Word 2003 populating multiple areas with same information

[Guest]

don't know whether forms or merge is best (would prefer not to use merge cause of multiple documents). or perhaps another tool is appropriate. Just want to create a "form" letter where my co-workers are prompted to enter certain variable text, which would then populate the multiple areas of the letter where this text is referred to again and again. What's the best way? thanks!

 

[Anne Troy]

That depends on how much information is being filled out, Deirdre, and how
long the document is too...

There's 3 methods really.

First, is the ASK fill-in fields found under Insert-Field. I don't like them
and couldn't begin to tell you how to use them.

Second, is form fields. View-Toolbar, for Forms. Instructions here:
http://www.theofficeexperts.com/word.htm#Fill-inForms Also, see the sample
file. Tho it's not explained, there are Cross-References to bookmarks. When
you use fields from the forms toolbar, they're automatically assigned
bookmark names, like Text1 (you can change these to suit yourself). In the
last couple rows of the downloadable form file, I inserted the cross-refs to
bookmarks in that doc. That's all you need to do--then print preview or
print or Ctrl+A then F9 to update those cross-ref'd fields.

Third, is user forms. Malcolm at DragonDrop has a pretty cool tutorial here:
http://www.dragondrop.com/WordCoding/word011a.asp

If you ask me, the second option is easiest.

<-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*->
Hope this helps!
Anne Troy (better known as Dreamboat)
Author: Dreamboat on Word
Email: Dreamboat*at*Piersontech.com
Web: www.TheOfficeExperts.com

don't know whether forms or merge is best (would prefer not to use merge

cause of multiple documents). or perhaps another tool is appropriate. Just
want to create a "form" letter where my co-workers are prompted to enter
certain variable text, which would then populate the multiple areas of the
letter where this text is referred to again and again. What's the best way?
thanks!

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Mailmerge can work well for this. I use it myself with multiple documents
that use the much the same information. When I open a new client file I
start with a data file that has basic information about the client and case.
I use that to merge with many other form documents on an as-needed basis.

However, what you may want is what Word calls an "online form." Check this
in help. For more about online forms, follow the links at <URL:
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/FillinTheBlanks.htm> especially Dian
Chapman's series of articles.

If you are producing multiple documents with one set of data, mailmerge is
probably better. If you are producing one or two and would not be retyping
the same data into both, then an online form will suit you best. Either way
you can just type the information once per document, at most.

If you are willing to do programming, an even more flexible solution would
be a UserForm that gathers information for either a merge data file or an
..ini file. I would want to be doing things much more complex than I am,
though, to go to that level, and then I might explore Access more first.

Hope this helps,
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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don't know whether forms or merge is best (would prefer not to use merge

cause of multiple documents). or perhaps another tool is appropriate. Just
want to create a "form" letter where my co-workers are prompted to enter
certain variable text, which would then populate the multiple areas of the
letter where this text is referred to again and again. What's the best way?
thanks!