Fields

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available for the 'Fields' topic. Click the article's title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

A Quick-and-Dirty Word Count
Got an editor or teacher who wants you to calculate the number of words in a document the "old fashioned way?" You can do it by using a compound field, discussed in this tip.

Adding a Box Around Selected Text
You can use a special field to put a box around text within a paragraph.

Adding a Dynamic Total in Your Document
You can use a few bookmarks and an equation field to add a dynamic total anywhere in your document. Once in place, you can change any of the amounts, and the total is updated the next time the field results are updated.

Age Calculation with Fields
You may need to dynamically calculate an age within a document. You can do this by using fields, and every time the field results are updated your date will be updated.

Auto-incrementing Form Fields
Templates are a great way to create new documents because they act as intricate patterns to what those new documents should contain. What if you want the new documents to include some sort of automatically incrementing number? This tip looks at ways you can accomplish the task.

Automatically Updating Fields and Links
You can update fields and links automatically when you print your document, but what if you want them updated when you open or close the document? That is not as easy of a proposition, but there are ways to fulfill the request, as shown in this tip.

Calculating Dates with Fields
Fields allow you to place dynamic information within a document. One such piece of information is the current date, inserted with a very simple field. If you want to calculate a date that is two weeks in the future, the task isn't that simple. This tip describes what it takes to put that future date into your document using nothing but fields.

Calculating Form Fields
Word enables you to create forms with fields that users fill in. You can even create calculations based on what users enter into form fields. Here's how to get those calculations to automatically update whenever you change information in the form.

Combining Word Documents
At some point you may want to insert one Word document inside another Word document. An easy way to do this is to use the INCLUDETEXT field, described in this tip.

Conditional Calculations in Word
Spreadsheet programs allow you to create complex formulas that perform conditional calculations. You can similarly do some simple conditional calculations in a Word table, as described in this tip.

Controlling Document Properties
Word saves quite a bit of information with a document, besides the document itself. This tip provides a general overview of document properties, including how to change them and make sure you are prompted for them.

Controlling Field Shading
If you use fields in your documents, you may want to highlight them in some way so that you can find them easier. Word includes a setting that allows you to specify exactly how you want your fields shaded.

Converting Field Results to Text
Fields are meant to be dynamic, providing a result based on conditions at the time they are updated. You may want to convert the dynamic results of a field to regular text. This can be done with a simple shortcut key, discussed in this tip.

Converting Fields to Text
Fields are used to insert dynamic content into a document. What if you want the content to no longer be dynamic? You can convert the field to regular text by using the technique described in this tip.

Converting Forms to Regular Documents
Word allows you to protect documents that are intended to be used as forms. If you want to convert the form responses back to regular text, you need to follow a couple of steps that will stop the data from being changed, as described in this tip.

Copying and Pasting Field Codes
Want to copy a field code and paste it in some other Windows program? This can be trickier than it sounds. Here's the lowdown on why this is, and a macro you can use to make copying and pasting field codes easier.

Copying Form Field Contents
Are you developing a form with Word? In some instances it is advantageous to copy whatever is entered in a form field to another location in your document. This tip explores two ways you can reuse information entered into your document's fields.

Creating an AutoText List
The AUTOTEXTLIST field is one of those esoteric fields that you may know nothing about. The cool thing it does is allow you to define a drop-down list that automatically displays options based on AutoText entries in your document.

Date Last Edited
You can insert several dynamic dates into your document. One you may want is to add the date when the last edit was performed. Word doesn't track this date, but has other dates that may be more what you really need.

Differences between SEQ and LISTNUM Fields
Word provides several different fields you can use for custom numbering in a document. Two of the most commonly used are the SEQ and LISTNUM fields. This tip explains the major differences between the two.

Displaying Blanks when Summing to Zero
If you use fields to sum the information in your table columns, you might want to display a blank when the sum is zero. The easiest way to do this is by adding a couple of switches to your field codes.

Displaying Fields
Fields are used quite extensively in some documents. If you want to see where the fields are located, you'll want to use one of the methods described in this tip.

Documents Printing Out of Order
When printing documents under the control of a macro, you may notice that the documents print out of order for some reason. Here's a discussion of why this may happen and what you can do about it.

