How do I link columns to allow text to flow into next column

[Guest]

I need to create a form that is locakble, but want to have text in one column
flow into the next when the first column is full. I can do this by linking
text boxes, but don't then seem to be able to lock the form. Does anyone
have any ideas?

 

[Cynthia]

What part of the document needs to be locked? Perhaps you can apply the locking to SECTION that contains the fill-in form?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I need to create a form that is locakble, but want to have text in one column
flow into the next when the first column is full. I can do this by linking
text boxes, but don't then seem to be able to lock the form. Does anyone
have any ideas?

 

[Beth Melton]

You should be able to protect your document with linked text boxes.
However if you are using Form fields then you'll find you are unable
to add form fields to the text boxes since they are in the Drawing
layer, rather than the text layer.

You could use a Continuous section break to section off the text boxes
and specify that section should not be protected, however this will
not protect the text boxes from being deleted or moved.

You could use a borderless Word table with a two column format but
without knowing more about what you are trying to create I'm not sure
if that would work. If you need to confine the text to a specific area
then you may need to use an unprotected section.

If you could provide some additional details perhaps we could offer
some additional suggestions.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Is there some reason why an ordinary section with two newspaper-style
(snaking) columns wouldn't work?

--
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.

You should be able to protect your document with linked text boxes.
However if you are using Form fields then you'll find you are unable
to add form fields to the text boxes since they are in the Drawing
layer, rather than the text layer.

You could use a Continuous section break to section off the text boxes
and specify that section should not be protected, however this will
not protect the text boxes from being deleted or moved.

You could use a borderless Word table with a two column format but
without knowing more about what you are trying to create I'm not sure
if that would work. If you need to confine the text to a specific area
then you may need to use an unprotected section.

If you could provide some additional details perhaps we could offer
some additional suggestions.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Beth Melton]

I considered that too but I suspect since text boxes are used there is
additional text above and below them and some type of space needs to
be preserved for the text that needs to added.

So my thought was to use a single cell table in a two column format
and increase the cell height to start off with a specific amount of
space. But a table would increase in height until it reaches the
bottom of the page before the text would wrap to the second column so
that may not work if a specific amount of space needs to be preserved.

I've also considered the OP is using Word 2003 and trying to protect
the document for "Read only" and set an exemption on the linked text
box which is not allowed.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email can not be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ah, I missed the fact that you were using a single-column table in snaking
columns; I thought you had said a two-column table, and I didn't see how
that could possibly work!

--
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]

Let me explain what this is for. It is an 8 page document that is to become
a template for a form that will be completed by scientists. The client wants
the template to contain logos, graphics etc and for the boffins to complete
several predefined sections, so that they don't have to worry about
formatting etc, but does not want them to be able to change the template in
any way. Therefore it is really essential that the template is locked, so
that all predefined aspects cannot be changed. The parts of the document
that the scientists will complete must be capable of varying in length, some
people will have more data to input than others, but must also not leave too
much in the way of white space.

I hadn't thought about inserting two columns into a table, but having tried
it it does extend the length to the bottom of the page when the row height is
set to 'at least'. When the row height is set to 'exactly' it doesn't wrap
to the next column.

Not sure what to try next! Oh, and I forgot to say the client is using Word
2003, sorry!

Any more suggestions would be hugely useful ... thanks so much for the
inoput so far.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If there's a continuous section break below the multi-column section (with a
single-column table in it), Word will balance the columns, but I don't think
there's any way to limit the depth of the section.

--
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.