Word 2003 protected forms and tab key?

[maltobelli]

I have just upgraded to Word 2003. I created a relatively simple document
with 2 sections. Section 1 will contain form fields, protected text, and a
button, but only the button has been added yet. Section 2 contains a
freeform area with multiple places where a user will enter freeform RTF
information.

When I protect the document for forms, selecting section 1 to protect, and
start enforcing the protection, the tab key stops working correctly within
the document. Anytime I hit tab, anywhere within the unprotected section, it
pops up to the button in the protected section. I've removed the button and
tried again, but the tab key just pops the cursor to the top of the
unprotected section.

I've had a very similar document within Word 2002, but this never happened
there. Is it a glitch in Word 2003? Is there something I can do to get
around the issue? I just can't expect users to never need a tab key, there
are tables within the open section of the document.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Generally speaking, buttons and protected forms are incompatible. Buttons
are ActiveX controls from the Controls Toolbox and other form fields come
from the Forms toolbar. The ActiveX controls require programming, often
cause the document to open in design mode, and are usually inactive when the
document is protected for forms. (ActiveX controls can, I think, be made to
work in a protected document, but it is doing things the hard way. I stopped
trying years back.) Why not use a Custom Toolbar with a button to your macro
instead?
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide




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[maltobelli]

The ActiveX controls require programming, often
cause the document to open in design mode, and are usually inactive when the
document is protected for forms. (ActiveX controls can, I think, be made to
work in a protected document, but it is doing things the hard way. I stopped
trying years back.) Why not use a Custom Toolbar with a button to your macro
instead?

I'd rather not create a custom toolbar, as that would most probably a) cause
confusion (and support calls) for users when they hide it accidentally, b)
cause me more remediation issues when we upgrade to Word 2007 next year and
toolbars/menus are totally different.

The previous version of this document used a macrobutton, but within a
protected section they cause the added headache of jumping down to the next
unprotected section when clicked. If the user doesn't have the button and
the unprotected section visible within the viewable window, the button does
not work. So, this time I'd like to try the activex button if possible,
which in my tests worked just fine. Programming is not the issue, I'm an
MCSD and there's going to be VBA code in the background of the doc to pull
information from an SQL server into the protected section of the doc.

Still, the button use is not the issue. I just need to figure out why the
tab key doesn't work when the document is protected for forms.

 

[maltobelli]

Does anyone else have this issue? Does anyone else NOT have this issue?

For me, the mix of protected and unprotected sections within the doc causes
the tab key to act differently. I just need to know if perhaps there is a
way around this. I know the issue didn't exist in Word 2002.

 

[maltobelli]

For me, the mix of protected and unprotected sections within the doc causes

the tab key to act differently. I just need to know if perhaps there is a
way around this. I know the issue didn't exist in Word 2002.

Well nevermind, I found the solution. A document created in Office 2002 and
opened in 2003 does not have this issue. I went back and re-created the
document in 2002 with sections and forms, then opened it within Word 2003.
Now I can freely use tabs within the document, and I can unprotect/reprotect
it in 2003 without issue.

 

[maltobelli]

and alas, I spoke too soon. The second I put an activeX button on the form,
it started doing it all over again. So, activex buttons in semi-protected
documents is bad. *sigh*. back to the macrobutton.