D
DocBadwrench
(My apologies, in advance, if this is double posted. I'm all turned around
about which forums to use for what questions.)
Greetings community members,
I am in the process of updating some very old institutional templates using
Word 2007's improved functionality. There is a lot to like in the new ways
that you can control access to the forms. Wherever possible, I am using the
Controls (found in the Developer ribbon).
Basic Facts: I'm assembling a large (15-20 pages) DOTX document that is rife
with fields that require entry by the user. The document contains Plain Text
fields, Rich Text fields, Numerous Drop-Down boxes, and a few Calendar Picker
fields. Eventually, I would like to Protect the document against all
formatting changes except the field-data.
ISSUE #1 : MOVING WITH THE TAB KEY THROUGH RICH TEXT FIELDS
The beginning of my document has a number of blank Plain Text fields that
require basic facts like contact information and what-not. I can enter data,
hit the TAB key, then enter more data, just fine. However, once I move past
those values and on to the Rich Text fields, the TAB key ceases to "move me
along" the fields, and rather behaves as you would expect the TAB key to
outside a form-field.
I'm sure this is intentional (these *are* rich text settings, right?), but
even so - is there a way to cause the DOTX file to treat the field movement
the way I want it to? Failing that, is there at least a way to stop the field
itself from getting "pushed" along the default tab stops? I mention THAT
because some of these fields will not be filled out (they are entirely
optional), so the users will naturally hit the TAB key and it won't behave
the way they've come to expect it.
It is vital that I retain the formatting options, as the large amounts of
data entered into some of these fields will need to have italics and other
formatting options, though, ironically, not tabs.
ISSUE #2 : MOUSE-OVER TEXT POP-UPS
Within Microsoft Excel, you can "Insert Comment" beautifully. If I mouse
over the cell, a non-printable text field will pop-up. I need to replicate
this functionality within Microsoft Word. If I can't exactly get what I want
(a question-mark image that, when moused over, informs the user of template
information), I would certainly live with a way to create NON-PRINTABLE text.
It makes the WYSIWYG nature of Word a lot more difficult, but at least I
could enter these elements at the END, after I've already figured out layout
issues.
ISSUE #3 : DYNAMICALLY ADDING ROWS TO TABLES
This document has a few tables that may (or may not) need to be filled out,
depending upon the user's needs. As this will ultimately be protected against
everything except form field entries, it means that I have to create a number
of rows (with fields within) that may or (more likely) may not be used.
What I'd RATHER do is create a way to click a button and add a row (with
accompanying fields). However, this strikes me as the sort of thing that may
be out of the core Word functionality, which is why it's #3 on the list.
CLOSING SUMMARY
These are the outstanding issues that I haven't yet resolved. I'd appreciate
any help you community members can offer.
Thanks in advance,
Matt Warren (DocBadwrench)
about which forums to use for what questions.)
Greetings community members,
I am in the process of updating some very old institutional templates using
Word 2007's improved functionality. There is a lot to like in the new ways
that you can control access to the forms. Wherever possible, I am using the
Controls (found in the Developer ribbon).
Basic Facts: I'm assembling a large (15-20 pages) DOTX document that is rife
with fields that require entry by the user. The document contains Plain Text
fields, Rich Text fields, Numerous Drop-Down boxes, and a few Calendar Picker
fields. Eventually, I would like to Protect the document against all
formatting changes except the field-data.
ISSUE #1 : MOVING WITH THE TAB KEY THROUGH RICH TEXT FIELDS
The beginning of my document has a number of blank Plain Text fields that
require basic facts like contact information and what-not. I can enter data,
hit the TAB key, then enter more data, just fine. However, once I move past
those values and on to the Rich Text fields, the TAB key ceases to "move me
along" the fields, and rather behaves as you would expect the TAB key to
outside a form-field.
I'm sure this is intentional (these *are* rich text settings, right?), but
even so - is there a way to cause the DOTX file to treat the field movement
the way I want it to? Failing that, is there at least a way to stop the field
itself from getting "pushed" along the default tab stops? I mention THAT
because some of these fields will not be filled out (they are entirely
optional), so the users will naturally hit the TAB key and it won't behave
the way they've come to expect it.
It is vital that I retain the formatting options, as the large amounts of
data entered into some of these fields will need to have italics and other
formatting options, though, ironically, not tabs.
ISSUE #2 : MOUSE-OVER TEXT POP-UPS
Within Microsoft Excel, you can "Insert Comment" beautifully. If I mouse
over the cell, a non-printable text field will pop-up. I need to replicate
this functionality within Microsoft Word. If I can't exactly get what I want
(a question-mark image that, when moused over, informs the user of template
information), I would certainly live with a way to create NON-PRINTABLE text.
It makes the WYSIWYG nature of Word a lot more difficult, but at least I
could enter these elements at the END, after I've already figured out layout
issues.
ISSUE #3 : DYNAMICALLY ADDING ROWS TO TABLES
This document has a few tables that may (or may not) need to be filled out,
depending upon the user's needs. As this will ultimately be protected against
everything except form field entries, it means that I have to create a number
of rows (with fields within) that may or (more likely) may not be used.
What I'd RATHER do is create a way to click a button and add a row (with
accompanying fields). However, this strikes me as the sort of thing that may
be out of the core Word functionality, which is why it's #3 on the list.
CLOSING SUMMARY
These are the outstanding issues that I haven't yet resolved. I'd appreciate
any help you community members can offer.
Thanks in advance,
Matt Warren (DocBadwrench)