Forms, Fields, and Restricted Editing

[Joseph N.]

[This post applies, at least, to Wd2007 and Wd2010.]

If I use the content controls under the developer toolbar, I can
restrict editing (also under the developer toolbar) so the user can
just tab through the places he/she needs to enter information. On a
different model, I can insert ASK fields and REF fields so that the
user enters information in response to prompts, and the info becomes
replicated at various places throughout the document. But it does not
appear that I can restrict editing *and* use ASK and REF fields in an
online form. So here's my problem: is it possible--and, if so, how--
to create a form that (i) has restricted editing, (ii) either prompts
the user for information (i.e., ASK fields) or has click-in areas
(i.e., content controls) to enter data, and also--here's the difficult
part--(iii) will replicate some of that entered data at various places
throughout the file without the user having to click-in to each of
those locations?

 

[Graham Mayor]

For help on creating protected forms, see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/FillinTheBlanks.htm

In order to use form fields in Word 2007, you will need to display the
Developer tab (Office Button > Word Options > Popular > Show the Developer
tab in the Ribbon) and then use the Legacy Forms controls from the Legacy
Tools palette in the Controls group on that tab. You will find those
controls more accessible if you modify the ribbon as described at
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Classic Form Controls.htm

To reproduce the content of a form field elsewhere in the *body* of the
document, check the calculate on exit property of the form field and use a
REF field to access the field bookmark name.

If you need the reproduction elsewhere e.g. in the header/footer, you would
either need to use a StyleRef field to display it, or use a macro run on
exit from the field to update it. It is better to avoid macros where
possible on forms that will be distributed for completion.

Alternatively you could create a useform to collect the data and write it to
docvariables and reproduce the data in a protected form using docvariable
fields. For the basics, see Word MVP FAQ - Userforms
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Userforms.htm

for a more in depth explanation, see
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Create_and_employ_a_UserForm.htm
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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