How do I design a form that uses text fields?

Like the question states, I'm very frustrated because I've been trying to
design a couple of forms for my firm using Outlook. They're simple forms and
I need to add text fields so the user can just tab from one field to the
other. I figured out how to add text fields, but they disappear once I add
them and they don't get saved once I publish the form. HELP!

Did you actually create fields with the Field Chooser? Or did you just add text box controls?

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:FE01C93F-78BA-42CB-8208-71B6B9C0DAF5@microsoft.com...
> Like the question states, I'm very frustrated because I've been trying to
> design a couple of forms for my firm using Outlook. They're simple forms and
> I need to add text fields so the user can just tab from one field to the
> other. I figured out how to add text fields, but they disappear once I add
> them and they don't get saved once I publish the form. HELP!

I didn't use the field chooser because we don't need pre-designed fields. I
just need empty text boxes in the form so that we can fill them in when
sending the form.

"Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

> Did you actually create fields with the Field Chooser? Or did you just add text box controls?
>
> --
> Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
> Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
> http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
> and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
> Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
> http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx
>
> "Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:FE01C93F-78BA-42CB-8208-71B6B9C0DAF5@microsoft.com...
> > Like the question states, I'm very frustrated because I've been trying to
> > design a couple of forms for my firm using Outlook. They're simple forms and
> > I need to add text fields so the user can just tab from one field to the
> > other. I figured out how to add text fields, but they disappear once I add
> > them and they don't get saved once I publish the form. HELP!
>

Text boxes store no data. Fields store data. You will need to bind each text box to the field you want do use to store the data entered in that box. Do this on the Value tab of each control's Properties dialog.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message newsCE77B24-87C5-4296-9677-6C6A05D0BDEA@microsoft.com...
>I didn't use the field chooser because we don't need pre-designed fields. I
> just need empty text boxes in the form so that we can fill them in when
> sending the form.
>
> "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:
>
>> Did you actually create fields with the Field Chooser? Or did you just add text box controls?

>>
>> "Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:FE01C93F-78BA-42CB-8208-71B6B9C0DAF5@microsoft.com...
>> > Like the question states, I'm very frustrated because I've been trying to
>> > design a couple of forms for my firm using Outlook. They're simple forms and
>> > I need to add text fields so the user can just tab from one field to the
>> > other. I figured out how to add text fields, but they disappear once I add
>> > them and they don't get saved once I publish the form. HELP!
>>

Sue,

I'm using "Text Form Fields" from the Forms toolbar. Is this not what I'm
supposed to be using? When I create forms in Word, I insert text form fields
and protect the document so that when I use it later, all I need to do is tab
from one field to the other and enter information. That is what I want to do
in an email template and be able to send it to someone else in my company so
they can pull it up, fill in the fields and send it off.


"Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:

> Text boxes store no data. Fields store data. You will need to bind each text box to the field you want do use to store the data entered in that box. Do this on the Value tab of each control's Properties dialog.
>
> --
> Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
> Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
> http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
> and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
> Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
> http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx
>
> "Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message newsCE77B24-87C5-4296-9677-6C6A05D0BDEA@microsoft.com...
> >I didn't use the field chooser because we don't need pre-designed fields. I
> > just need empty text boxes in the form so that we can fill them in when
> > sending the form.
> >
> > "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:
> >
> >> Did you actually create fields with the Field Chooser? Or did you just add text box controls?
>
> >>
> >> "Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:FE01C93F-78BA-42CB-8208-71B6B9C0DAF5@microsoft.com...
> >> > Like the question states, I'm very frustrated because I've been trying to
> >> > design a couple of forms for my firm using Outlook. They're simple forms and
> >> > I need to add text fields so the user can just tab from one field to the
> >> > other. I figured out how to add text fields, but they disappear once I add
> >> > them and they don't get saved once I publish the form. HELP!
> >>
>

No, that's not what you're supposed to use. You can't use Word form fields to collect data with email messages. You can use either an Outlook custom form -- which may be problematic, though, unless you can publish it to the Organizational Forms library on Exchange server -- or an attached Word file. InfoPath is also a good tool for gathering data.

--
Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx

"Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:759A3D97-91AD-415F-82AE-7F77806DE9BE@microsoft.com...
> Sue,
>
> I'm using "Text Form Fields" from the Forms toolbar. Is this not what I'm
> supposed to be using? When I create forms in Word, I insert text form fields
> and protect the document so that when I use it later, all I need to do is tab
> from one field to the other and enter information. That is what I want to do
> in an email template and be able to send it to someone else in my company so
> they can pull it up, fill in the fields and send it off.
>
>
> "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:
>
>> Text boxes store no data. Fields store data. You will need to bind each text box to the field you want do use to store the data entered in that box. Do this on the Value tab of each control's Properties dialog.
>>
>> --
>> Sue Mosher, Outlook MVP
>> Author of Configuring Microsoft Outlook 2003
>> http://www.turtleflock.com/olconfig/index.htm
>> and Microsoft Outlook Programming - Jumpstart for
>> Administrators, Power Users, and Developers
>> http://www.outlookcode.com/jumpstart.aspx
>>
>> "Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message newsCE77B24-87C5-4296-9677-6C6A05D0BDEA@microsoft.com...
>> >I didn't use the field chooser because we don't need pre-designed fields. I
>> > just need empty text boxes in the form so that we can fill them in when
>> > sending the form.
>> >
>> > "Sue Mosher [MVP-Outlook]" wrote:
>> >
>> >> Did you actually create fields with the Field Chooser? Or did you just add text box controls?
>>
>> >>
>> >> "Ann" <Ann@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:FE01C93F-78BA-42CB-8208-71B6B9C0DAF5@microsoft.com...
>> >> > Like the question states, I'm very frustrated because I've been trying to
>> >> > design a couple of forms for my firm using Outlook. They're simple forms and
>> >> > I need to add text fields so the user can just tab from one field to the
>> >> > other. I figured out how to add text fields, but they disappear once I add
>> >> > them and they don't get saved once I publish the form. HELP!
>> >>
>>