Mechanisms for Automation

[Mike Sullivan]

I've been asked to improve the productivity for people
filling in an online application form. The form is mostly
tables. The productivity I've been asked to address is
that the form has several places where the same
information is entered (e.g. the form asks for the
applicants name in several places). What we'd like to
have happen is after (or as) the first time the name is
entered for the other places to automatically have their
places filled in with the same text.

I've been beating this problem up trying to find what
mechanisms, such as cross-references, bookmarks, fields,
field codes, .... and find myself chasing my tail. I
would greatly appreciate a pointer as to method and
mechanisms. --- Mike Sullivan

 

[Greg Maxey]

Mike,

You might want to look into "User Forms" a primer is
located here:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Userforms/CreateAUserForm.htm

If you are using a protected Word form, the material here
may be useful:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/TblsFldsFms/LinesInForms.htm
and the series of articles by Dian Chapman.

Basically, each Word form field has a bookmark. You can
change the bookmark name to anything you like. For
example you can call the form field that holds the a
customers name as CusName. Format the formfield (double
click it) to Calculate on Exit. If you want the customer
name to appear elsewhere in the document then use a REF
field like { REF CusName }.

HTH

 

[Michael Sullivan]

Hi Greg, thanks for the links and ideas. But ... the form
as it is now dosen't have "Fields" it is simply a set of
tables and scattered paragraphs. I guess what I was
hoping for was a solution something like: Place bookmarks
on the "text source" (e.g. the cell with the first place
that customer name is to be filled in) then in the
subsequent table cells where the customers name is again
needed to insert a REF field refering to the target
bookmark. What would happen would that these cells would
get automatically get filled in. What intuitivly seems
missing is a trigger to execute the automation. Any
thoughts? --- Mike