Word 2013 Variables, do they exist?

[ThatGuy]

Hi, all-



I want to do something that seems simple. Other programs do it. In fact, excel does it, in a way.

I want to generate a word document in which I have a variable (or field or whatever you want to call it) that changes when I change the value elsewhere.

So, for instance, if I wrote a sentence like "my good friend [friend's name] is at the store." I would change something like a cell in excel, or something somewhere else, I don't care, and [friend's name] would be filled in with whatever I input. So I could but "Bob" in the cell and it would say "my good friend Bob is at the store." Then if I change it to "Frank" it says "my good friend Frank is at the store."

You get the idea.

Is this at ALL possible???

[macropod]

See: http://gregmaxey.com/word_tip_pages/repeating_data.html

[ThatGuy]

Thanks, but this appears wholly inadequate.

First, and mostly, it doesn't work. When I do the step to "Restrict Editing" the fields I've input beneath the initial one disappear. With no rhyme, reason, or explanation, they're just gone.

Second, I don't yet see how to make this work for more than one field. But, to be fair, that may be because this has yet to work for even one, as described above.

Third, is this ever going to work across documents?

[Charles Kenyon]

AutoText and AutoText fields? Probably the simplest method.
Automated Boilerplate Using Microsoft Word

[ThatGuy]

Is there a simpler version? I don't know what all this autocorrect and whatever else is talking about, and it goes on and on about this for almost 12,000 words.

I just want a table of info that populates into other places.

[macropod]

I suggest you spend a little more time studying the material. You cannot possibly have digested it in the time since the posts were made. Your "it doesn't work" merely proves the point! It does work - and well - when done properly.

[ThatGuy]

I followed the steps as written for Word 2013 three times. It didn't work. The fields disappeared. As if I'd hit the delete key. I didn't hit the delete key. But still they disappeared. Three times.

"It doesn't work" is an accurate statement. No amount of digestion will change this.

If you have an insight as to why it didn't work, that would be very helpful.

[macropod]

Let's just say the procedures, properly followed, have worked for thousands of users...

[ThatGuy]

Okay, well, if you have any specific insights please do not hesitate to share them.

If not, please do not clutter this thread with posts that are not helpful.

[macropod]

Perhaps, instead of bleating "it doesn't work", you'd care to explain exactly which of the techniques described in the link you tried to implement - and how. You might even attach the actual document to your post with some representative data (delete anything sensitive) and a description of what you're trying to replicate. You do this via the paperclip symbol on the 'Go Advanced' tab at the bottom of this screen.

[ThatGuy]

Well, as stated in post #3, and reinforced in post #7, it was after the step in the link where you are instructed to restrict the editing.

So here's what I did.

I opened a blank document.
I went to the Developer tab.
I inserted a text field as shown in the highlighted picture.
I double-clicked on said text form and changed the options as instructed. Bookmark was changed to "customername" (once I tried not changing this, no difference in end result), and I checked the "Caclulate on exit" square.
I closed the window by clicking "OK".
I went back to the Developer tab and entered a REF field.
I went through the steps to restrict editing. checking the box instructed and so on.
Everything described above disappeared.

[ThatGuy]

Two thoughts:

First, the instructions are entirely unclear as to how to insert a REF field. It is possible I've done that part wrong. But who knows, I have nothing to go on.

Second, at my work computer, when clicking on the option in the Developer tab, a "text form field" appeared in these type of brackets: {} Now at my home computer, no such brackets appear, even though I have clicked the exact same thing. Both are Word 2013, W7. Both have also been installed without any special customization. Also, none of the clickable options give me the {} brackets unless I type ctrl+F9. Why would this be inconsistent?

[Charles Kenyon]

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

Two thoughts:

First, the instructions are entirely unclear as to how to insert a REF field. It is possible I've done that part wrong. But who knows, I have nothing to go on.

Second, at my work computer, when clicking on the option in the Developer tab, a "text form field" appeared in these type of brackets: {} Now at my home computer, no such brackets appear, even though I have clicked the exact same thing. Both are Word 2013, W7. Both have also been installed without any special customization. Also, none of the clickable options give me the {} brackets unless I type ctrl+F9. Why would this be inconsistent?

On the computer where the braces { } appear, press Alt+F9 to toggle display of field results.

[ThatGuy]

Another problem.

On my home computer, as I try this again, when I reach the point to Restrict Editing, I go through the steps, checking the box, the drop-down...

And the "Yes, Start Enforcing Protection" button is grayed out. Why would this happen?

[Charles Kenyon]

Originally Posted by ThatGuy

Is there a simpler version? I don't know what all this autocorrect and whatever else is talking about, and it goes on and on about this for almost 12,000 words.

I just want a table of info that populates into other places.

It is not that simple a subject (or series of subjects).

You can do what you want with AutoText (in a global template) and AutoText Fields. This takes some thought and is not necessarily straightforward. Otherwise, you can store your variables in a separate document and use macros to pull them from that document into your destination documents or use Include fields (but those are at least as complex in implementation as is AutoText).

Greg's page on Repeating Data (Populating Multiple Like Fields) is the best compilation of other methods of which I am aware. It is not an easy read.

Bottom line:
Word is a Word processing program with a lot of extras built in. You are expecting it to get database program functions from it. I've been doing it for years (at least since 1993 when Microsoft told me it couldn't be done). I've been using AutoText to do this.