Word Template using Excel Data

[fsupport1600]

I am looking to assit my users in filling out forms they use on a daily basis for projects. We have various Word documents that include the same information that needs to be filled out each time. Project Name, Project Number, Project Address, Project Owner etc.

I want to link these word doucment fields to excel which I have somewhat worked out. I created an excel file that has all the standard information related to the project. They will go into this file, complete the fields and when they open up the Word file, the information is populated.

I used the copy/paste option and linked to excel which seems to work. One problem I am having is the formatting. It wants to add a space or return above the text. This is causing formatting woos. I cannot delete or move the space because once the data is updated it re-appears.

If anyone has other suggestions on auto populating fields in word from an excel or text file please let me know.

We are using Office 2007.

Thank You

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

It would be a WHOLE lot simpler, to design the FORM in Excel and use a very simple Data > Validation - LIST in-cell drowdown box to select the key data element(s) and have the other blanks filled in with lookup functions.

Is there a business requirement to do the form in Word?

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[fsupport1600]

Yes, there is a business need. Alot of the forms are letter based, more word processing type. We do have a lot of forms in excel so I might utilize what you mentioned.

The problem is, when they go to an excel file or a word file, they have to fill out the same information each time. To enter that information once in a text file or excel file and then as those various documents are opened, that standard information would already be populated for them.

 

[SkipVought]

Word Form Fields can be used. One type is a drop down. To fill other fields base on a selection would take some VBA coding, I beleive.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[fsupport1600]

Yea I looking to setup something so they go into a text file or excel file, enter in the default project information, save that file, and then when they go into various excel and word files those files would be automatically populated with the infomration found in the text file or excel file.

 

[SkipVought]

Are you looking to load DEFAULT information or selection lists?

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[fsupport1600]

Default Information:

Project Number
Project Name
Project Address
Project Manager

This information appears on both excel and word doucments pertaining to the project.

 

[SkipVought]

Then just make a TEMPLATE with the default data. Pretty straight forward.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[fsupport1600]

Not really.

A project will contain various word files and excel files, and to go to each of these files and enter in the deafault information on each of the files would be way more time consuming.

Having the ability to enter it once in a file located in the project folder and populate the related doucments/files for that project is what we are look to achieve.

 

[SkipVought]

I am totally confused.

A default is just that. If you are saying that depending on something else the default changes, then it's not a default, it is a SELECTION.

It seems that we have been going in circles.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[SkipVought]

A default, in computer science, refers to a setting or value automatically assigned to a software application, computer program or device, outside of user intervention. Such settings are also called presets, especially for electronic devices.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Default_(computer_science)

You can have a default set of values for fileA that is different than the set of default values for fileB. If you have SELECTIONS within the file, then they are not defaults.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[fsupport1600]

ok, sorry I will try to clarify.

When a new project gets started it get assigned the following information:

Project Number
Project Name
Project Address
Project Manager

The project folder for this job on the network has been created it has a set of Word files and Excel files that this information appears on.

Rather having to go to each of these files and input this information over and over, it would be nice to enter it once in a text file or excel file and have it populate those word and excel files with the Project Number, Project Name, Etc.

 

[SkipVought]

But what you described as nice to have, is exactly what a TEMPLATE is and does. The TEMPLATE has default information as a starting point. You make the template ONE TIME.

Skip,

_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[fsupport1600]

Each project that starts up in my office uses a set of pre-formatted Word files and Excel files.

We have a folder on the network that has these word files and excel files in it. When a new project is started we copy that folder that contains the word and excel files and rename the folder to the aassigned project number.

When the new project folder is opened, it contains the word files and excel files. We need to populate those Word and Excel files with the project information. Name, Number, Address, etc. So when the one of the word files or excel files are opened, it will pull the information from a file that is saved into the project folder with the information in it.

as my 1st post started, "I used the copy/paste option and linked to excel which works. One problem I am having is the formatting. It wants to add a space or return above the text that I copied from excel. This is causing formatting issues. I cannot delete or move the space because once the data is updated it re-appears."

So all we have to do is when the project folder is created, go into the excel file, enter in the project name, number, etc and save it. Once one of the Word files or Excel files is opened, it populates that document with the information that was entered in the excel file.