Problem with text field calculations

[RonJon]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel I am running a MacBook with
Mac OS 10.6.2
Microsoft Office 2008 for Mac

I have created a word template using text fields. The Mileage field is a calculation of =Miles*.585. I also want a total of Mileage + Postage. When I fill in the Miles field with 10 it calculates the Mileage and puts $5.85 in the Mileage field. However it then puts $11.70 in the Total field. No matter what I do it always doubles the Mileage in the Total field.

Miles 10

Mileage $5.85 Miles $.585

Postage $10.00

Total $21.70

 

[macropod]

Hi RonJon,

Word's use of calculation formfields as the input to other calculation formfields is buggy. You have two options:
1. repeat the intermediate calculations in each formfield instead of referring to the intermediate calculation formfields. For the
totals field, you'd thus use '=Miles*.585+Postage'; or
2. use formula fields (which you can bookmark) for the calculations. To create a formula field, press Cmd-F9, then type your
equation between the field braces (eg {=Miles*.585}). If you bookmark the formula field (eg 'Fuel'), you can then use a formula
field coded as {=Fuel+Postage} for the total - or you could skip the bookmark and use a formual field coded as
{=Miles*.585+Postage}.

For more information on field calculations in Word, including info on formatting the results, check out my Word Field Maths
Tutorial, at:
http://lounge.windowssecrets.com/index.php?showtopic=365442
or
http://www.gmayor.com/downloads.htm#Third_party

 

[RonJon]

Thanks macropod! I appreciate the help! However I can't seem to get the formula field to work. When I press Cmd-F9 it doesn't do anything.

 

[macropod]

Hi RonJon,

You have to unprotect the document before you can create the fields. Selecting the place where you want the formula to go and
pressing Cmd-F9 should create a pair of field braces (which look like '{ }').

 

[RonJon]

Thanks macropod,

I found I have to hold the fn key along with the command key and then press the F9 key then I get the braces {}.

Thanks for your help,
RonJon