Create my own screen tips

Ailish

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Sep 13, 2009, 4:51:01 PM9/13/09

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Hi,

Firstly, I'm not sure if I've posted this question in the correct forum -
please tell me if there is a more appropriate one.

Due to space constraints, I have had to use some abbreviations in a
document. This seems to be confusing quite a few users of the document so
I'd like to create some screen tips which would appear when the cursor hovers
over each abbreviation and disappear when the cursor moves elsewhere. I've
made a list of abbreviations but something on-screen would be ideal. The
only tutorial I have found so far
(http://www.ehow.com/way_5164861_microsoft-word-screen-tips.html) achieves
what I want but it turns every abbreviation into a blue hyperlink that goes
nowhere and the pop-up label contains the following text in bold "Ctrl +
Click to follow link" which I don't want.

Is there a better way to create my own screen tips?

Lene Fredborg

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Sep 13, 2009, 5:41:01 PM9/13/09

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You can take advantage of an AutoTextList field:

AutoTextList fields are normally used to create drop-down lists in documents
but if you follow the instructions below, you will have a field with no
drop-down list – but the field will still show the screentip that is part of
the AutoTextList attributes:

1. Press Ctrl+F9 to insert a set of field braces (cannot be typed using
normal characters).

2. Between the braces, type:

AutoTextList "text to display in the field" \s NoStyle \t "screen tip text"

Instead of "text to display in the field" and "screen tip text", type the
desired text. The ScreenTip can hold up to 255 characters. “NoStyle” could be
another name – it must be the name of a non-existing style.

3. Press F9 to update the field (if this does not toggle field codes, press
Alt+F9).

If a user who use your document has field shading set to “Always”, the
display text will be shown with gray shading on the screen (Word 2003 or
earlier: Tools > Options > View tab > Field shading > Always). The gray
shading does not print.

--
Regards
Lene Fredborg - Microsoft MVP (Word)
DocTools - Denmark
www.thedoctools.com
Document automation - add-ins, macros and templates for Microsoft Word

Suzanne S. Barnhill

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Sep 13, 2009, 6:01:45 PM9/13/09

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What a remarkably useful discovery, Lene!

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

"Lene Fredborg" <l...@REMOVETHISthedoctools.com> wrote in message
news:65ACC680-C9AE-484D...@microsoft.com...

Ailish

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Sep 13, 2009, 6:30:01 PM9/13/09

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Thanks very much Lene, I've tried that out and it does exactly what I wanted.
I've never worked with AutoTextList fields before.

If I may draw on your expertise again... do you have any tips on copying and
pasting an AutoTextList fields to other parts of the document please? The
abbreviations are repeated several times.

I'm working with Word 2007.

Thanks,
Ailish

Lene Fredborg

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Sep 13, 2009, 6:38:01 PM9/13/09

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I actually think Jay Freedman is the one who should be given the credit. As
far as I remember, the idea originates from him.

--
Regards
Lene Fredborg - Microsoft MVP (Word)
DocTools - Denmark
www.thedoctools.com
Document automation - add-ins, macros and templates for Microsoft Word

Ailish

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Sep 13, 2009, 6:57:01 PM9/13/09

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Ignore that last question - I posted it because I had right clicked on the
field and didn't see the usual cut, copy, paste options. But I then realised
that I hadn't yet used F9 to update the field. Doing that brought back the
normal right click options.

Ailish

Lene Fredborg

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Sep 13, 2009, 7:10:01 PM9/13/09

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I am glad I could help and that it works for you now.

Ailish

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Sep 13, 2009, 7:30:01 PM9/13/09

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Hi Lene,

I'm back again...

Do you know if there is a way to control where line breaks occur in the
screen tip text?

Ailish

Lene Fredborg

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Sep 13, 2009, 9:19:01 PM9/13/09

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There may be but I am not sure there is. I have just made a very quick test
and have not yet found a solution that works properly. I tried writing a
longer screen tip text and tried hitting Enter within the quotation marks.
The screen tip was split at the paragraph marks but the display I saw here
was not OK (overlapping letters in the additional lines in the screen tip). I
tried adding a Tab character in front of each paragraph mark and that seemed
to help but the bottom of the last line in the screen tip was cut of.

I will test more later – need to stop now (it is very, very late here…). I
will let you know if I find a method that works.

Ailish

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Sep 13, 2009, 10:58:02 PM9/13/09

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Thanks for trying Lene - from a fellow night owl (it's late in the UK too)

I got the overlapping letters too - I wondered if it was just me.
I also tried using Shift+Enter but that made no difference.
Then, just in case, I tried the code I use in MsgBoxes in VBA:
& vbNewLine &

It didn't work of course but it was worth a try before I bothered you again.

Ailish

Lene Fredborg

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Sep 14, 2009, 7:24:02 AM9/14/09

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IMPORTANT NOTE
It may be that the AutoTextList field method is not OK anyway.

If you right-click one of the AutoTextList fields, you may see a whole list
of all available AutoTexts – and if the user selects from the list, the
AutoText in question will be inserted…

Unfortunately, there may not be any way to prevent this behavior.

Lene Fredborg

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Sep 14, 2009, 7:48:02 AM9/14/09

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…and I should have added:
If you want to use the hyperlink method instead, you can remove the
Hyperlink character style (that adds the blue color and underline to the
link) e.g. by selecting the field and pressing Ctrl+Spacebar (removes direct
formatting from the selection) or by pressing Ctrl+Z (Undo) immediately after
the blue color appears.

In order for the user to easily identify the places in the document where
“screen tips” are found, you could create a character style that applies
specific attributes such as a shading color to the text. You could then apply
that style to the special hyperlinks.

I don’t know of any method to prevent the “CTRL + click…” line from
appearing in the screen tip.

--
Regards
Lene Fredborg - Microsoft MVP (Word)
DocTools - Denmark
www.thedoctools.com
Document automation - add-ins, macros and templates for Microsoft Word

Ailish

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Sep 14, 2009, 9:26:01 AM9/14/09

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Actually my users can't get up to such mischief because my document is
protected for form filling only. The abbreviations I have applied the screen
tips to are part of the boilerplate text. Even though the form is protected,
the screen tips still appear when the mouse hovers over the AutoTextList
field. If a user happens to right click on the AutoTextList field, a list of
AutoTexts appears as you say - but it is greyed out so they can't actually
select anything from it.

Ailish

Lene Fredborg

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Sep 14, 2009, 10:42:02 AM9/14/09

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OK - it will work in your case then. Even if the list of AutoTexts may
confuse a user or two if they happen to right-click, it will at least make no
harm.