Need help with clearing content field values + allow user to sign + submit word form once completed

[ShellR]

I am hoping someone could assist me with this.
I've created a word form (to also be used on mobile); it has multiple content controls (text, checkbox, dropdown lists, date picker). The form is protected to allow form filling only (with no password). This is what I need it to do:

1. on open, all the content controls fields values needs to be blank...although, I suppose it can be done once the user submits it?
2. I want the form to check the values to make sure they are the proper format. for example, in the name field, I want to make sure there are no numbers entered and, of course check that no field value is blank. Is there a way to check each field as the user enters them? or, better yet set the property for each field( which i tried to do, but not able to find the option to do so)
3. once the form is completed, there is a section to sign it electronically (which only worked for me in unprotected mode)... Is there a reason for this?
4. I then want to give the user the option to submit or print the form

Thank you so much in advance. I haven't done this type of work for years now. I am definitely a lot rusty!!

[gmayor]

Forms using content controls do not need to be protected for forms. If you want to protect the areas that are not fields, then mark the fields with 'Editors' and protect as read only. You may find Insert Content Control Add-In useful in making the changes.

You can validate fields using macros, but this requires the use of macros and you cannot force the use of macros.
Frankly the best approach for such a form is to create a PDF form, but for this you will require software, such as Acrobat, capable of creating such a form.

[Italophile]

If you’re expecting the form to be used in the online version of Word then VBA isn’t going to help you as it is only available in the desktop version.

[ShellR]

Correction to my last post (my apologies):

I am hoping someone could assist me with this.
I've created a word form (to also be used on mobile); it has multiple content controls (text, checkbox, dropdown lists, date picker). The form is protected to allow form filling only (with no password). This is what I need it to do:

1. on open, all the content controls fields values needs to be blank...although, I suppose it can be done once the user submits it?
2. I want the form to check the values to make sure they are the proper format. for example, in the name field, I want to make sure there are no numbers entered and, of course check that no field value is blank. Is there a way to check each field as the user enters them? or, better yet set the property for each field( which i tried to do, but not able to find the option to do so)
3. once the form is completed, there is a section to sign it electronically (which only worked for me in unprotected mode)... Is there a reason for this?
4. I then want to give the user the option to submit or print the form

[Italophile]

VBA is only available in the desktop version of Word, not in the mobile apps or the web version.
The usual advice would be to use a document template (dotx) as this will always give you an initialised document, but I don’t know if that will work with the mobile apps either as I don’t use them.

[ShellR]

thank you. Any suggestions for VBA code that I can use for desktop for now? We can figure out the rest at a later date.

thank you

[gmayor]

If you create a macro enabled template and create documents from it, the documents will match the template. They will not have old data in the fields.

For validation of content in those fields my old friend Greg Maxey has a web page that covers this - see Validate Content Controls Entries. The code he illustrates goes in the template.

This, as I suggested earlier, is difficult to employ for third party use and a PDF form makes more sense.