headers and footers - how can I make a form field appear automatic

[Guest]

I have a document that has many form fields, one of which is for the person's
name. If/when the document runs onto a second or third page, I would like
the person's name to appear in the header on those pages automatically. The
document has to be protected. Now, I suppose they could always unprotect the
document, open the headers, type their name, close the header and then
protect the document again so they can carry on with the form, but that
defeats the purpose of this being an easy to use form for everyone.

So my question is: Is there any way to link one of the form fields to
automatically appear in the header, so the user doesn't have to do anything
except type the name in the first form field?

Thanks

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You can use a cross-reference in the header. Every form field has a built-in
bookmark (which you can see, and modify if you like, in the Form Field
Options dialog). Create a cross-reference to the text of that bookmark. Be
sure to check the box for "Calculate on exit" in the Form Field Options to
ensure that the cross-reference will update automatically.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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[Guest]

It's still not working right. :-( Here is what I'm doing, maybe you can
help me figure out where I'm going wrong.

1. Unprotect document
2. Right-click on the field I want to show up in the header and chose
"properties". Check field settings and made sure that "Calculate on exit" is
checked. ("fill-in enabled" is also checked, btw). Make note of the bookmark
name (Text40). Click ok.
3. Go to View > Header and Footer. Go to the header on the second page.
4. Go to Insert> Cross-reference. For "Reference type" I chose "Bookmark"
off the dropdown menu. For "Insert reference to" I chose "bookmark text" of
the drom down menu. "For which bookmark:" I chose Text40. Clicked Insert,
then Close.
5. Closed Header/Footer.
6. Protected document (for forms), then saved the document
7. Tested it out by typing something in the name field. Doesn't work
(doesn't show up in the header on the second page).

Please help! I feel so clueless and can't figure out what I'm doing wrong.
:-S

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Whoops, sorry, it seems that cross-references don't work in the
headers/footers of protected documents. This is inconvenient, but here is
something that will work:

1. Define a specific character style for the form field whose content you
want to replicate in the header. It doesn't have to look any different from
the rest of the text; it just has to have a name.

2. Apply this character style to your form field.

3. In the header, insert a StyleRef field to pick up this style. It will
update as you change the data in the field.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

thank you! thank you! thank you! thank you!

I really appreciate it!

 

[Guest]

Help - I have followed your instructions, BUT I get a Square after the text
in the header. What did I do wrong? Thanks

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Have a look at http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/StyleRef.htm for
instructions that may be easier to follow.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Can you please explain how this can work when you're replicating data from
within a table into your headers?

I have the style and styleref set up and it works fine - as long as it's not
being referenced from within a table. I don't think our company really wants
to redesign our forms, however. Is there an override for the table I could
use?

 

[Graham Mayor]

Provided that what you want to reference from the table is formatted with a
unique style (which can be a named character style with the same format as
the underlying style) then styleref should display that style content
without problem.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Did you apply the character style to the end-of-cell marker? If so, don't.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

It appears to be an issue with my Style... I'd taken it from Normal, which
obviously has nothing in it (I just discovered Reveal Formatting!). On a
frustrated whim I tried using Heading 1 to make a style, and it works
perfectly fine.

Thanks to you both!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

A character style should be based on Default Paragraph Font and need not
differ from it except in name. It can be applied to text in any paragraph
style.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

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all may benefit.