[Big Dave]

What a disappointment. A big dumb problem in Word2002 (and previous versions)
is that when you protect any part of the document you can no longer insert
textboxes into any part of the document. Disaster for those creating a
managed document for users who want to add their own content to unprotected
sections.

Does anyone have any idea how to get around this behavior - I can't believe,
after several years, Word still does this!

--
Big Dave

[Big Dave]

I just noticed also that you CAN put in a new canvas, but you then CAN'T put
a drawing (or textbox) in it!!!! Argh!

I'm crossing my fingers real hard that this is not the 'finished'
implementation (I have the trial version) but I think I'm gong to be
disappointed (and suicidal when I'm asked to develop with it again)

--
Big Dave


"Big Dave" wrote:

What a disappointment. A big dumb problem in Word2002 (and previous versions)
is that when you protect any part of the document you can no longer insert
textboxes into any part of the document. Disaster for those creating a
managed document for users who want to add their own content to unprotected
sections.

Does anyone have any idea how to get around this behavior - I can't believe,
after several years, Word still does this!

--
Big Dave

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Dave,

The Office 2007 60 day trial editions are the released product.

Remember that tip from Word 6 though "No running with scissors".

===============
"Big Dave" wrote in message ...
I just noticed also that you CAN put in a new canvas, but you then CAN'T put
a drawing (or textbox) in it!!!! Argh!

I'm crossing my fingers real hard that this is not the 'finished'
implementation (I have the trial version) but I think I'm gong to be
disappointed (and suicidal when I'm asked to develop with it again)

--
Big Dave
--

Bob Buckland ?:-)
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

[Big Dave]

Oh dear Disappointed I guess you don't know of a workaround?

--
Big Dave

"Bob Buckland ?:-)" wrote:
Hi Dave,
The Office 2007 60 day trial editions are the released product.
Remember that tip from Word 6 though "No running with scissors".
===============
"Big Dave" wrote in message ...
I just noticed also that you CAN put in a new canvas, but you then CAN'T put
a drawing (or textbox) in it!!!! Argh!

I'm crossing my fingers real hard that this is not the 'finished'
implementation (I have the trial version) but I think I'm gong to be
disappointed (and suicidal when I'm asked to develop with it again)

[Cindy M.]

Hi ?B?QmlnIERhdmU=?=,

What a disappointment. A big dumb problem in Word2002 (and previous versions)
is that when you protect any part of the document you can no longer insert
textboxes into any part of the document. Disaster for those creating a
managed document for users who want to add their own content to unprotected
sections.

Does anyone have any idea how to get around this behavior - I can't believe,
after several years, Word still does this!

I recommend taking a look at the new Content Controls (in the Developer tab).
You can look these for editing, or deletion. The user can TAB from one to the
next... All without needing to use the document protection that locks out other
commands in the entire document. In addition, there's a control for inserting
images :-)

So Microsoft did hear the complaints about using Forms protection.

To get a forms-like behavior (protect text), type in all your text, with the
input controls. Then select all this and click the button for a Rich Text
content control. This will nest all the text and controls in that one control.
You can then set the Properties for this control to not allow editing or
deleting. The nested controls will still be available to the user, however :-)

And, if you wish, you can leave parts of the document outside any content
control.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

[Big Dave]

Thanks for that reply. The content controls look useful, yes, but they won't
do what I need, it seems. One of the most basic requirements for my users is
to be able to make content changes without affecting document format, which
means I need to stop them from deleting section breaks. Try putting a section
break into a content control. If you manage that (I did at one point though
it behaved bizarrely and I can't seem to do it again) try putting just a
continuous section break in one and make it so it doesn't interfere with
editting the document.
I would really appreciate any help with this. Thanks.
--
Big Dave


"Cindy M." wrote:

Hi ?B?QmlnIERhdmU=?=,

What a disappointment. A big dumb problem in Word2002 (and previous versions)
is that when you protect any part of the document you can no longer insert
textboxes into any part of the document. Disaster for those creating a
managed document for users who want to add their own content to unprotected
sections.

Does anyone have any idea how to get around this behavior - I can't believe,
after several years, Word still does this!

I recommend taking a look at the new Content Controls (in the Developer tab).
You can look these for editing, or deletion. The user can TAB from one to the
next... All without needing to use the document protection that locks out other
commands in the entire document. In addition, there's a control for inserting
images :-)

So Microsoft did hear the complaints about using Forms protection.

To get a forms-like behavior (protect text), type in all your text, with the
input controls. Then select all this and click the button for a Rich Text
content control. This will nest all the text and controls in that one control.
You can then set the Properties for this control to not allow editing or
deleting. The nested controls will still be available to the user, however :-)

And, if you wish, you can leave parts of the document outside any content
control.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-)

[Jay Freedman]

If you can achieve the formatting you need with paragraph styles and
character styles instead of section breaks, then you can protect the
document against formatting changes without disabling other functions.
The formatting restrictions feature lets you choose which styles may
be applied, and prevents direct (non-style) formatting. This feature
was introduced in Word 2003.

