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#1
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Creating a Word document that contains uneditable regions?
using Word 2000 on Windows XP
We're creating a series of Word documents that will be used like forms. Users will open the document, enter some simple information online, and then print the file for further [paper-based] processing. The customer only wants to use Word, otherwise we'd approach this differently, perhaps using Acrobat forms. We know that theoretically, we can use Word forms in these Word files, but we have instructions not to do that because the customers have had problems with Word forms before. (And frankly, Word forms might be overkill because the information that we're collecting is just plain text, simple--no checkboxes or drop-down lists will be necessary.) We know that we can create tables to align the information properly with rows and tables and Categories with related spaces for User Responses. However, we know that this could potentially be messy because the user will likely [inadvertently] delete or change a Category rather than just typing text into the corresponding User Response areas. Our questions: is there a way to lock those Categories in place? Example: NAME: user response ADDRESS: user response Can we configure this in Word so that the "Name:" and "Address:" bits are not able to be edited or deleted by the user? And can that be done in a way so that they WILL be able to type in the User Response areas? Many thanks for help/pointers. |
#2
Posted to microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
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Creating a Word document that contains uneditable regions?
In any version of Word up to and including Word 2003, forms are the only way
to achieve that kind of protection. There will be another mechanism (called content controls) in Word 2007, but that's still in beta testing and not yet stable enough for production use. If users will be filling in forms "online" as in "with a web browser", then Word is the wrong tool. I think your first job is to find the right tool, whether PDF or CGI or something else, and then make the case to the customer. (Also point out that Word 2000 is no longer supported by Microsoft.) -- Regards, Jay Freedman Microsoft Word MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. Barbara White wrote: using Word 2000 on Windows XP We're creating a series of Word documents that will be used like forms. Users will open the document, enter some simple information online, and then print the file for further [paper-based] processing. The customer only wants to use Word, otherwise we'd approach this differently, perhaps using Acrobat forms. We know that theoretically, we can use Word forms in these Word files, but we have instructions not to do that because the customers have had problems with Word forms before. (And frankly, Word forms might be overkill because the information that we're collecting is just plain text, simple--no checkboxes or drop-down lists will be necessary.) We know that we can create tables to align the information properly with rows and tables and Categories with related spaces for User Responses. However, we know that this could potentially be messy because the user will likely [inadvertently] delete or change a Category rather than just typing text into the corresponding User Response areas. Our questions: is there a way to lock those Categories in place? Example: NAME: user response ADDRESS: user response Can we configure this in Word so that the "Name:" and "Address:" bits are not able to be edited or deleted by the user? And can that be done in a way so that they WILL be able to type in the User Response areas? Many thanks for help/pointers. |
#3
Posted to microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
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Creating a Word document that contains uneditable regions?
Thanks, Jay. I think I'll try one more time to convince them to take the
PDF approach (providing that users don't need more than the Reader to complete a PDF form--it's been a few years since I've used PDF for forms). Thanks again. Barbara Jay Freedman wrote: In any version of Word up to and including Word 2003, forms are the only way to achieve that kind of protection. There will be another mechanism (called content controls) in Word 2007, but that's still in beta testing and not yet stable enough for production use. If users will be filling in forms "online" as in "with a web browser", then Word is the wrong tool. I think your first job is to find the right tool, whether PDF or CGI or something else, and then make the case to the customer. (Also point out that Word 2000 is no longer supported by Microsoft.) |
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