Populate Word form fields 1

[MikePalm]

I have several word documents that have a number of form fields on them. I want to be able to open the document and pass it data for the fields and have the data displayed in the fields. Is there a way to do this? I have not found any documentation on this subject.

Is there a good place to go to get documentation on using Word Documents with form fields. The online help for word is not very detailed.

I am using Microsoft word 2000 and Word XP.

Mike

 

[Dreamboat]

Unfortunately, I don't know what "pass it data for the fields and have the data displayed in the fields."

Are you using form fields or (as I suspect) userforms?

Check out Fill-In forms:

http://www.thewordexpert.com/word.htm

http://www.TheWordExpert.com

 

[MikePalm]

Dreamboat,

What I mean by "pass it data" is that I want the document to display for the user with data from a database (SQL Server) filled in on the form. The forms are contract forms. The user fills in the information in our application, and then chooses to view the form. I want the form to be displayed with the data the user entered in our database. We have several forms with the same repeated information, like name and address. This approach will allow the user to enter the data once and view it on multiple forms. They can also view and print the form multiple times without having to re-enter the information. We are also able to use the data from the forms for reporting.

Mike

 

[ninash]

Hi
If these forms are user forms and can be edited then you need an on form open sub
with the lines
fielddata = userformname.textbox1(name of textbox).value
for each entry you want to see

 

[MikePalm]

Thanks Ninash,

can the data be read from a file, or retrieved from a SQL Server database?

Mike

 

[Pipewelder]

You can make the document a Mail Merge document linked to data in an access database.
Access can then get data from the SQL server and maybe you can go directly.

I don't have any experience with SQL server.

 

[Fehling]

Hello,

first you should decide, if 1) you want to pass the data from your application to word (then your application can control word) or if 2) you want word to get the data from the database, where your application stored the data.

1) You could use Microsoft ActiveX to open, print and close documents and insert data at a bookmark or into a form field. Generally you can do everything that is available in Visual Basic for Word.

2) You can write Visual Basic macros (Word VBA). Open the visual basic editor from the extra/macro menue and look at the online help there. In the online help i found that you can use DAO (data access object) to select data from a database:

Set Db = OpenDatabase _
(Name:="C:\Microsoft Office\Office\" _
& "Samples\fpnwind.mdb&quot
Set Rs = Db.OpenRecordset(Name:="Shippers&quot
For I = 0 To Rs.RecordCount - 1
Selection.InsertAfter Text:=Rs.Fields(1).Value
Rs.MoveNext
Selection.Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseEnd
Selection.InsertParagraphAfter
Next I
Rs.Close
Db.Close

Thomas

 

[ninash]

You have to write an SQL query to output the data to access
However my knowledge of sql is very limited

 

[ninash]

I am not sure but you might be able to set up a link to the query in SQL via the odbc method in access
I hope this helps