legacy tools or content controls?

[tom forel]

Hi

What is the advantage of the content controls compared to the ol
legacy tools...at first sight a lot of functionality has dissappeared.
Can we still calculate, Can we still use bookmarks and the ref field?
Or are those controls used in a completely different context?


Thanks


Tom

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi

What is the advantage of the content controls compared to the ol
legacy tools...at first sight a lot of functionality has dissappeared.
Can we still calculate, Can we still use bookmarks and the ref field?
Or are those controls used in a completely different context?


Thanks


Tom

The main advantage of the content controls is almost completely hidden
and undocumented, so far. It is that they can be bound to a data
source such as an Access database or a web service. They can also be
bound to XML in the document file, so that data entered in one content
control can be automatically repeated by other content controls bound
to the same XML node.

Without needing to know about data binding, you can use some other
advantages: There are content controls that have no similar legacy
control, such as the rich text control and the date picker. Content
controls' boundaries disappear when they aren't selected, so documents
look less clunky. Documents that use content controls don't have to be
protected, so there aren't the kinds of problems with things that
don't work (spell check, graphics, hyperlinks).

The main thing that's missing is that there is no check box content
control. MVP Greg Maxey has been working on that problem; have a look
at http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Custom_CC_Checkboxes.htm.

If you need to do calculations with content control entries, you have
to write macro code. For that, it's probably best to continue to use
the legacy form fields in protected forms -- which are still present
and work exactly as before, although the buttons to insert them are
stuffed into a single button on the Developer ribbon.

Bookmarks and ref fields are completely separate features that have
nothing much to do with form fields or content controls. They, too,
continue to work as before.

 

[tom forel]

The main advantage of the content controls is almost completely hidden
and undocumented, so far. It is that they can be bound to a data
source such as an Access database or a web service. They can also be
bound to XML in the document file, so that data entered in one content
control can be automatically repeated by other content controls bound
to the same XML node.

Without needing to know about data binding, you can use some other
advantages: There are content controls that have no similar legacy
control, such as the rich text control and the date picker. Content
controls' boundaries disappear when they aren't selected, so documents
look less clunky. Documents that use content controls don't have to be
protected, so there aren't the kinds of problems with things that
don't work (spell check, graphics, hyperlinks).

The main thing that's missing is that there is no check box content
control. MVP Greg Maxey has been working on that problem; have a look
athttp://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Custom_CC_Checkboxes.htm.

If you need to do calculations with content control entries, you have
to write macro code. For that, it's probably best to continue to use
the legacy form fields in protected forms -- which are still present
and work exactly as before, although the buttons to insert them are
stuffed into a single button on the Developer ribbon.

Bookmarks and ref fields are completely separate features that have
nothing much to do with form fields or content controls. They, too,
continue to work as before.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP        FAQ:http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit.

Thank you very muck!!!

tom

 

[JR Hester]

Thanks for your explanation.

I noticed that using content controls without protecting the document still
allows users to modify the layout of the document. Also the [TAB] does not
move from field to field, unless the document is protected.

Unless I have missed something the content controls do not serve the same
purpose as the legacy form controls.

CAn you describe a way of using the new content controls to make a fill-in
form that users can ONLY fill in these control fields without turning on
protection, which disbles the spell checker?

Thanks for your participation

 

[Beth Melton]

You have a couple choices. You can use the "No Changes (Read only)"
protection type and mark each Content Control as an Exception. Then when you
protect the document only those areas marked as exceptions can be used and
spell check will work.

The other choice is in the Content Control Properties for each control, set
the "Content Control cannot be deleted" option. Then select the entire
document, add a Rich Text Control (all of the text and other controls will
be nested in the Rich Text Control) and in its Properties set both Locking
options: "Content Control cannot be deleted" and "Contents cannot be
edited". This will allow users to modify the Content Controls only and
prevent deletion of the controls and contents of the document. BUT if you
are looking for a bit of security this won't work since savvy users can
access the Content Control properties and make modifications. Note that
Content Controls are intended to be used in a collaborative environment and
not for security purposes.

However, neither of these options will enable the use of the Tab key to move
between the controls. You need to use the Legacy controls to obtain that
functionality.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/