Repeating an entry from a content control

[Summer H]

Hello,

Can someone explain how I can repeat an entry from a content control
field throughout the document automatically in Word 2010? For example, I
have a date picker content control. There are several other areas in the
document that need a date entry. I would like to be able to select the
date via the date picker and have it auto fill the other date fields in
the document.

Thanks!

Summer H.




--
Summer H

[Lisa Wilke-Thissen]

Hi,

> Can someone explain how I can repeat an
> entry from a content control field throughout
> the document automatically in Word 2010?

1. Apply a bookmark (e. g. LetterDate) to your content control. To
repeat the content use cross-references to that bookmark.
2. If your content control is placed within a separate paragraph, you
can apply a special style. In the document you can repeat content by
using STYLEREF fields.
3. Use a tool: "Word Content Control Toolkit" http://dbe.codeplex.com/

--
Cheers
Lisa [MS MVP Word]

[Stefan Blom]

Note that bookmarking doesn't work with all types of content controls. In
particular, it doesn't seem to work with date picker controls. STYLEREF will
work, though.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP




"Lisa Wilke-Thissen" wrote in message news:aa0m1a...@mid.individual.net...

[Lisa Wilke-Thissen]

Hi Stefan,

> Note that bookmarking doesn't work with all types of content
> controls. In particular, it doesn't seem to work with date picker
> controls. STYLEREF will work, though.

bookmarking works also with date picker control. However, the field
will not update immediately. You have to press F9 or switch to Print
Preview.

The 4th alternative could be: Copy the picker content control. Then
paste special as link, and as unformatted text. A LINK field will be
created (instead of REF), that is updated automatically, when changing
the date.

[Stefan Blom]

Lisa,

I'm well aware that cross-reference fields don't update automatically. :-)

However, on my system, I can't add a bookmark around a date picker
content control; the Insert tab | Bookmark option is grayed out.

Using OLE would work, of course (though I haven't tested it myself).
Even more options for "repeating data" can be found in Greg Maxey's
article at http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/repeating_data.html.

Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Lisa Wilke-Thissen]

Hi Stefan,

> I'm well aware that cross-reference fields don't update
> automatically. :-)

I know :-). However, I am not explicitly thinking of you. Maybe, there
are also readers like Mr or Mrs Summer H.
But as I don't like to talk to Anonymous, I talk to you ;-).

> on my system, I can't add a bookmark around a date picker content
> control; the Insert tab | Bookmark option is grayed out.

I guess, you selected content within the control instead of the entire
content control.

--
Greetings from sunny Germany
Lisa [MS MVP Word]

[Stefan Blom]

Actually, I very carefully made sure not to select the content of the
control, but the control itself. However, in my testing I put the date
picker control at the very beginning of a paragraph, which apparently
was a mistake. Now that I added some spaces before the control, it does
work. How odd!

Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

[Stefan Blom]

On 2012-08-27 14:27, Lisa Wilke-Thissen wrote:

> But as I don't like to talk to Anonymous, I talk to you ;-).

Good point!

[Summer H]

Lisa/Stefan,

You were both very helpful- thanks. I decided to go with the special
link because the F9 update was interfering with other Ref fields that I
was using. However, I am now having an issue with special link which was
working perfectly to start.

The document I am trying to create is a template. We will use it for
every client meeting, so the individual will open it up and then save
as. I have experimented with this a few times and a few different
versions of the document, now I am getting a couple errors/warnings.

When I first open the doc I get this message: "This document contains
link that may refer to other files. Do you want to update this document
with the data from the linked files?" I always select yes. That's just
annoying more then anything.

The next error is making the document unusable: "There is a problem
saving the file.
Usually this is because the disk or floppy disk is too small for the
file or is full, RAM memory is low, or there is a permission problem
with the drive the file is being saved to.
If the amount of disk space for a paging file is low, save the file to
another drive. If the RAM memory is low, increase available RAM. If
permissions to the drive do not allow you to save to that drive, save
the file to another drive or request permissions from the administrator
to save files to the drive.
Note***This error can also occur if the computer is running a version of
antivirus software that is incompatible with the Microsoft Office or
must be updated."
Once I hit okay where it should have auto filled it says: Error! Not a
valid link.

Any ideas?

Summer H.

Lisa Wilke-Thissen;493150 Wrote:
> Hi Stefan,
> -

> Note that bookmarking doesn't work with all types of content
> controls. In particular, it doesn't seem to work with date picker

> controls. STYLEREF will work, though.-

>
> bookmarking works also with date picker control. However, the field
> will not update immediately. You have to press F9 or switch to Print
> Preview.
>
> The 4th alternative could be: Copy the picker content control. Then
> paste special as link, and as unformatted text. A LINK field will be
> created (instead of REF), that is updated automatically, when changing
> the date.
>
> --
> Cheers
> Lisa [MS MVP Word]
>
>

> Lisa [MS MVP Word]




--
Summer H

[stephe...@york.gov.uk]

On Monday, August 27, 2012 11:05:39 AM UTC+1, Lisa Wilke-Thissen wrote:

> The 4th alternative could be: Copy the picker content control. Then
> paste special as link, and as unformatted text. A LINK field will be
> created (instead of REF), that is updated automatically, when changing
> the date.

For a brief and glorious moment, I thought that was the answer to all my prayers ... but it doesn't update the links when the document is protected (not even when you print preview or close the document and re-open it), and there's no way to manually update them either.

How have Microsoft allowed such a shambolic mess of content controls to be released to the public? They may do lots of flashy stuff, but so many basic things that have worked with form fields since time immemorial are irreparably broken :-(

[Stefan Blom]

Is it absolutely necessary to protect your document? As you have noticed,
content controls weren't intended for use with protected documents.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

<stephe...@york.gov.uk> wrote in message
news:8012b2a0-acad-4f32...@googlegroups.com...

[uberdr...@gmail.com]

Summer,

I would recommend using the "Quick Part" "Publish date" in the Insert tab. Just copy and paste when needed throughout the document. If you change one, the rest will automatically update.

Cheers.

KG