Using form fields in a footer

[WWLBadger]

First, I apologize if I’m in the wrong group. This seemed the closest to
what I need to know.

I’m a high school special education teacher in New Mexico (yes, we’re part
of the US <grin>) and I’m trying to automate the IEP documentation we have to
do. An IEP is a legal, binding contract enforced by federal law, and as
such, has certain points and wording that is not changeable. This brings me
to the problem. I need, when the field containing the student’s name is
filled in, for the contents of that field to echoed or mirrored down in the
footer. I can do this in the body of the document, but that won’t work. The
information MUST be and foot of every page, no exceptions. So far, nothing
works, except to unprotect the document and let my fellow teachers fill it in
manually. Unfortunately this also lets them make other changes, which in
“not optimal.†Does anyone out there have any bright ideas other than using
a large hammer on my computer?

Warren Ledbetter

 

[Greg Maxey]

Warren,

I am assuming that by "feild" that you mean a formfield. Your can
duplicate the contents fo a formfield using a REF field.

Let's say that your field is bookmarked (named) "StundentName" In the
footer (each footer type if applicable) enter a pair of field braces
using CTRL+F9. In the braces type StudentName

Unfortunately even with "Calculate on exit" set in a formfield it won't
update fields in the header or footer.

You have a few options. As long as update fields is set at time of
print then you can toggle to and from print preview to update the field
on screen or simply print the document.

Another option is to fire a macro on exit from the StudentName field:

Sub UpdateAllFields()
Dim pRange As Word.Range
Dim iLink As Long
iLink = ActiveDocument.Sections(1).Headers(1).Range.StoryType
For Each pRange In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
Do
pRange.Fields.Update
Set pRange = pRange.NextStoryRange
Loop Until pRange Is Nothing
Next
End Sub

HTH

 

[Dallas64]

If you are using a mail merge from a data source, you can easily place
another MergeField in the footer. But if you are not, that might require
substantial revising your document.

I accomplish the same thing Greg Maxey suggested using the "Paste Special"
function under the edit command. Select the text or field you want to
populate into the footer, and copy it. Go to the footer where you want it
inserted. Go to Edit (not Insert), then Paste Special. Select the button
that says Paste Link. Then select the type, which in this case would
probably be unformatted text.

Once you do this, Word automatically inserts the link code into the footer,
and creates a bookmark, If you don't already have one defined, at the
location you just copied from.

As for updating the link, go back to what Greg said.

 

[Peter Jamieson]

Try the following - I haven't used it in anger so do not know if it fulfils
your MUST criterion.

1. Create a character style (let's call it studentname)

2. Apply it to the form field you are using to enter the student name

3. Put a { STYLEREF studentname } field in the footer.

Peter Jamieson

 

[vayoung87]

Warren:
I just had a similar challenge at work for a contract with fill-in. Here is
what worked for me:

PART ONE:
VIEW, TOOLBARS, FORMS
Click on far left icon, "Text Form Field", to insert fill-in field;
Without moving your cursor, click on 4th icon from the left, "Form Field
Options",
In the BOOKMARK field under "Field Options", assign your fill-in field a
name then click OK. This process, of course, can be repeated for as many
different fields as needed, assigning each a unique name.

PART TWO:
VIEW, HEADER/FOOTER, selecting footer (of course!);
From the STANDARD tool bar (not the header/footer tool bar) select INSERT,
FIELD,
select REF from "Field names" window, then select the bookmark name you
assigned from Part One above.

I then protected the document, added the data to the fill-in fields, did a
PRINT PREVIEW, and - much to my delight - there was the data I needed in the
footer, just as I had entered it in the body of my document! I did notice
that, if I choose to change the data in the fill-in fields, it is not
reflected in the footer until I do another PRINT PREVIEW.

Hope this works for you, too!

Vicki