This example open a new document, types in some formatted text and saves the file, you can modify this to do more complex tasks.

# Create a new instance/object of MS Word
$MSWord = New-Object -ComObject Word.Application

# Make MS Word visible
$MSWord.Visible = $True

# Add a new document
$mydoc = $MSWord.Documents.Add()

# Create a reference to the current document so we can begin adding text
$myText = $MSWord.Selection

# Add some text with new paragraphs in between.
$myText.TypeParagraph()
$myText.TypeText("This is on a new line!")
$myText.TypeParagraph()
$myText.TypeText("My username is $($Env:USERNAME) and the date is $(Get-Date)")
$myText.TypeParagraph()

# Start using bold
$myText.Font.Bold = 1
$myText.TypeText('Some Bold text.')

# Turn off bold
$myText.Font.Bold = 0
$myText.TypeParagraph()

# Start using Italic
$myText.Font.Italic = 1
$myText.TypeText('Some italic text.')

# Save and quit
$filename = 'C:\work\Demo99.docx'
$saveFormat = [Microsoft.Office.Interop.Word.WdSaveFormat]::wdFormatDocumentDefault
$mydoc.SaveAs([ref][system.object]$filename, [ref]$saveFormat)
$mydoc.Close()
$MSWord.Quit()

# Clean up Com object
$null =
[System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::ReleaseComObject([System.__ComObject]$MSWord)
Remove-Variable MSWord

WdSaveFormat Enumeration

“A word and a stone let go cannot be recalled” ~ Spanish Proverb.

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New-Object - Create a new .Net object.