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[Aval]

This is a request from one of our users.

She would like to create a document where you would have, for example:


Name:
Rank:
Serial Number:

And where the user filling in the information could not modify those entries
(not sure why they would - but this is the user that is making the request)
and enter information without "disrupting" the formatting of the rest of the
document.

So, if you had a long name, it would not, in the example above, push Rank
half way across the page on the next line.

She mentioned she was able to do this before (apparently in Word) using some
sort of text box. I imagine that if you did have a real long name (and I'm
just using that as an example) you'd have to abbreviate it or something be
cause those letters have to go somewhere. - text box or not.

Could anyone steer me in the right direction here?

 

[Graham Mayor]

Anything that is written in a document that a user is allowed to open can be
edited. All you can do is make it less convenient to do so. Nor can you
force users to run the macros that might be imposed to exercise greater
control.

Presumably the user will be someone with name rank and number who, as you
suspected, would not readily wish to change his/her own details? In which
case it would be worth exploring the point of the exercise further.

If you want to insert stuff into a protected form and not have the document
content move, then the form fields to take the variable data should be
located in table cells (with or without borders) of fixed height and width.

If you can come up with a better description of the document and how it will
be used, then it may be possible to better advise how to handle it.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Reg]

how about a table? it wouldnt stop the user formatting stuff wrong but it
might sort out the example you mention

RegMigrant

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

What you are describing is a protected form; see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/FillinTheBlanks.htm and especially
the forms tutorials by Dian Chapman that this article links to. The problem
of distortion is usually handled by putting the form fields in table cells
with specified height and width.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org