Template or Fill-In ??

[Marilynn]

I have a document that I created in WordPerfect that I need to now create in
Word 2003. I do not know if it would be easier to create it as a template or
as a fill-in "form".

It is a long legal document. It will need a Table of Contents and will have
several exhibits added. In WordPerfect I created this as a Template which
allowed me to place codes within the document where specific information
would be entered. Then a list of that specific information was created for
the user to complete. Then the program took the information the user filled
in and inserted it into the document. This information consisted of items
such as the name of a company, several different fee amounts, numbers of days
in which certain things would take place, etc.

Can someone please help me determine the best type of document to create in
Word 2003 that will achieve the same end as I had with the WordPerfect
document. I need this to be as similar as possible, as the other user(s)
will also be changing from their familiar WordPerfect document.

Any help and/or suggestions you can provide would be most appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[Doug Robbins - Word MVP]

You should create the document as a template so that it can be re-used
without the base document being altered.

Just what type of form you should then make it will depend upon your
ultimate needs. See the following web page

http://www.mousetrax.com/techpage.html#autoforms

or the following series:

"Please Fill Out This Form"

Part 1: Create professional looking forms in Word
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=22

Part 2: Adding Automation to your Word forms.
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=46

Part 3: Learn more VBA (macros) to automate your forms.
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=119

Part 4: Use custom dialog boxes in your Word forms
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=127

Part 5: Connect your AutoForm to a database to save input time and keep
better records!
http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=136


--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP, originally posted via msnews.microsoft.com

 

[Marilynn]

If I understand correctly from Doug, it appears that the document should be
created as a template. He mentions then making a form. Is he saying that
the form is "attached" to the template and will then fill in the appropriate
information? I am very confused. The books don't really help either.

Can anyone make this more simple for me to understand?

Thank you.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

A template is just an "example" on which new documents are based; see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm. The
template can create a document that has form fields, but if you want an
automatically generated TOC, this will not be compatible with forms
protection.

Instead, you may want to use the "Click here and type name" type of field
described at http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/TblsFldsFms/UsingMacroButton.htm.

Better still (and I'm surprised Doug didn't mention it, since it's his
favorite) and closer to what you're used to, is a UserForm; see
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Userforms/CreateAUserForm.htm and/or
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Create_and_employ_a_UserForm.htm.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org