I am looking for a way to have formatting in a document so that I can force the user to enter text in specific places. Can I use VBA and userforms to achieve this? Can I place a text box and have Word functionality inside the text box?



Alternatively, if I use a template or if I use Word with no VBA then the user is free to edit/move the elements of the document. The required Word document / form is supposed to limit the user to specific areas for editing.

Thank you in advance.

If you want to limit a user to entering data into specific parts of a document with Word 2003 & earlier, you can use formfields and document forms protection. No code required. See:
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/tblsfldsfms/LinesInForms.htm
http://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/repeating_data.html

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

I can go with a rich text box and use the functionality provided with it. I was trying to figure out a way to use the features that are provided in Word and save me from re-inventing the wheel.

Thing is, there are certain features that are not provided with the rich text box (or am I wrong?) such as inserting tables for example.

By using a rich text box in a VB application or through VBA, I can create areas for data entry on the form. I can control the amount of text the user enters in the text box.

This leaves the issue of printing...

Any thoughts appreciated.

There are no rich text boxes for forms use in Word 2003, which is what your profile indicates you're using. Rich text content controls are supported by Word 2007 & later and do allow for tables to be inserted into them. In Word 2003 & earlier, though, you could optionally insert content, including tables, into an unprotected Section of the document.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]