Preventing a user from stopping outlining

[dvnova]

I am developing a template in Word 2000.

There is section within the template where the text must be outlined.
I have been able to develop the template so that the first level of
the outlining is waiting for the user to enter data, i.e.:

1. <User writes here>.....

But what I want to prevent the user from doing is hitting backspace
and erasing the '1.' and therefore quitting outlining.

Also I want to prevent the user from quiting outlining by hitting
backspace a couple of times anywhere from within the outlining
section. (Ideally hitting back space will just take the user back to
the previous number)

Can anybody assist? Is there a VBA way, or an even simplier way?

Very, very, VERY much appreciated
Cheers
Donald

p.s. Is learning to programme Word using VBA the biggest pain in the
****, or is it just me? .Net development is easy compared to this!!

 

[Jean-Guy Marcil]

Hi there,

Short of using a locked form with set styles, I do not think it can be done,
or at least, in any practical way.

You would have to think of all the possible ways someone could "leave" the
outline format (You mention backspace, hitting Enter a couple of time might
do it too, applying different styles, copy/pasting, select/delete, etc.) and
prevent all of that from happening... You would be crippling Word or making
it so slow to run that users would curse you and all your descendants!

--
Salut!
_______________________________________
Jean-Guy Marcil - Word MVP
(e-mail address removed)
Word MVP site: http://www.word.mvps.org

 

[Bruce Brown]

Agree with J-G, no practical way prevent users from deleting what they
want to.

However, since this is a template, you could put a short line in the
first outlined paragraph about not messing with things in this
section, which they'd have to delete each time before proceeding. I
know it's primitive in the extreme, not to mention simplistic and
obvious, but it would serve as a reminder. - Bruce