[mso] Re: Word 2002: Sections, Header/Footers, AutoNumber, Data Collection, Bookmarks, Cross References & Other User Skill Level Variables . . . Best Format?

  • From: "Pat Ferguson" <computertips4me4home@xxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2004 16:12:01 -0400 (Eastern Standard Time)

Don't know if it would work or not, but have you thought about letting them
enter a string of text and let auto-text apply what you need in parts?
Pat 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Date: 08/17/04 14:23:19
To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [mso] Re: Word 2002: Sections, Header/Footers, AutoNumber, Data
Collection, Bookmarks, Cross References & Other User Skill Level Variables .
. . Best Format?
 
Thank you, Ray, I have thought about using those fields many times before,
but thought each user would have to fill them out with the right
information.  How do I get the right information into the fields and how do
I gather it?  I can handle inserting the fields as needed in the document
and determining which fields would hold which information, but I am dumb,
dumber and plain hard headed when it comes to knowing how to set up the
word document to gather the data without the fill-ins & bookmark solution,
which is very clumsy and problem prone.   Can you get me started on this?
 
Word is not like access where you can go into a design view, plug in some
field names, put some text around the fields, and binga!bang!  There is
your form (well . . . sometimes it's that easy!).  I have even opened
templates that others have created that open with a form that seems to
collect data and then push it to various places in the document, but
something isn't clicking for me, cause when I try to go behind the scenes
to see what they did and how to transpose it for my need, there just isn't
a light bulb.  In access, I can dig around in the code and see what event
calls it and it makes logical sense to me, but I give up too easily in
Word.  Well, that is past tense now . . . this situation has gotten
critical so I've got to overcome defeat!
 
Actually until I got these problems into words today to try to get help, I
did not realize myself what all the problems were.  I was always looking at
them as one big mess, rather than breaking them down into smaller bits that
could be solved a piece at a time.  In fact, I did not realize the reason I
was not making progress in automating the access to word process was that
in the case of the contract documents, there is no data anywhere to capture
or merge, the word document is the first time someone gets down on paper
some of the key data.  So I was getting alot of resistance to getting the
users to go into Access first, complete the data, then push the button for
the form.  They want to open Word and that's it!  I found a template that
will collect data in Word and push it to Access, haven't figured out how it
works yet, but it lets me know it can be done if needed.
 
I spend a great deal of time smoothing out the below kind of edits before a
document goes in the mail, so I'm convinced once the right approach is
determined, it will be worth the initial set up time to come up with a good
document.
 
I'm on Dian's website today doing some of her form creation instructions,
and basically searching everywhere I can to finalize the solution.  So, I
really appreciate learning how other people approach similar problems.
Thank you so much, Cathy
 
 
 
                      "Ray Blake"
                      <ray@xxxxxxxxx>          To: <mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
                      Sent by:
                      mso-bounce@freelist      cc:
                      s.org
                      08/17/2004 01:08 PM      Subject:  [mso] Re: Word
2002: Sections, Header/Footers,
                      Please respond to           AutoNumber, Data   
Collection,    Bookmarks, Cross
                      mso                         References & Other User
Skill Level    Variables . . .
                                                  Best    Format?
 
                                                                            
                      .....
 
 
 
 
 
Wow, you've really bitten off a big one there! The only part I can offer
any insight around is number 3. I wonder whether you might be better
holding this info in the document's custom properties rather than fillin
fields. You could have an Auto_Open call to a dialogue which takes them
all on one form.
 
Word's not my speciality app, but that's how I'd do it, I think.
 
Ray
 
------------------------------------
GR Business Process Solutions
Ray Blake
Head of Software Design
ray@xxxxxxxxx
Braedon
Newell Road
Hemel Hempstead
Herts HP3 9PD
tel: 01442 396518
fax: 01442 389353
www.grbps.com
------------------------------------
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:mso-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Cathy.Evans@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: 17 August 2004 16:34
To: mso@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [mso] Word 2002: Sections, Header/Footers, AutoNumber, Data
Collection, Bookmarks, Cross References & Other User Skill Level
Variables . . . Best Format?
 
 
Hi everyone.  This is starting as a Word problem, but Word may not be
the ultimate solution, and I'll throw this out for any ideas.  Will try
to group problems, whether anyone can address one or all, any help would
be greatly appreciated.  I am open to new software ideas, is this a fit
for the version of Adobe that creates forms (haven't used it, but
willing to
learn) or is there a better fit?  Or can Word handle this and does
anyone have any simple samples, as the visual basic section of word is
brand new to me!  This is an ongoing problem, but one that I need to
resolve in the next few weeks, as major form revisions are coming.  Does
anyone have similar problems and how do you resolve?  Thank you so much,
everyone. Cathy
 
Overview:  Have a large (100+ page contract document) that has several
problems/needs:
 
Situation 1:
Document is set up in sections so different headers, footers & numbering
can be set up.
Problem:
Users sometimes delete blocks of text and unknowingly delete section
breaks which totally messes up headers, footers & numbering and I am
constantly having to fix.  Some users know to look for sections and some
do not.
Need:
Way for users to remove document parts without deleting section breaks.
Hard setting up protections for sections, as the users need to edit many
of the sections, each contract has different editing needs.
 
Situation 2:
Document has many multi-level/customized numbering sections.
Problem:
If users do not know how to indent to get number level desired, or to
shift/enter to get the next line without getting new number, awful
things happen and they often remove the auto number in the paragraph
they are editing, then set up manual numbers, and I have seen many weird
combinations of customized numbers where it seems like they go to each
section and set the next level to a certain number and if you delete a
numbered line . . . trouble.
Need:
Too many diverse & remote users to train in using numbering, need to
find a better way.
 
Situation 3:
I have many fill-in/ask fields that pop up when the user first opens the
document, then those results are populated in different areas of
document via bookmark crossreferences.
Problem:
If user deletes original bookmark, the cross reference gives 'reference
source not found!' error.  Wanting to eventually convert these to forms
that would be populated once a user enters data in access, but can't get
the users to go to access first, and there is no data source, as this is
the first time the data will be captured anywhere.  If they accidentally
delete a bookmark referencing something that goes in a table of
contents, trouble there, too!
Need:
More stable data collection/populating data idea/method.
 
Situation 4:
This document has a section in the back devoted to the numerous forms
that go with the contract.  These forms are often updated, and also a
user might not use a form for that particular contract, so they delete
it.
Problem:
Same delete section/header/footer problem as above, it can really mess
up headers/footers if user doesn't look for section breaks.  Latest
revision of forms not in document.  I used to have them linked so the
updates would pass to the forms, but this confused users so much I
removed the links and just put in the form itself.
Need:
Ideally, list of documents that users could put a checkmark against the
ones they needed for that contract, then it would either just print the
most current version of that document, or bring itinto the document at
the end with proper header/footer.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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