Create forms that users complete in Word

Starting with a template, you can add content controls and instructional text in Microsoft Office Word 2007 to quickly and easily create a form that you can send to others to fill out using Office Word 2007 on their computer !n an ad"anced scenario, any content controls that you add to a form can also #e linked to data

$ou can also create a form #y starting with a sample template Many are a"aila#le on the Microsoft Office Online We# site

NOTE

$ou can print a form that was created #y using content controls in Office Word 2007, #ut the #oxes around

the content controls will not #e printed

What do you want to do?

%reate a form &rotect and distri#ute the form

Create a form
Step 1: Set up Word for creating forms
' %lick the Microsoft Office Button , and then click Word Options

%lick opu!ar

Select the Show "e#e!oper ta$ in the %i$$on check #ox, and then click O&

Step ': Open a temp!ate or a document on which to $ase the form

' %lick the Microsoft Office Button , and then click New

)nder Temp!ates, click My temp!ates

*ou#le+click Norma!, and then click Temp!ate or "ocument under Create New

%lick the Microsoft Office Button

, and then click Sa#e (s

!n the Sa#e (s dialog #ox, gi"e the new template or document a file name, and then click Sa#e

Step ): (dd content contro!s to the form

*esign the form #y sketching a layout first, or use an existing form as a guide !n your form, you can add content controls, ta#les, and other graphics elements

On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click "esign Mode, and then click where you want to insert a control

*o any of the following.

*nsert a te+t contro! where users can enter te+t

' On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click the %ich Te+t control or the Te+t control

*nsert a drop,down !ist that restricts a#ai!a$!e choices to those you specify
' On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click the "rop,"own -ist control

Select the content control, and then on the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click roperties

/o create a list of choices, under "rop,"own -ist roperties, click (dd

/ype a choice in the "isp!ay Name #ox, such as .es, No, or May$e

0epeat this step until all of the choices are in the drop+down list

Step /: Set or change properties for content contro!s

1ach content control has properties that you can set or change 2or example, the *ate &icker control offers options for the format you want to use to display the date

'

0ight+click the content control that you want to change

%lick roperties, and change the properties that you want

Step 0: (dd instructiona! te+t to the form

!nstructional text can enhance the usa#ility of the form you create and distri#ute $ou can change the default instructional text in content controls

/o customi3e the default instructional text for your form users, do the following.

'

On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click "esign Mode

%lick the content control where you want to re"ise the placeholder instructional text

1dit the placeholder text and format it any way you want

!f you want the content control to disappear when someone types in their own content to replace your instructions in a 0ich /ext control or a /ext control, click roperties in the Contro!s group, and then select the %emo#e content contro! when contents are edited check #ox

On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click "esign Mode to turn off the design feature and sa"e the instructional text

NOTE

*o not select the Contents cannot $e edited check #ox if you want form users to replace the instructional

text with their own text

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(dd protection to the form

$ou can protect indi"idual content controls in a template to help pre"ent someone from deleting or editing a particular content control or group of controls, or you can help protect all of the template content with a password

T*

!f you want, you can test the form prior to distri#uting it Open the form, fill it out as the user would, and then sa"e

a copy in a location that you want

rotect parts of a form

' Open the form that you want to protect

Select the content control or the group of controls to which you want to restrict changes

/o group se"eral controls, select the controls #y pressing S4!2/ and clicking each control that you want to group On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click 1roup, and then click 1roup

On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the Contro!s group, click roperties

!n the Content Contro! roperties dialog #ox, under -oc2ing, do either of the following.

Select the Content contro! cannot $e de!eted check #ox, which allows the content of the control to #e edited #ut the control itself cannot #e deleted from the template or a document that is #ased on the template

Select the Contents cannot $e edited check #ox, which allows you to delete the control #ut does not allow you to edit the content in the control

NOTE

/his option is not a"aila#le for all controls

rotect a!! of the contents of a form

' Open the form that you want to help protect

On the "e#e!oper ta#, in the rotect group, click rotect "ocument, and then click %estrict 3ormatting and Editing

!n the rotect "ocument task pane, under Editing restrictions, select the (!!ow on!y this type of editing in the document check #ox

!n the list of editing restrictions, select 3i!!ing in forms

)nder Start enforcement, click .es4 Start Enforcing rotection

/o assign a password to the document so that only re"iewers who know the password can remo"e the protection, type a password in the Enter new password 5optiona!6 #ox, and then confirm the password

*M O%T(NT

!f you choose not to use a password, anyone can change your editing restrictions

)se strong passwords that com#ine uppercase and lowercase letters, num#ers, and sym#ols Weak passwords don6t mix these elements Strong password. $5dh7et- Weak password. 4ouse27 &asswords should #e 8 or more characters in length 9 pass phrase that uses ', or more characters is #etter 2or more information, see 4elp protect your personal information with strong passwords

!t is critical that you remem#er your password !f you forget your password, Microsoft cannot retrie"e it Store the passwords that you write down in a secure place away from the information that they help protect

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