Using a Document as Interactive...

[abrogard]

I am a student and we've been given a Word document to use as 'interactive' - like a form to fill in.



I have sometimes to select whole portions to 'strike through' because they are not wanted.

When I try to do that sometimes a whole other section gets greyed out with the piece I'm trying to select.

How can I stop that?

I did think maybe 'allowing edits' was the problem. Initially when we open the document I can't save it to a different name which would make it 'one use' only so I click the 'allow edits' bar up the top.


I figure maybe that is my problem. I've brought it on myself. But I can't see how to set the document to no edits again.


And anyway that doesn't seem to be right - I just tried it with the original and if I don't switch off 'no edit' then I can't write anything on it.


So I guess it boils down to: Can a word doc be used as a Form like our school is trying to get us to do?

[Charles Kenyon]

You can certainly create/use a form in Word.
You should first save as a template. That is a different kind of file for Word, not just a designation. Templates in Microsoft Word
Word, to protect you, sets a document in a protected mode when you download it or open it from an email. There are other kinds of protection available. Those are best found using the Review Tab or the Developer Tab and the Restrict Editing button. Do not use "Filling in Forms" protection. This is a deceptive title.

If you want someone here to look at the document, you are welcome to upload a copy here. How to attach a screenshot or file in this forum. Note, for this purpose, you want to attach a file, not a screenshot.

[abrogard]

I'll be happy to show the file.



Actually I'm now working on a different one but with the same problems it seems.


And this one I know where it came from. It came from a conversion from pdf to word - done in this case by online 'smallpdf'.


I think that's where the other one came from, too.


And maybe that has a lot to do with the formatting problems.


On this one I'm currently having hassles with the 'columns'. Much of the document is in three columns. Unmarked but nevertheless still there.



Sometimes I can't get into the right hand column where mostly we're supposed to input our responses.



I am happy to go page by page and reformat as needed to make the documents usable even if it means without an special 'cleverness'. Like without a column that automatically confines my text. I'm happy (well, I'll tolerate, in order to get on and do something) to 'fake' the columns myself, doing carriage returns and filling up with blanks etc.. If I have to.


Anyway I'll add one of here for you to look at .


regards

[macropod]

There is nothing about that document that qualifies it as being " 'interactive' - like a form to fill in". As you say,

It came from a conversion from pdf to word

and that shows in its structure - it's not a particularly good conversion. There are lots of unnecessary frames and other graphic object in the document - and the frames are what's causing "a whole other section gets greyed out" when you tryi to select some content.

You might do better opening the pdf directly in Word. Without knowing what Word version you're using (your user profile says Office 2003 or Windows XP, which is highly unlikely), more specific guidance can't be given.

Kindly update your user profile to reflect the actual Office & Windows versions you're using.

[abrogard]

I don't understand what you mean. The document is full of fields that need to be filled in. That's a form isn't it?


Well anyway, there's no doubt. It's a form, that's what it is.


Or are you referring to how poorly it does the job? Well I know, that's why I came here.


I can't open the pdf in word and have word make it a word document. I tried it. Word says that the author did something to prevent that.


Perhaps there's a way to undo that?


I tried to adjust my profile software settings. the best I can find out I've got Office 365 apps for enterprise and it's running Windows build 2103. There was nothing I saw in the profile thing that would allow me to enter that.

[macropod]

It actually contains no fields, as such. In effect, it's the same as a document designed to be printed and filled in by hand, but you've been provided with the electronic version converted from a PDF.

On page 3, for example, where you're supposed to fill in the vendor name there's just a graphic with a partial bottom border - nothing you can actually fill in. The horizontal line below 'Street' is another graphic. It's a similar story with the trustee in item 2 and the business name in item 3 and the last line in item 4. And, if you have Word's formatting display turned on and select the paragraph break near the bottom of the page where 'column break' appears, Word will select a frame that covers most of the page.

