I have a Report Template I have made with Form fields. It has been working great besides for one thing. I need a drop down list that exceeds the 50 character count limit. What is the best way to get past this? I have one piece of data I need on a drop down list that is 145 characters.

Thanks!

Hi JBaker,

Have you considered using Content Controls instead? Keep in mind that it's generally not a good idea to use Content Controls and FormFields in the same document.

If that's not viable, you might consider adding a formula field (not a formfield) immediately after your dropdown, coded along the lines of:
{IF{REF Dropdown1} = "Start of text*" "additional text to display"}
where:
• 'Dropdown1' is the dropdown's internal bookmark name;
• 'Start of text' is as much of the particular dropdown entry's text as is needed to uniquely differentiate it from any other dropodown entry's text; and
• the dropdown's 'calculate on exit' property is checked.
This way, even though the dropdown won't display all the text, the missing portion will appear in the document if that item is selected.

Note: The field brace pairs (ie '{ }') for the above example are created via Ctrl-F9 - you can't simply type them or copy & paste them from this message.

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

That worked perfectly much better and easier than Macros!! My next question would be is there any way I can have it create a bullet list depending on which drop down is selected?

Hi JBaker,

Yes, you can do that. You can even have multiple pages of content, including pictures, in the IF field's output. You just have to be careful to attach the field to the following paragraph. You could use a field code like:
{IF{REF Dropdown1}= "MyStringStart*" "Introductory Text¶
Bullet 1¶
Bullet 2¶
Bullet 3¶
Bullet 4
" "¶
"}
where the ¶ represents an actual paragraph break. Be aware also that, if you're using 'proper' bullets instead of manually-typed bullet characters, they may not show up in the field code.

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

I am alittle confused on the bullet thing.

I want to be able to insert bullets if options 2,3,4 or 5 are selected from the drop down menu. There user will make a list and may need more than 5 bullets, or may just need one- that depends on them. So the usual way of using bullets- by just enabling bullets with the bullets button on the toolbar allows a list to be made. This would work great if I could make that bullet disappear for the 1st option on the drop down menu.

Hi JBaker,

If you just want to suppress the bullet list for a single dropdown selection, simply change the '=' in the field code to '<>'.

However, you seem to be suggesting the user might want to be able to vary the number of bullets independently of the dropdown selection. That would require a macro but, unless you're contemplating having more formfields attached to them, I don't see what the point would be, as the content of each bullet point would be uneditable. The alternative is to insert a Section break below the dropdown and, when you apply the forms protection, leave that Section unprotected. That way, the user could input whatever they like into the unprotected Section, bullet points and all.

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

Thanks Macropod.

I ended up leaving the sections I wanted to enter large amounts of text as unprotected sections. My new challenge is...

I am trying to create a list according to a drop down menu selection. So for example

{IF{DropDown1} = "6." "{LISTNUM Change \s 1} }

Hopefully this will make my list number I labeled as "Change" ti start if DropDown1 = 6. selection

When referencing dropdown formfield results, you must use REF at the start of the reference field, ie:
{IF{REF DropDown1} = "6." "{LISTNUM Change \s 1} }

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

Thanks I will have to try that.... the other codes I used with DropDown1 I didn't have to use REF. I will see if that works when I get back to work.

I tried to REF the DropDown, it still wouldnt give me a list when I tabbed out of DropDown3

Two things:
1. The field code you posted refers to Dropdown1, not Dropdown3; and
2. Dropdown3 will need to have its 'calculate on exit' property checked.

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

Im not sure what I am doing wrong Nothing I do seems to make it work....


What I am attempting to do is if a user selects the ONLY option in the drop down menu other than blank, it will populate a list below. I know I can just use continuous Breaks, but trying to leave it all as a form. This way if that section of data is not needed, it will not print. It will simply be blank (end of document)

https://docs.google.com/open?id=0Bwd...U1k4dVc5cnFxZw

Here is an example of what I have.... I want "Start" and "Change" to be hidden if "6." is not selected from the DropDown3. I can make the "Start" disappear. However getting a list to appear from the selecting 6. is not working for me.

Hi JBaker,

I can't tell anything from the image in your link. You can attach a copy of the actual document here, via the paperclip symbol on the advanced screen.

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

uploaded
Thanks!!!

Attached Files

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