text form field help please.

[Guest]

Perhaps part of the problem is that I'm not sure how to ask this question:
Using the form design toolbar, I've create, well, a form. Many of the fields
are text fields. Right now, they're simply shaded (because I chose to have
them shaded), but what I'd really like is to be able to type in," Please type
'blah blah' here" with the user typing in data that substitutes for what I've
put in the field.
I hope this make sense. We've all seen this a gazillion times. I just don't
know what it's called or how to make a form text field do it.
Thanks in advance for help.
Joel

 

[Jay Freedman]

Perhaps part of the problem is that I'm not sure how to ask this
question: Using the form design toolbar, I've create, well, a form.
Many of the fields are text fields. Right now, they're simply shaded
(because I chose to have them shaded), but what I'd really like is to
be able to type in," Please type 'blah blah' here" with the user
typing in data that substitutes for what I've put in the field.
I hope this make sense. We've all seen this a gazillion times. I just
don't know what it's called or how to make a form text field do it.
Thanks in advance for help.
Joel

Double-click the form field to get its Properties dialog. Type your
instructions into the Default Text box.

 

[Guest]

I could be way off base here, but it seems to me that what you're looking for
is a macrobutton. I use this frequently for documents that I want users to
fill in. To accomplish this use Ctrl + F9 which will give you field braces.
Inside the field braces type "macrobutton nomacro" and then whatever text you
want to appear such as, "Click and Type Name here."

I hope this has been helpful to you.

 

[Guest]

Sorry! I didn't finish the instructions - after you have typed in the text
that you want to show, depress F9 to update the field.

 

[Guest]

Okay. I placed instruction text in default text box and in fact the text I
entered (Type Company Name Here) shows up in the field.
The next step is how do I protect the form, type new text in the field and
have it substitute for the default text?
Once again, if I was unclear, it's because I don't know what this procedure
is called.
Thanks in advance again.
Joel

 

[Guest]

By the way, F9 is depressed already. It has issues.

 

[Guest]

Okay. That works, sort of. Here's my problem. I used the Form Design toolbar
to create this form because I'm new to this aspect of Microsoft Weird, uh,
Word. So when I protect the document, it doesn't work so much.
I'm assuming now that if I want to integrate this function, I have to do the
rest of the form with macro fields rather than protected form fields. Yes?
By the way, thanks.

 

[Guest]

You should save this document as a template so that when it is opened, all of
those fields that you have created will always be there for input. Once text
has been put into the document by a user, then it will be saved as a
document. Please let me know if this sovles your problem.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Click the 'lock' button on the Forms toolbar to protect the document and
make the form fields functional. Alternatively, select Tools > Protect
Document and select "Forms", then click OK.

You may want to read this article:

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

 

[Charles Kenyon]

You don't want to be using macrobutton fields for text input in a protected
form. Simply insert text formfields and give those fields default text. This
is what Word calls an "online form." Check this
in help. For more about online forms, follow the links at
http://addbalance.com/word/wordwebresources.htm#Forms or
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/FillinTheBlanks.htm especially Dian
Chapman's series of articles.

Hope this helps,
--

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

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Guest]

Yes. I entered the text in the "Default text" box by bringing up the field's
properties. Then I protected the template by clicking the lock. Closed and
saved the templated.
Opened a new doc based on template. The default text is there, but when I
type in its place. I'm typing in the middle of the default text. It just
stays there, not like when I use a field and "macrobutton nomacro."
Am I missing something?
Thanks.
Joel

 

[Charles Kenyon]

If you tab into the field rather than click in it, the entire contents will
be selected. If you click in it, you'll need to select the text yourself.
--
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

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

Yes. I entered the text in the "Default text" box by bringing up the
field's
properties. Then I protected the template by clicking the lock. Closed and
saved the templated.
Opened a new doc based on template. The default text is there, but when I
type in its place. I'm typing in the middle of the default text. It just
stays there, not like when I use a field and "macrobutton nomacro."
Am I missing something?
Thanks.
Joel

 

[Guest]

Thanks to all. I wish I had the time to do the form with control toolbox and
coding and all but this will have to serve for now.
Besides, since this has to travel and serve many people of varying computer
skills, I'm thinking simpler is better.
Anyway, thanks to all.