I want to type in a name in a document and have that name automatically
updated in other parts of the document.

See: http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Repeating_Data.htm

--
Greg Maxey/Word MVP
See:
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tips.htm
For some helpful tips using Word.


rossalaska wrote:
I want to type in a name in a document and have that name
automatically updated in other parts of the document.

You do this by using the FORMS toolbar. Get there by clicking VIEW at
the top of a blank document, then selecting TOOLBARS. Once the TOOLBAR
window opens, place a check next to FORMS.

A little toolbar with an "ab" on the left and a golden lock on the
right will open up. Each icon on this bar performs a certain function.
If you dangle your cursor over each one, you will see a brief
explanation. You want to select the "ab" icon, which inserts a TEXT
FORM FIELD. Be sure you've positioned your flashing cursor at the spot
where you'd like the first occurence of the name to be entered. For
example, if it's the address line of a letter, put this Text Form Field
in the position where you or somebody else will enter the person's
name.

Once you've done this, a greyish box should appear. Right click on the
box and select PROPERTIES. A window titled TEXT FORM FIELD PROPERTIES
will open. At the bottom of this window, find the heading that reads
FIELD SETTINGS. Under this heading, in the box to the right of the
word BOOKMARK, type in the word "NAME."

Then, before closing the window, make sure to check the boxes next to
FILL-IN ENABLED and CALCULATE ON EXIT. Then click OK.

Now type the rest of your document. When you get to each point in the
document where you'd like the name to be repeated, put the cursor there
and select INSERT from the menu across the top of the page. From the
INSERT menu, choose REFERENCE. From the reference menu, choose CROSS
REFERENCE. In the Cross Reference window, under REFERENCE TYPE, select
BOOKMARK. Then look at the selections under "For Which Bookmark" and
make sure the word "NAME" is highlighted in blue. Click INSERT, then
CLOSE.

When you've finished the entire document, click on the icon of the
lock, then save this file as a document template.

When you open it up again (as a new document template), click on the
lock to free the document up for adding custom info (eg the person's
name). Now, this gets a little messy if you don't lock and unlock
correctly, but you will eventually get the hang of it. Put your cursor
inside the grey box in which the person's name goes. Now type the
person's name. If the grey box disappears, then you forgot to unlock
the template. Close it and start again. If the grey box remains as
you are typing, then you should be in business. BUT YOU'RE NOT DONE
YET!!!!

When you finish typing the person's name in the grey box, do not hit
SPACE. Hit the TAB key instead. Now, the name you typed in the box
should be automatically inserted in all the places you marked for
CROSS-REFERENCES. If not, e-mail me at and we'll
do some troubleshooting. If it works, you're STILL not done!

Now, you'll probably want to print this page or e-mail it to somebody.
This means you'll want to get rid of the grey box(es). Put your cursor
somewhere on the page and press CTRL-A. This will select the entire
document. Then press CTRL-SHIFT-F9. This will erase all the grey
boxes, drop-down boxes, and other Form Fields you added to the
document. Save/Print the document and you are done.

Good luck. It sounds more difficult than it really is.

TDMedia,

Now that I have seen an example of your detailed steps, I can see why you
have so far found mine woefully inadequate. Still, there are many ways to
achieve rossalaska goals that do not require penalties of a protected form.
Have a look at:

See: http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Repeating_Data.htm


--
Greg Maxey/Word MVP
See:
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tips.htm
For some helpful tips using Word.


TDMedia wrote:
You do this by using the FORMS toolbar. Get there by clicking VIEW at
the top of a blank document, then selecting TOOLBARS. Once the
TOOLBAR window opens, place a check next to FORMS.

A little toolbar with an "ab" on the left and a golden lock on the
right will open up. Each icon on this bar performs a certain
function. If you dangle your cursor over each one, you will see a
brief explanation. You want to select the "ab" icon, which inserts a
TEXT FORM FIELD. Be sure you've positioned your flashing cursor at
the spot where you'd like the first occurence of the name to be
entered. For example, if it's the address line of a letter, put this
Text Form Field in the position where you or somebody else will enter
the person's name.

Once you've done this, a greyish box should appear. Right click on
the box and select PROPERTIES. A window titled TEXT FORM FIELD
PROPERTIES will open. At the bottom of this window, find the heading
that reads FIELD SETTINGS. Under this heading, in the box to the
right of the word BOOKMARK, type in the word "NAME."

