How to link text form fields in word how to#
How to link text form fields in word download#

If you add a Submit button from the Control Toolbox (choose View Р’В» Toolbars Р’В» Control Toolbox), you can attach to it a macro that performs the validation and notifies the user of any fields that were left blank. If you're reluctant to constrict users to working through the form in order, validate the form's contents when the user submits it or saves it. Step 5: Protect the document: To be able enter data in the legacy text field, you need to protect the Word. Word displays the Words Form Field Options dialog box, where you can select the text field Type (regular text, number, date, current date, etc.), maximum length of the field, etc. If the user tries to leave a field without completing it, the exit macro runs and tells him the problem. Double-click the text field in the document. The user can then fill in the next field. For each field except the last, make the exit macro, after finding the field's contents satisfactory, select the next form field (e.g., ActiveDocument.FormFields('FullName').Select selects the field with the bookmark name FullName). Perform suitable validation (for example, check the Result property of a text FormField object to make sure that it's not an empty string) and display a message box explaining any problems that the user must fix before leaving the field. To validate each field as the user leaves it, create an exit macro for each field.

This approach has the advantage of alerting the user immediately to a problem with a field, but it means the user must work through the fields in order. When the user skips a field, the exit macro doesn't run, and there's no validation.Р”Р„ straightforward approach is to force the user to work through the fields in the form in turn, validating the result of each field as the user leaves it. But if the user moves about the form with the mouse, he can skip fields altogether. If the user uses the keyboard to move from field to field, the exit macros can validate each field. An exit macro is especially useful for checking that the contents of the field are suitable and for displaying a message box explaining any problems to the user.Р”В®xit macros are almost ideal for ensuring that the user fills in all the required fields in the formbut only almost. You can also control the default entry, the length of the entry, and the format in which it is entered.Р”Р‡or any form field, you can run a macro on entry (when the user moves the selection to the form field), on exit (when the user moves the selection to another form field), or both.

The Solution:Р”Р‡or a text form field, you can control what the user enters to some extent by specifying the type of text ('Regular text,' 'Number,' 'Date,' 'Current date,' 'Current time,' or 'Calculation') in the Type drop-down list in the Text Form Field Options dialog box. But they're still leaving some vital fields blank and filling in others incorrectly. Select Customize Ribbon, then click the check box for the Developer tab.Right, protecting the form has prevented my colleagues from deleting the sections that don't apply to them. To do this, click File > Options to access the Word Options dialog box. Step 1: Turn on the Developer tabР”В«efore you create form elements in a document, you'll need to activate the Developer tab on the Ribbon.

How to link text form fields in word download#

You can also download our example file if you'd like to follow along. This makes it easier for everyone to know what type of information to include, and it also helps ensure all of the information is formatted the same way.

A form allows you to create placeholders for different types of information, such as text, dates, yes-no questions, and so on. To simplify the process, you could create a form in Microsoft Word. But have you ever created a document for other people to use?Р”Р‡or example, let's say you're organizing a field trip and want everyone to send in their permission forms electronically. If you've ever used Microsoft Word, you've probably spent a lot of time customizing different options to get your document to look exactly the way you want.

How to link text form fields in word how to#

en/word-tips/changing-your-default-settings-in-word/content/ How to create forms in Word