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bassadi bassadi is offline
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Posts: 7
Default Lock position of text box but allow editing its content

Hello, this is my first time using this forum.

I've read several posts on locking text boxes, but my question is unique. I
want to lock the position of the text box (so I don't accidentally move it
later), but I still want to be able to type in it. The box is along the RHS
of my page, and I'd prefer not to Protect the document.

Is there any way to do this? Perhaps I could scrap the text box and use a
separate column? But the text in the new column is separate from the body, so
it can't be like an ordinary 2-column page.

Any help is greatly appreciated...
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WordBanter AI WordBanter AI is offline
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Posts: 1,200
Thumbs up Answer: Lock position of text box but allow editing its content

Locking the position of a text box
  1. Insert your text box by going to the Insert tab and selecting Text Box.
  2. Type in your content and format the text box as desired.
  3. Right-click on the text box and select Format Shape.
  4. In the Format Shape pane, select the Properties tab.
  5. Under the Properties tab, check the box next to "Lock anchor" and "Don't move or size with cells".
  6. Click Close to exit the Format Shape pane.

This will lock the position of the text box so that it cannot be accidentally moved, but you can still edit the content within the text box.

If you prefer not to use a text box, you could try using a separate column instead. To do this, you can follow these steps:

Using a separate column
  1. Go to the Page Layout tab and select Columns.
  2. Choose the number of columns you want and adjust the width and spacing as desired.
  3. Type in your content in the new column.

However, as you mentioned, the text in the new column will be separate from the body, so it may not be exactly what you're looking for.
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Terry Farrell Terry Farrell is offline
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Posts: 2,904
Default Lock position of text box but allow editing its content

Unfortunately no. Both Text boxes and Frames are anchored to a paragraph. As
long as that paragraph stays on that page, the Text Box or Frame can be
positioned exactly wrt the page. However, if you edit the page text
sufficiently so that the anchor paragraph moves to the page before or after,
the Text Box will follow it (although it stays in the same relative position
wrt the page.

Are you trying to add side notes or something?

--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Hello, this is my first time using this forum.

I've read several posts on locking text boxes, but my question is unique.
I
want to lock the position of the text box (so I don't accidentally move it
later), but I still want to be able to type in it. The box is along the
RHS
of my page, and I'd prefer not to Protect the document.

Is there any way to do this? Perhaps I could scrap the text box and use a
separate column? But the text in the new column is separate from the body,
so
it can't be like an ordinary 2-column page.

Any help is greatly appreciated...


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bassadi bassadi is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 7
Default Lock position of text box but allow editing its content

Yes I am trying to add comments (not the built-in comments function in Word -
my own commentary on the text). The requirement is actually not necessarily a
text box. I just need to be able to make comments to the right of the body,
and I need them to be aligned.

Picture it like a strip of commentary going down the RHS of a 20 page
document. If it were 1 page, I would just make a 2-column layout, with the
thinner column to the right for comments (which would also allow me to align
the comments). However, with a multi-page doc, columns would not work in this
way, unless the continuity of the LEFT column is independent of that of the
RIGHT column - make sense?

If there is any way at all, perhaps using Fields or Quick Parts or Forms or
anything more advanced, please advise. I'd prefer not to have to code, but if
that's the only way, please let me know.

"Terry Farrell" wrote:

Unfortunately no. Both Text boxes and Frames are anchored to a paragraph. As
long as that paragraph stays on that page, the Text Box or Frame can be
positioned exactly wrt the page. However, if you edit the page text
sufficiently so that the anchor paragraph moves to the page before or after,
the Text Box will follow it (although it stays in the same relative position
wrt the page.

Are you trying to add side notes or something?

--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Hello, this is my first time using this forum.

I've read several posts on locking text boxes, but my question is unique.
I
want to lock the position of the text box (so I don't accidentally move it
later), but I still want to be able to type in it. The box is along the
RHS
of my page, and I'd prefer not to Protect the document.

Is there any way to do this? Perhaps I could scrap the text box and use a
separate column? But the text in the new column is separate from the body,
so
it can't be like an ordinary 2-column page.

Any help is greatly appreciated...



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Terry Farrell Terry Farrell is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 2,904
Default Lock position of text box but allow editing its content

I suggest that you insert a Text Box using one of the centre paragraphs
which are less likely to scroll below or above the page. Size the Text Box
(presumably tall and narrow so that it fits into the margin and not over the
text and then use Format, text box, Layout tab, Advanced button and set its
position Absolute wrt to the page. Change or remove the borders as required.
Also edit the font size, colour, etc at this point. Then save the text box
as a Building Block (AutoText) item using the keyboard shortcut Alt+F3
assigning it a logical name. Make sure to choose the correct location to
save the item (normal.dot, buildingblock.dot or the template). At least you
can then insert it consistently in the same place on each page as needed
using whichever paragraph looks most convenient as the anchor point.

Terry

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Yes I am trying to add comments (not the built-in comments function in
Word -
my own commentary on the text). The requirement is actually not
necessarily a
text box. I just need to be able to make comments to the right of the
body,
and I need them to be aligned.

Picture it like a strip of commentary going down the RHS of a 20 page
document. If it were 1 page, I would just make a 2-column layout, with the
thinner column to the right for comments (which would also allow me to
align
the comments). However, with a multi-page doc, columns would not work in
this
way, unless the continuity of the LEFT column is independent of that of
the
RIGHT column - make sense?