Then, before closing the window, make sure to check the boxes next to
FILL-IN ENABLED and CALCULATE ON EXIT. Then click OK.

Now type the rest of your document. When you get to each point in the
document where you'd like the name to be repeated, put the cursor
there and select INSERT from the menu across the top of the page.
From the INSERT menu, choose REFERENCE. From the reference menu,
choose CROSS REFERENCE. In the Cross Reference window, under
REFERENCE TYPE, select BOOKMARK. Then look at the selections under
"For Which Bookmark" and make sure the word "NAME" is highlighted in
blue. Click INSERT, then CLOSE.

When you've finished the entire document, click on the icon of the
lock, then save this file as a document template.

When you open it up again (as a new document template), click on the
lock to free the document up for adding custom info (eg the person's
name). Now, this gets a little messy if you don't lock and unlock
correctly, but you will eventually get the hang of it. Put your
cursor inside the grey box in which the person's name goes. Now type
the person's name. If the grey box disappears, then you forgot to
unlock the template. Close it and start again. If the grey box
remains as you are typing, then you should be in business. BUT
YOU'RE NOT DONE YET!!!!

When you finish typing the person's name in the grey box, do not hit
SPACE. Hit the TAB key instead. Now, the name you typed in the box
should be automatically inserted in all the places you marked for
CROSS-REFERENCES. If not, e-mail me at and we'll
do some troubleshooting. If it works, you're STILL not done!

Now, you'll probably want to print this page or e-mail it to somebody.
This means you'll want to get rid of the grey box(es). Put your
cursor somewhere on the page and press CTRL-A. This will select the
entire document. Then press CTRL-SHIFT-F9. This will erase all the
grey boxes, drop-down boxes, and other Form Fields you added to the
document. Save/Print the document and you are done.

Good luck. It sounds more difficult than it really is.

The only thing wrong with those detailed instructions is that the whole
point of locking the form is to allow you to enter the name in the form
field *without* unlocking the form. If you unlock the form and follow your
instructions (rather than fill in the name in the Form Field Options
dialog), then you will overwrite the form field (and very likely the
bookmark as well) with the name you type. If you fill in the (protected)
form properly, by tabbing from one field to another, it's not necessary to
unlink your form field(s), either.

--
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.

"TDMedia" wrote in message
oups.com...
You do this by using the FORMS toolbar. Get there by clicking VIEW at
the top of a blank document, then selecting TOOLBARS. Once the TOOLBAR
window opens, place a check next to FORMS.

A little toolbar with an "ab" on the left and a golden lock on the
right will open up. Each icon on this bar performs a certain function.
If you dangle your cursor over each one, you will see a brief
explanation. You want to select the "ab" icon, which inserts a TEXT
FORM FIELD. Be sure you've positioned your flashing cursor at the spot
where you'd like the first occurence of the name to be entered. For
example, if it's the address line of a letter, put this Text Form Field
in the position where you or somebody else will enter the person's
name.

Once you've done this, a greyish box should appear. Right click on the
box and select PROPERTIES. A window titled TEXT FORM FIELD PROPERTIES
will open. At the bottom of this window, find the heading that reads
FIELD SETTINGS. Under this heading, in the box to the right of the
word BOOKMARK, type in the word "NAME."

Then, before closing the window, make sure to check the boxes next to
FILL-IN ENABLED and CALCULATE ON EXIT. Then click OK.

Now type the rest of your document. When you get to each point in the
document where you'd like the name to be repeated, put the cursor there
and select INSERT from the menu across the top of the page. From the
INSERT menu, choose REFERENCE. From the reference menu, choose CROSS
REFERENCE. In the Cross Reference window, under REFERENCE TYPE, select
BOOKMARK. Then look at the selections under "For Which Bookmark" and
make sure the word "NAME" is highlighted in blue. Click INSERT, then
CLOSE.

When you've finished the entire document, click on the icon of the
lock, then save this file as a document template.

When you open it up again (as a new document template), click on the
lock to free the document up for adding custom info (eg the person's
name). Now, this gets a little messy if you don't lock and unlock
correctly, but you will eventually get the hang of it. Put your cursor
inside the grey box in which the person's name goes. Now type the
person's name. If the grey box disappears, then you forgot to unlock
the template. Close it and start again. If the grey box remains as
you are typing, then you should be in business. BUT YOU'RE NOT DONE
YET!!!!

When you finish typing the person's name in the grey box, do not hit
SPACE. Hit the TAB key instead. Now, the name you typed in the box
should be automatically inserted in all the places you marked for
CROSS-REFERENCES. If not, e-mail me at and we'll
do some troubleshooting. If it works, you're STILL not done!

Now, you'll probably want to print this page or e-mail it to somebody.
This means you'll want to get rid of the grey box(es). Put your cursor
somewhere on the page and press CTRL-A. This will select the entire
document. Then press CTRL-SHIFT-F9. This will erase all the grey
boxes, drop-down boxes, and other Form Fields you added to the
document. Save/Print the document and you are done.

Good luck. It sounds more difficult than it really is.

If you fill in the (protected)
form properly, by tabbing from one field to another, it's not necessary
to
unlink your form field(s), either.

That part always gives me trouble. I am CONSTANTLY overwriting my form
fields and hollering out in frustration. OK, so what do you mean by
the "Form Fields Dialog?"

When the document is unprotected, double click the form field. The
formfield dialog box is what opens on your screen.



--
Greg Maxey/Word MVP
See:
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tips.htm
For some helpful tips using Word.

"TDMedia" wrote in message
ups.com...
If you fill in the (protected)
form properly, by tabbing from one field to another, it's not necessary
to
unlink your form field(s), either.

That part always gives me trouble. I am CONSTANTLY overwriting my form
fields and hollering out in frustration. OK, so what do you mean by
the "Form Fields Dialog?"

The Form Field Options dialog is what you get when you double-click on a
form field in an unprotected dialog.

--
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.

"TDMedia" wrote in message
ups.com...
If you fill in the (protected)
form properly, by tabbing from one field to another, it's not necessary
to
unlink your form field(s), either.

That part always gives me trouble. I am CONSTANTLY overwriting my form
fields and hollering out in frustration. OK, so what do you mean by
the "Form Fields Dialog?"

The Form Field Options dialog is what you get when you double-click on a
form field in an unprotected dialog.

Now I think you're just screwing with me, Suzanne! What the heck is an
"unprotected dialog?" Do you mean an unprotected DOCUMENT????

Anyone can have a typo. Loosen up!
Yes she means an unprotected document.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.


"TDMedia" wrote in message
oups.com...
The Form Field Options dialog is what you get when you double-click on
a
form field in an unprotected dialog.

Now I think you're just screwing with me, Suzanne! What the heck is an
"unprotected dialog?" Do you mean an unprotected DOCUMENT????

Anyone can have a typo. Loosen up! Yes she means an unprotected document.

Oh. I didn't realize it was a typo. I thought she was baiting me!
Anyway, I do always appreciate Suzanne's wealth of knowledge.

Rossalaska, did my instructions work out for you?

Although Suzanne does have a lighter side, it doesn't express itself by
giving poor directions about Word. She provides timely answers to complex
questions here and probably posts more than a hundred answers every day. The
FAQ pages on the MVP site and her own site are a real help to users. She
tends to be very patient and has had to correct my typos (or ignorance) more
than once.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.


"TDMedia" wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone can have a typo. Loosen up! Yes she means an unprotected
document.

Oh. I didn't realize it was a typo. I thought she was baiting me!
Anyway, I do always appreciate Suzanne's wealth of knowledge.

Rossalaska, did my instructions work out for you?

Thanks, Charles. When I get in a hurry, I'm not as careful as I should be
about proofreading, and, especially when I'm tired or when I'm revising a
post a lot to try to make it clearer, sometimes very strange things result.

--
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.

"Charles Kenyon" wrote in message
...
Although Suzanne does have a lighter side, it doesn't express itself by
giving poor directions about Word. She provides timely answers to complex
questions here and probably posts more than a hundred answers every day.
The
FAQ pages on the MVP site and her own site are a real help to users. She
tends to be very patient and has had to correct my typos (or ignorance)
more
than once.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/ which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.


"TDMedia" wrote in message
oups.com...
Anyone can have a typo. Loosen up! Yes she means an unprotected
document.

Oh. I didn't realize it was a typo. I thought she was baiting me!
Anyway, I do always appreciate Suzanne's wealth of knowledge.

Rossalaska, did my instructions work out for you?