Microsoft Office Forums - View Single Post - [Solved] Fill-in fields

macropod · 07-29-2015, 03:37 PM

To avoid the FILLIN fields prompting the user to answer the same questions again, replace them with fields coded as:

1. In the template document, create ASK fields in the format:
{QUOTE{IF{Subject}= "" {ASK Subject "What are the photographs of?" \d ""} ""}{Subject}}
{QUOTE{IF{DtTm}= "" {ASK DtTm "Date and/or time photographs taken?" \d ""} ""}{DtTm}}
{QUOTE{IF{Flare}= "" {ASK Flare "Flare reference (if you have one)" \d ""} ""}{Flare}}
where Subject, DtTm, Flare, respectively, are bookmarks named to match the particular question.

2. Then, at the start of each field, create an empty bookmark corresponding to the bookmark (Subject, DtTm, Flare, respectively) for that field (this is to avoid bookmark reference errors). You can do this using a SET field (eg {SET BkMrk ""}, where BkMrk is the bookmark name, inserted before the "{QUOTE" or via Insert|Bookmark (with nothing selected).

3. Save the template. If you created the bookmark via Insert|Bookmark, don’t answer the question before saving the template, otherwise you’ll have to delete the bookmark and re-create it.

Now, when a document based on the template is previewed or printed, users will only be prompted to update any ASK fields they haven't answered.

Note1: If you use a SET field (e.g. {SET Subject ""}) to create the bookmark, it will clear the bookmark every time the document is opened, and you’ll be prompted to answer the questions again if you try to re-print the document. In that case, you could delete the \d "" switches from the ASK fields to retain the previous answers.

Note2: The field brace pairs (i.e. '{ }') for the above example are all created in the document itself, via Ctrl-F9 (Cmd-F9 on a Mac); you can't simply type them or copy & paste them from this message. Nor is it practicable to add them via any of the standard Word dialogues.