Placeholder or dummy text

[ryansturn]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Intel

In the templates I notice that there is text that when you click on it, it disappears so you can enter your text (i.e., "Insert Date"). How do you create this dummy text to make the text user defined? For example, if I wanted to create this dummy text to say "Insert Name", how do I create this? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[John McGhie]

You can't do that in Mac Word.

The thing you are looking at is a "Content Control".

The code is:
<w:txbxContent><w:sdt><w:sdtPr><w:rPr><w:rFonts
w:ascii="Calibri" w:eastAsiaTheme="majorEastAsia" w:hAnsi="Calibri"
w:cstheme="majorBidi"/><w:color w:val="FFFFFF"
w:themeColor="background1"/><w:sz w:val="72"/><w:szCs
w:val="52"/></w:rPr><w:alias w:val="Title"/><w:id
w:val="617452919"/><wlaceholder><w:docPart
w:val="42967579D3C1FA40967B877FD17FCA5E"/></wlaceholder><w:dataBinding
wrefixMappings="xmlns:ns0='http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/package/
2006/metadata/core-properties'
xmlns:ns1='http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/'"
w:xpath="/ns0:coreProperties[1]/ns1:title[1]"
w:storeItemID="{6C3C8BC8-F283-45AE-878A-BAB7291924A1}"/>

Unless you have the ability to edit XML, it's just too hard.

Word 2007 can edit them, Word 2008 can't.

You may be able to accomplish what you need with FILLIN Fields. These are
described here:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/90010

FILLIN Fields still work in Word 2008, and will do what you want. They have
a limit of 255 characters for an entry.

Hope this helps

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger)
Processor: Intel

In the templates I notice that there is text that when you click on it, it
disappears so you can enter your text (i.e., "Insert Date"). How do you create
this dummy text to make the text user defined? For example, if I wanted to
create this dummy text to say "Insert Name", how do I create this? Any help
would be greatly appreciated!

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Two alternatives to John's suggestion:

1. Use MacroButton Fields instead. They more closely approximate what you're
asking for, whereas Fill-In Fields - on creation of the document - generate
individual pop-up prompts into which the user enters the information. That
info is then inserted into the document. MacroButton Fields appear as "click
& type" prompts in their respective locations within the new document.

Down Side: Somebody left MacroButton off the list in Insert> Field so you
have to manually insert them -- They work properly, it's just more of a
hassle to crate them. See this link on their use as "text markers":

http://word.mvps.org/faqs/tblsfldsfms/UsingMacroButton.htm

2. Even better, use Placeholder Fields. That's exactly what they're designed
for. They're even easier to insert by way of the Insert> Fields dialog --
all you have to do is type the prompt within quotes & click OK... Or you can
insert them manually if you prefer. For example:

{ Placeholder "Insert Name" \* Mergeformat }

If you insert any fields manually remember you *must* use Cmd+F9 to insert
the Braces ( {...} ). Typing them will not work.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac