Form fields in text boxes in Word 2003?

[Chuck]

Can anybody tell me for certain if I can put form fields in a text box? It
appears I cannot. If I create a text box, Word won't let me put form fields
into it. If I create the fields first, then select the text and create a
text box, Word inactivates the form fields. I can create a line border
around some form fields, but I cannot seem to arrange two of these
side-by-side (horizontally) the way I can arrange two text boxes.

The forms I'm working on are not locked. Other form fields (non-boxed,
non-framed) on the same document function well.

Any ideas how I can create two side-by-side, framed sets of form fields, in
other words, two small side-by-side boxes with forms inside them? Thanks for
your help.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

Put them in the first and third cells of a three column, one row table and
remove the top and bottom borders from the second cell.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Although a table, as Doug suggests, is the easiest solution, you can use
frames, which is why there is an Insert Frame button on the Forms toolbar.

 

[Chuck]

Both replies (Doug, Suzanne) are very helpful, and they both work. Doug's
has the edge because it will result in two evenly spaced, similarly sized
boxes.

Here's something odd that I discovered while tinkering this morning, related
to Suzanne's response. Previously, after I'd created the form I wanted to
frame, I would then go to the borders button on the toolbar and create and
edit a border. But those "borders" always extended the entire width of the
page, and couldn't be narrowed to fit the contents of the box. On the other
hand, the insert frame button in the forms toolbar makes a frame that fits
the contents perfectly, and leaves the form fields functional. I just hadn't
bothered to use that particular frames button (in the forms toolbar) before.

Thank you both very much for your useful replies.