Creating a form field to be filled out by a user and populate through out the document

Anonymous
2015-03-01T18:08:02+00:00

I know this is simple but I cannot figure it out.

Working in

|Office 2013

 |Microsoft Office Word

 |Office for Windows 8.1

Please don't reference Greg Massey, I can't understand anything there and his tutorials seem completely out of whack with Word 2013.

I am building a contract where field are repeated several times, (FirstName, LastName, Address, etc.)

I want to create a field in the contract that populated throughout the document with these variable from the first field I population:

I want to enter the information each time from a template directly on the template. When a user would get to the template the first page might have something like this. There they would fill in the variables in italics

This contract is for FirstName LastName at ThisAddress, ThisCity, ThisZipCode

Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here. 

Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here.  Static content continues here. 

Then one of the variable above is needed again.  If it was entered above, it would automatically populate the fields filled in above.

FirstName LastName promises to pay $1 for services.

All Service are performed in ZipCode

I know you can do this with bookmarks, but when I did that, and then wanted to CHANGE the variable to make a contract with another person, I had to recreate the bookmark and all referenced fields on the whole thing from an original bookmark again.  I want to make this once, and the use just enters the basic information one time and it autopopulates the rest of the doc.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

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Doug Robbins - MVP - Office Apps and Services 323.6K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2015-03-02T05:53:50+00:00

It is NOT to the default text that you create the cross reference, but to the bookmark that is assigned to the FormField.  

It is a good idea to assign a meaningful bookmark name to the formfield and in the example below, I have used TenantName as the bookmark as well as setting that as the default text.   Note that I have also checked the Calculate on Exit box

Then, after setting cross references to the Text of the Bookmark and Protecting the document for Filling in Forms, when I enter "Bill Smith" into the FormField

and then press the tab key, this will be the result

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John Korchok 236.2K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
2015-03-02T14:44:28+00:00

Hi Davyd,

Legacy Form Fields will not relay the information until you protect the document for Filling in forms.

  1. Developer>Restrict Editing
  2. Editing Restrictions>Check Allow only this type of editing in the document.
  3. Set the dropdown to Filling in forms
  4. Click on Yes, Start Enforcing Protection
  5. Save your document.

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  1. Suzanne S Barnhill 279.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-08-10T17:38:06+00:00

    Yes, this is true. This is usually handled by putting the text form field in a table cell with fixed column width and exact row height. It won't prevent the user from entering more text, but when it starts disappearing, he'll get the message.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-08-10T17:23:06+00:00

    Hi!

    Well I've finally been able to access the window with the properties I was looking for. So now I CAN SET A MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CHARACTERS IN THE FILLABLE FORM. But I have a new problem: If the person fills out the form, he can press on return as many times as he wants and the fillable form is completely changed just by pressing on the return key. Back to square ONE. I'm on the verge of throwing in the garbage anf going with Adobe. PLEASE HELP ME!!

    Gd

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  3. Stefan Blom 353.5K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2015-08-05T21:12:33+00:00

    The option that limits the number of characters in a field is only available for text form fields. Insert that kind of fields via the Legacy Tools button. Then clicking the Properties button will display the familiar Text Form Field Options dialog.

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