In other words, this is not a document designed to be filled in electronically.

It's possible the original PDF had fields to be filled in, but PDF fields don't convert to Word.

A properly constructed form in Word that's designed to be filled in electronically would use formfields or content controls. Your document contains neither. If formfields are used, the only parts you could select would likely be the actual formfields. If content controls are used, what you could select can be much more flexible - or just as restrictive as formfields.

[abrogard]

Ah, right - there's the misunderstanding - I'm not saying it is a 'word document designed to be filled in....' in that sense.



Quite the contrary.


I am saying, was saying, it is a word document. And it has been given to us to 'use as interactive', like a 'form to fill in'.


And it's not going well. I'm managing but sometimes it gets pretty awful.


I/we (there's other students with the same thing of course) need help with it simply because, as you say, it is not technically designed for the use to which we are having to put it.


So the question is how best can we work with it?

[macropod]

It might have been represented as a document "to 'use as interactive', like a 'form to fill in'", but that isn't what it is.

It's no wonder you're having trouble - it's a dog's breakfast because of the way it's been produced.

See if you can get hold of the original PDF. If well-designed it may have PDF fields you can fill in. Otherwise, try opening the PDF in Word, which may do a better job of the conversion than whatever was used to produce the document you've been given.

Of course, it's even possible the PDF was itself produced using Word, in which case it would be nice if those who want you to fill in the so-called fields supplied the original Word document...

PS: Judging by the letterhead, the document originated at: AICSA | Peak body in South Australia | Conveyancing Profession

[abrogard]

so there's no help in how to handle the hassles we run across whilst using it?

[macropod]

The best advice I can give is to approach the Australian Institute of Conveyancers SA to see if you can get the PDF or, ideally, the Word document it might have been created from.

[abrogard]

thanks for that. but it's not for me to do. the school sent us this stuff. they'll do that i suppose when they start getting back reports about the difficulties we're having with it all.


for the moment and as a matter of general interest and in line with broadening and deepening one's knowledge of Word I'll wait on and see if there's anyone with specific advice about handling these kind of difficulties.


thank you for your help, it is much appreciated.

[macropod]

Originally Posted by abrogard

they'll do that i suppose when they start getting back reports about the difficulties we're having with it all

In that case, I suggest you start by relaying your difficulties and the observations I made in post #6.

[abrogard]

Yes, I'm sure those are the things that'll get reported.


Meantime I'm getting by just by deleting stuff that gets in the way. All those lines and 'field markings' or whatever...

[Charles Kenyon]

When I want to make a Word document that I can edit and make changes to from a pdf, I copy the text in the pdf into a new Word document and paste it as plain text. I then format and set it up using Word controls. I use the original pdf as a visual guide. As you are discovering, documents created in other programs and then converted into Word documents may look right but editing them is a nightmare. There is no one-for-one correspondence of features and methods of formatting and conversion programs do their best.

If you are using a version of Word prior to Word 2007 and want it to be an interactive form, you are pretty much restricted to the Form controls that come with Word. For these to work, the form must be locked or restricted to filling in forms.

Beginning with Word 2007, MS introduced Content Controls, which work without this restriction.

• Making Forms with Microsoft Word
• Create a Form Using Word Content Controls by Greg Maxey

[macropod]

Originally Posted by Charles Kenyon

When I want to make a Word document that I can edit and make changes to from a pdf, I copy the text in the pdf into a new Word document and paste it as plain text. I then format and set it up using Word controls.

That's really not a practical solution in this case, due to the layout. In any event, the OP apparently doesn't have access to the PDF.

Originally Posted by Charles Kenyon

If you are using a version of Word prior to Word 2007 and want it to be an interactive form, you are pretty much restricted to the Form controls that come with Word. For these to work, the form must be locked or restricted to filling in forms.

As per post #5, the OP is running Office 365 (currently equivalent to Office 2019) on Windows 10 (build 2103).