How to create a form document that has fixed text sections in Word for Mac (894495)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac
  • Microsoft Word X for Mac

INTRODUCTION

This article discusses how to create a form that has fixed text sections in Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac and in Microsoft Word X for Mac.

Note The scope does not include information about how you can create Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macros to process the form elements.

MORE INFORMATION

You can create a form that has editable and non-editable sections in Word for Mac by using the Forms toolbar. Using the controls from the Forms toolbar lets you designate what can be and what cannot be changed on the form.

Word for Mac has the following form controls:
  • The Text Form Field field.
  • The Check Box Form Field field.
  • The Drop-Down Form Field field.
Additionally, you can add a Frame to the form to separate different elements on the form.

Form field properties

The Text Form Field field

The Text Form Field field control lets users enter text, dates, or other forms of data into your form. This control has the following properties:
  • Type: This property is a list of the different types of data:
    • Regular text
    • Number
    • Date
    • Current date
    • Current time
    • Calculation
  • Default text, Default number, Default date, Current date, Current time, or Expression: These properties vary depending on the Type property value that you selected.
  • Maximum length: The default text length is unlimited.
  • Text Format, Number Format, Date Format, Time Format: This property varies depending on the Type property values that you selected
  • Field Sections:
    • Bookmark: This property is automatically filled in with the text "Text#", where # is the number 1, 2, 3 and so on.
    • Calculate on exit: This property is used together with the Calculation property.
    • Fill-in enabled: This property lets users type into the field when it is selected.
  • Run macro on: Not used in this article.

The Check Box Form Field field

The Check Box Form Field field provides an easy way for users who are filling out a form to indicate a yes or no to a question or to select an item from a list. This control has the following properties:
  • Check box size:
    • Auto
    • Exactly: In this property, you can set the point size for the check box.
  • Default value:
    • Not checked
    • Checked
  • Field Sections:
    • Bookmark: This property is automatically filled in with the text "Check#", where # is the number 1, 2, 3 and so on.
    • Calculate on exit: This property is used together with the Calculation property.
    • Fill-in enabled: This property lets users type into the field when it is selected.
  • Run macro on: This property in not included in the scope of this article.

The Drop-Down Form Field field

The Drop-Down Form Field field lets you create a list of items for the user to choose from. This control has the following properties:
  • Drop-down item: This property is used to type each item for use in the drop-down list.
  • Items in drop-down list
  • Field Sections:
    • Bookmark: This property is automatically filled in with the text "Dropdown#", where # is the number 1, 2, 3 and so on.
    • Calculate on exit: This property is used together with the Calculation property.
    • Fill-in enabled: This property lets users type into the field when it is selected.
  • Run macro on: This property in not included in the scope of this article.

Using form fields

To use the form fields, you must first have the Forms toolbar visible. To make the Forms toolbar visible, click View, point to Toolbars, and then click Forms.

To insert a form field, click to position the insertion point where you want the field to appear, and then click the field on the Forms toolbar. After the field has been inserted, you can change the field's properties by double-clicking the field.

Adding list items to the Drop-Down Form Field field

To add list items to the Drop-Down Form Field field, follow these steps:
  1. Double-click the Drop-Down Form Field control.
  2. Type the item text in the Drop-down item box.
  3. Click Add.
  4. If you want to change the position of the item in the drop-down list, click to select the item.
  5. Click the Up, Down, or Move arrows to change the position of the item.
  6. To remove an item, click to select the item in the drop-down list, and then click Remove.

Performing calculations

To perform a calculation, type a formula for the calculation that uses the bookmark name for each Text Form Field field to obtain the values that are used in the formula. You can use the following mathematical operators in the formula:
  • +: Addition
  • -: Subtraction
  • *: Multiplication
  • /: Division
Most frequently used formulas have the following syntax:

=Bookmark_1OperatorBookmark_2_or_fixed_value


For example, a form may have the following Text Form Fields fields.

The Name field:
  • The Name field uses the Regular text type.
  • The Fill-in enabled check box is selected.
The Dues field:
  • The Dues field uses the Number type and the Number format: "$#,##0;($#,##0)".
  • The Default number box has the value of 20.
  • The Fill-in enabled check box has been cleared. This prevents the user from changing the value.
The Members field:
  • The Members field uses the Number type and the Number format: "0".
  • The Fill-in enabled check box is selected.
  • The Default number box has the value of 1.
  • The Calculate on exit check box is selected.
The Total field:
  • The Total field uses the Number type and the Number format: "$#,##0;($#,##0)".
  • The Expression box contains the following formula: =Dues * Members
To fill out this example form, follow these steps:
  1. Click Protect Form on the Forms toolbar.
  2. Type a name into the Name field.
  3. Type the value 2 in the Members field.
  4. Click in the Name field to trigger the calculation.
  5. The Total field now displays $40.00.

For more information about how to use calculations in a form, see the following Word for Mac help topic by following these steps:

Microsoft Word 2004 for Mac:
  1. Click Word Help on the Help menu.
  2. Click Search on the Help toolbar, type formula field codes, and then click Search.
  3. Click the help topic Field codes: = (Formula).
Microsoft Word X for Mac:
  1. Click Search Word Help on the Help menu.
  2. Type formula field codes, and then click Search.
  3. Click the help topic Field codes: = (Formula) field.

Preparing a form for distribution

Before you can make a form available to users, you must help protect the form by clicking Protect Form on the Forms toolbar. If you click Protect Form, users can fill in the form without changing the form's layout and standard elements. When you want to go back to writing or modifying the form, click Protect Form again to unprotect the form. However, after you distribute the form, a user can use this same toolbar button to unprotect the form and make changes to any text in the form.

If you want to keep people from accidentally unprotecting the form and changing the display content, you can use the Protect Document feature in Word for Mac to apply a password. Before you set a password to your form, you should always save an unprotected copy of the form, just in case you should forget the password to unlock the form. To do this, follow these steps.

Note These steps assume that you have already saved your form.
  1. Click Save As on the File menu.
  2. Type a new file name for your form.
  3. Click Save.
  4. Click Protect Document on the Tools menu.
  5. Click Forms.
  6. Type a password in the Password box.
  7. Click OK.
  8. Type to confirm the password you typed in step 5, and then click OK.
Modification Type:MajorLast Reviewed:2/28/2005
Keywords:kbForms kbControl kbhowto KB894495 kbAudEndUser
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