protecting forms

[grlgeek]

Is it possible to protect documents to be used as forms but still allows for
the footer to update when the document is saved (or save as to create a copy
of the document)?

As my previous post mentions, we use global templates with a save module
that clears out all existing data in the document footers and replaces it w/
current date, document name and username every time the document is saved.

If the user is using a protected form, the document can be saved, but the
footer is not updated because the document is protected.

If the user unprotects the form they can update the footer by saving the
document.

If the user leaves the document unprotected, they can now accidentally
overwrite the text that was meant to be protected and any data typed in a
form field is a bit more difficult to edit, as it requires extra steps to
overwrite existing data.

If they reprotect the form, all form fields are reset to blank, and they
lose all data.

Many employees who have access to such documents or forms do not have much
experience with word processing and do now have the knowledge of forms,
protection and other things. Asking them to remember to unprotect,
reprotect, not edit form text, only edit field text, etc and so on is too
much to ask of such employees.

We need to make these as idiot proof as possible.

 

[Guest]

You may want to try recording a macro that unprotects, saves, protects the
document. Hook this to a command button called submit. The employee would
perform the necessary steps to have your footer updated by clicking the
button.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

There are fields that put in username, save date, and document name and
path. Not sure why you would need a macro. If they are in the footer, you
can force an update with print preview. You could modify Greg Maxey's
filename and path solutions to update your fields whenever you use a save as
command. http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/File_Name_And_Path.htm
--
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.

 

[grlgeek]

There are fields that put in username, save date, and document name and
path. Not sure why you would need a macro. If they are in the footer, you
can force an update with print preview. You could modify Greg Maxey's
filename and path solutions to update your fields whenever you use a save as
command. http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/File_Name_And_Path.htm

Ever heard of Hummingbird Docs Open?

Its a document management system - and the footer insert is part of their
global template modules. I have access to edit them as needed, but part of
corporate standards are for the specific footer information to be inserted
in for every document created or used.

So, I do have a 3rd party issue to work with. Although they do have the
protect and unprotect modules in their global (they are just turned off for
our use) and I am going to work with that. There is the code to reprotect
a form without resetting the fields, and that is the biggest part of the
issue.

 

[Charles Kenyon]

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/TurnFmFlfResetOff.htm may help.
--
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.