If there is any way at all, perhaps using Fields or Quick Parts or Forms
or
anything more advanced, please advise. I'd prefer not to have to code, but
if
that's the only way, please let me know.

"Terry Farrell" wrote:

Unfortunately no. Both Text boxes and Frames are anchored to a paragraph.
As
long as that paragraph stays on that page, the Text Box or Frame can be
positioned exactly wrt the page. However, if you edit the page text
sufficiently so that the anchor paragraph moves to the page before or
after,
the Text Box will follow it (although it stays in the same relative
position
wrt the page.

Are you trying to add side notes or something?

--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Hello, this is my first time using this forum.

I've read several posts on locking text boxes, but my question is
unique.
I
want to lock the position of the text box (so I don't accidentally move
it
later), but I still want to be able to type in it. The box is along the
RHS
of my page, and I'd prefer not to Protect the document.

Is there any way to do this? Perhaps I could scrap the text box and use
a
separate column? But the text in the new column is separate from the
body,
so
it can't be like an ordinary 2-column page.

Any help is greatly appreciated...





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Posted to microsoft.public.word.pagelayout
bassadi bassadi is offline
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Posts: 7
Default Lock position of text box but allow editing its content

Thank you for your help - I implemented the Building Block method and it will
definitely save me time for future projects. As for this one, I'm afraid it's
a lost cause! Thanks again, Terry.

"Terry Farrell" wrote:

I suggest that you insert a Text Box using one of the centre paragraphs
which are less likely to scroll below or above the page. Size the Text Box
(presumably tall and narrow so that it fits into the margin and not over the
text and then use Format, text box, Layout tab, Advanced button and set its
position Absolute wrt to the page. Change or remove the borders as required.
Also edit the font size, colour, etc at this point. Then save the text box
as a Building Block (AutoText) item using the keyboard shortcut Alt+F3
assigning it a logical name. Make sure to choose the correct location to
save the item (normal.dot, buildingblock.dot or the template). At least you
can then insert it consistently in the same place on each page as needed
using whichever paragraph looks most convenient as the anchor point.

Terry

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Yes I am trying to add comments (not the built-in comments function in
Word -
my own commentary on the text). The requirement is actually not
necessarily a
text box. I just need to be able to make comments to the right of the
body,
and I need them to be aligned.

Picture it like a strip of commentary going down the RHS of a 20 page
document. If it were 1 page, I would just make a 2-column layout, with the
thinner column to the right for comments (which would also allow me to
align
the comments). However, with a multi-page doc, columns would not work in
this
way, unless the continuity of the LEFT column is independent of that of
the
RIGHT column - make sense?

If there is any way at all, perhaps using Fields or Quick Parts or Forms
or
anything more advanced, please advise. I'd prefer not to have to code, but
if
that's the only way, please let me know.

"Terry Farrell" wrote:

Unfortunately no. Both Text boxes and Frames are anchored to a paragraph.
As
long as that paragraph stays on that page, the Text Box or Frame can be
positioned exactly wrt the page. However, if you edit the page text
sufficiently so that the anchor paragraph moves to the page before or
after,
the Text Box will follow it (although it stays in the same relative
position
wrt the page.

Are you trying to add side notes or something?

--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Hello, this is my first time using this forum.

I've read several posts on locking text boxes, but my question is
unique.
I
want to lock the position of the text box (so I don't accidentally move
it
later), but I still want to be able to type in it. The box is along the
RHS
of my page, and I'd prefer not to Protect the document.

Is there any way to do this? Perhaps I could scrap the text box and use
a
separate column? But the text in the new column is separate from the
body,
so
it can't be like an ordinary 2-column page.

Any help is greatly appreciated...


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Suzanne S. Barnhill Suzanne S. Barnhill is offline
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 33,624
Default Lock position of text box but allow editing its content

One approach for this is a two-column table (starting a new row for each
paragraph), but see also http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/MarginalText.htm

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Yes I am trying to add comments (not the built-in comments function in
Word -
my own commentary on the text). The requirement is actually not
necessarily a
text box. I just need to be able to make comments to the right of the
body,
and I need them to be aligned.

Picture it like a strip of commentary going down the RHS of a 20 page
document. If it were 1 page, I would just make a 2-column layout, with the
thinner column to the right for comments (which would also allow me to
align
the comments). However, with a multi-page doc, columns would not work in
this
way, unless the continuity of the LEFT column is independent of that of
the
RIGHT column - make sense?

If there is any way at all, perhaps using Fields or Quick Parts or Forms
or
anything more advanced, please advise. I'd prefer not to have to code, but
if
that's the only way, please let me know.

"Terry Farrell" wrote:

Unfortunately no. Both Text boxes and Frames are anchored to a paragraph.
As
long as that paragraph stays on that page, the Text Box or Frame can be
positioned exactly wrt the page. However, if you edit the page text
sufficiently so that the anchor paragraph moves to the page before or
after,
the Text Box will follow it (although it stays in the same relative
position
wrt the page.

Are you trying to add side notes or something?

--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP

"bassadi" wrote in message
...
Hello, this is my first time using this forum.

I've read several posts on locking text boxes, but my question is
unique.
I
want to lock the position of the text box (so I don't accidentally move
it
later), but I still want to be able to type in it. The box is along the
RHS
of my page, and I'd prefer not to Protect the document.

Is there any way to do this? Perhaps I could scrap the text box and use
a
separate column? But the text in the new column is separate from the
body,
so
it can't be like an ordinary 2-column page.

Any help is greatly appreciated...




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