In Word 2007, click the Developer tab. (If it isn't visible, enable it
in the Word Options dialog.) Click the Protect Document button. In the
task pane that appears, check the box for "Limit formatting to a
selection of styles" and then click the Settings link below it. Choose
the styles you want the user to be able to apply. Then click the Start
Enforcing Protection button, and supply an optional password.

This feature won't prevent the user from deleting section breaks, so
if you're mostly worried about page margins, headers/footers and the
like, this is not the answer -- and I'm not sure there is one.

--
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.

On Mon, 15 Jan 2007 02:19:00 -0800, Big Dave
wrote:

Thanks for that reply. The content controls look useful, yes, but they won't
do what I need, it seems. One of the most basic requirements for my users is
to be able to make content changes without affecting document format, which
means I need to stop them from deleting section breaks. Try putting a section
break into a content control. If you manage that (I did at one point though
it behaved bizarrely and I can't seem to do it again) try putting just a
continuous section break in one and make it so it doesn't interfere with
editting the document.
I would really appreciate any help with this. Thanks.

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

But don't content controls allow you even more control over overall document
formatting? I certainly got that impression from Tristan Davis's demos.

For Tristan Davis's blogs on content controls, see
http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_offi...s/default.aspx

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
If you can achieve the formatting you need with paragraph styles and
character styles instead of section breaks, then you can protect the
document against formatting changes without disabling other functions.
The formatting restrictions feature lets you choose which styles may
be applied, and prevents direct (non-style) formatting. This feature
was introduced in Word 2003.

In Word 2007, click the Developer tab. (If it isn't visible, enable it
in the Word Options dialog.) Click the Protect Document button. In the
task pane that appears, check the box for "Limit formatting to a
selection of styles" and then click the Settings link below it. Choose
the styles you want the user to be able to apply. Then click the Start
Enforcing Protection button, and supply an optional password.

This feature won't prevent the user from deleting section breaks, so
if you're mostly worried about page margins, headers/footers and the
like, this is not the answer -- and I'm not sure there is one.

--
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.

On Mon, 15 Jan 2007 02:19:00 -0800, Big Dave
wrote:

Thanks for that reply. The content controls look useful, yes, but they
won't
do what I need, it seems. One of the most basic requirements for my
users is
to be able to make content changes without affecting document format,
which
means I need to stop them from deleting section breaks. Try putting a
section
break into a content control. If you manage that (I did at one point
though
it behaved bizarrely and I can't seem to do it again) try putting just a
continuous section break in one and make it so it doesn't interfere with
editting the document.
I would really appreciate any help with this. Thanks.

[Jay Freedman]

Whether they do or don't, the question is still whether the desired
formatting can be done at all without the need for section breaks. If the
OP's concern is with users deleting section breaks and taking with them
things like headers/footers, then neither style restriction nor content
controls is going to solve the problem. Word has no way to lock down section
breaks other than using forms protection, and that disables other functions.
It's not a good story.

--
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.

Suzanne S. Barnhill wrote:
But don't content controls allow you even more control over overall
document formatting? I certainly got that impression from Tristan
Davis's demos.

For Tristan Davis's blogs on content controls, see
http://blogs.msdn.com/microsoft_offi...s/default.aspx


"Jay Freedman" wrote in message
...
If you can achieve the formatting you need with paragraph styles and
character styles instead of section breaks, then you can protect the
document against formatting changes without disabling other
functions. The formatting restrictions feature lets you choose which
styles may be applied, and prevents direct (non-style) formatting.
This feature was introduced in Word 2003.

In Word 2007, click the Developer tab. (If it isn't visible, enable
it in the Word Options dialog.) Click the Protect Document button.
In the task pane that appears, check the box for "Limit formatting
to a selection of styles" and then click the Settings link below it.
Choose the styles you want the user to be able to apply. Then click
the Start Enforcing Protection button, and supply an optional
password.

This feature won't prevent the user from deleting section breaks, so
if you're mostly worried about page margins, headers/footers and the
like, this is not the answer -- and I'm not sure there is one.

--
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.

On Mon, 15 Jan 2007 02:19:00 -0800, Big Dave
wrote:

Thanks for that reply. The content controls look useful, yes, but
they won't do what I need, it seems. One of the most basic
requirements for my users is to be able to make content changes
without affecting document format, which means I need to stop them
from deleting section breaks. Try putting a section break into a
content control. If you manage that (I did at one point though it
behaved bizarrely and I can't seem to do it again) try putting just
a continuous section break in one and make it so it doesn't
interfere with editting the document.
I would really appreciate any help with this. Thanks.