Filling in Word form headers

[chrisca]

I have created an MS Word form template.
I want to populate 4 fields in the header with user input, when the template
is first opened.
Don't want this info displayed anywhere else in the form.
Need this info in the header for multiple pages.

Can't put form fields in headers.

If I use FILLIN (set as a Bookmark) in the body and set the font to Hidden,
and put a REF in the header it works.
However, REF always ends up hidden. Seems it inherits the FONT properties
from the FILLIN field.

Thanks.

 

[Bear]

Chrisca:

Have you considered using document properties, or custom document
properties? The users would have to be instructed to click File > Properties
and change the values of the properties. Once entered, you can insert the in
the header/footer using DocProperty fields.

You could automate the process with a userform and AutoOpen macro.

Also, if you include the \* MergeFormat switch in your REF field, it should
assume the format of the para in which you place it -- i.e. not hidden. My
test looked like:

{ REF BearTest \* MergeFormat }

Where BearTest was a bookmark around the hidden Fill-In field.

Bear

 

[chrisca]

I do have MERGEFORMAT but they are still hidden.

Set a bookmark (Title) to this and make it hidden font.
{ FILLIN "What is the title?" \* MergeFormat }

In the header I have {REF Title \* CharFormat } (hidden font and a bookmark)
& it seems to work.

 

[chrisca]

Just tried it again. No workee.

I selected the entire header, then unticked Hidden under Font.

I'm saving it as a .dot file, then double clicking it to open it (which
creates a .doc).
It asks for the title then goes to the form but nothing is displayed in the
header, even when I preview it.
???

 

[Bear]

I don't know what's up. Here's what I did:

1. Insert the FillIn field exactly as you specified, in a para of its own.

2. Select the field (but not the para) and put a bookmark around it named
Title.

3. Select the entire para and check Font > Hidden.

4. Insert the REF in the header, exactly as you specified, but with \*
MergeFormat rather than \* CharFormat.

5. Close the header and update the title field, entering a test string.

The header, even after toggling into and out of Print Preview to update the
REF field remained hidden.

6. Open the header, display nonprinting characters, select the entire header
and clear the Font > Hidden check box.

7. Close the header and update the title field with a new test string.

8. Toggle into and out of Print Preview to update the REF field.

Now the title is visible. It remained visible through several cycles of
changing the title via the FillIn field.

I'm sure the CharFormat switch would work just as well, once you select the
R in REF and format it as not hidden.

Either way, it looks like you've got it working now and that's the main thing.

Bear

 

[chrisca]

I'm still playing with it but it seems to be going fine.

Thanks for the help. I'll have a look at the REF and make sure of what I had
selected when unchecking Hidden.

Thanks for the help!

 

[Bear]

Chrisca:

Yes, I have the same result when using it in a template. It's something
like... Once you put in a value and manually mark the REF field as not
hidden, then it stays not hidden. But it takes that first manual setting to
get the REF visible.

I tried "presetting" the template with a default dummy title, and that
seemed to work, but only for the right number of words! E.G. if my dummy
title was "Book Title" but I entered a new title "My New Book" the first and
second words were visible in the REF field, but not the third!

Here's a possible solution though.

Create the FillIn and bookmark in a paragraph with a custom style. Define
the STYLE as hidden. That seems to work in the template mode. The fillin is
still hidden in the body, but the REF is visible. I used a \* MergeFormat in
the REF, but I didn't experiment to determine whether or not it was necessary.

Bear