Calculations don't work in Word 2003?

[jazminecat]

Hi all, I have a form that works perfectly in Word 2000, that does not calculate in word 2003. The field is a simple calculation field containing
=Sum(ABOVE)
in the expression. It does nothing in word 2003. Is there someone who can help me fix my enduser's setup so that this form will work for her again?

thanks!

 

[xlhelp]

Yes, it does. You have to bookmark each cell< then your formula will work.

Member- AAAA Association Against Acronym Abusers

 

[jazminecat]

So I have to edit all my forms this way in order to make them work in 2003?

 

[macropod]

Hi jazminecat,

You DON'T have to bookmark anything.

The SUM(ABOVE) formula only works correctly if there are no non-numeric cells between the formula and the numbers you want to sum. If this can occur, it's safer to use a plain SUM formula, along the lines of =SUM(A1:A5).

For more information on this and filed calculations is general in Word, check out my Word Field Maths 'tutorial', at:

http://www.wopr.com/cgi-bin/w3t/showthreaded.pl?Number=365442

Cheers

[MS MVP - Word]

 

[jazminecat]

Hi macropod -

currently these are all in a table, and the only cells above the calculation cell are formatted as numbers. So according to your post, they are indeed set up correctly. The user enters data into them, and in Word 2000, it calculates a total for them. In 2003, it doesn't work.

 

[dcompto]

See the section entitled "Updating Fields" about two-thirds down the page at

http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/Word_Fields.htm

 

[jazminecat]

Can anyone explaing to me why this worked, and still works, on workstations using Word 2000, and does not work on a workstation with a new install of 2003?

 

[macropod]

Hi jazminecat ,

Is this a document 'protected for forms? Or is it a plain document with a formula field?

If it's the latter, the calculation won't update automatically, and can't be made to do so, in either Word 2000 or Word 2003 - you have to do something to cause a re-calc, such as Ctrl-A the F9, or printing the document with 'update fields' checked under Tools|Options|Print.

Cheers

[MS MVP - Word]

 

[jazminecat]

Hi, sorry to be away from this thread. I was out of the office for a while. Anyway, in answer to your question macropod, this is a word form that is protected for forms. There is a table, and in one column the user enters monetary amounts. The last cell in that column has the following in the text form field options box:

Type: Calculation
Expression: =SUM(ABOVE)
Max length: Unlimited
Number Format: 0.00
Calculate on exit: is checked.

The fields above have the follwing in the form field options box:

Type: Number
Expression: empty, as the user fills in the numbers here
max length: unlimited
Number Format: 0.00
Calculate on Exit: is checked
Fill-in enabled: is checked

In word 2000, she can go through, enter numbers in this column, and it calculates the total in the total cell just fine. It just doesn't work in 2003.

Thanks for all your help, folks. I hope someone can replicate this and tell me what's wrong. The key piece of information is: it works *fine* in Word 2000. On my machine, and did on hers. Now she has Word 2003 and it does not work on her machine. It still works fine on mine in Word 2000.

 

[macropod]

Hi jazminecat,

Try deleting the fomfield containing the =SUM(ABOVE) expression and replacing it with a forumla field with the same expression. Using formfields to calculate the values of other formfields is unreliable.
To insert the formula field:
. press Ctrl-F9 to create and empty field
. type '=SUM(ABOVE)' between the field braces (ie '{=SUM(ABOVE)}')
. add any formatting switches, eg {=SUM(ABOVE) \# $,0.00}
Then re-protect your document

Cheers

[MS MVP - Word]

 

[jazminecat]

Just to let you know, I'm still working on this. I went to the user's machine itself, and tried changing it from the formfield to formula field as you suggested, macropod, and still encountered problems. It would add *some* of the items now, but not all. So i need to dig a little further, hopefully today, and will get back to you. Thank you again for all your help.