Dynamic Path and Filename in a Footer
You can easily place a path and filename in the footer of your document. What do you do if it appears that these elements don't reflect the real name of the saved file? Perhaps it could be simply because the fields used have not been updated.

Entering a "Slashed Zero" in Your Document
Need to add the occasional zero with a slash through it? There are a couple of ways you can accomplish this task.

Entering Calculations in a Form Field
Creating a field that will calculate two other form fields.

Exactly Positioning Text
If you need to control exactly where text will appear on the page or relative to other text, you need to know about the ADVANCE field. Here's the low-down.

Field Reference to Number of Prior Pages
Fields are used for all sorts of purposes in Word, but typically to provide some sort of dynamic information. This tip shows some of the power of fields by using them to calculate and display the number of previous pages in a document.

Finding Fields
Fields allow you to add all sorts of dynamic information to your document. If you need to find those fields, there are several ways you can accomplish the task. This tip covers shortcuts and searching techniques you can use.

Getting Information About Fields
Fields are used to generate many different types of information in a document. There are so many fields available that it may be difficult to remember what each does. Here's how to get the info you need about individual fields.

Getting Rid of Fields Inserted by Third-Party Programs
Third-party programs can be used to affect a document and change what is contained therein. Of course, getting rid of what those programs add to a document can be a challenge, as discussed in this tip.

Implementing a Dynamic Document Control Table
Accurately and repeatedly referencing information within a document is a common task that needs to be done. One way to perform this task reliably is through the use of fields; this tip explains how.

Including Section Numbers in an Index
When Word creates an index based on your specifications, you may want it to include a section number in its page references. There are a couple of ways you can do that, as described in this tip.

Inserting a Cross-Reference to an Item in a List
When you create a list using the SEQ field, you may want to create a cross-reference to an item in that field. You can do this using a couple variations on the SEQ field itself.

Inserting a Cross-Reference to Text
Cross-referencing is a great feature of Word that allows you to add references to text in various places of your document. Change the text in one place, and the reference to that text is automatically changed. This tip shows how easy it is to add a cross-reference.

Inserting a Cross-Reference to the First Style on a Page
A common way to set up a header is to have it refer to the first occurrence of a heading on the page. (Think how the headers in dictionaries refer to the first word defined on the page.) Word makes this easy to do using the STYLEREF field.

Inserting a Document's Location
Once you save a document on disk, it is stored in a particular folder (or location) on that disk. You may want that location to appear somewhere in your document. You can use the FileName field, discussed in this tip, to dynamically add that information.

Inserting a Document's Size
Want to insert the size of your document directly into the document body? You can do so by using one of the dynamic fields available in Word.

Inserting a Page Number Field
The PAGE field is used to indicate the current page number on which the field occurs. If you want to add this field to your document, here's a handy shortcut you can use.

Inserting Custom Properties with Fields
Using File | Properties you can specify different information to be stored with your document. If you create your own custom properties, you can use the DocProperty field to place the contents of those custom properties in your document.

Inserting Fields
Fields are used for a variety of dynamic purposes in a document. There are a couple of ways you can easily insert fields, as described in this tip.

Inserting Page Number Cross-References
Want to insert a dynamic cross-reference to a particular page number? It's easy to do following the steps in this tip.

Inserting Summary Information
Word maintains quite a bit of information about your document, and makes that information available as "summary information." You can access that information and insert it in your document using fields, as described in this tip.

Inserting the Author Name
Word keeps track of lots of information about a document and its history. One piece of information is the author's name. You can insert this name into your document using a field, as described in this tip.

Inserting the Current Month
Do you need to have a dynamic indication of the current month in your document? This tip explains how you can use a DATE field to display just the month.

Inserting the Date and Time
Inserting a date and time in your document is a snap using the tools provided in Word. Just pick the command, then specify what format you want to use. You can even specify if you want the date to update itself or not.

Inserting the Date Your Document Was Last Printed
Word keeps track of each time you print your document, and you can automatically insert the last printing date anywhere you want. This tip explains which field you specifically use to insert this information.

Inserting the Date Your Document Was Last Saved
Word maintains a lot of information about each document you create. One tidbit that Word tracks is the date that the document was last saved. Using the special SaveDate field, you can insert this date into the body of your document.

Inserting the Document Creation Date
When you first create a new document, Word keeps track of the date on which the event occurs. You can then, at any time, insert that special date into a document. This tip shows exactly how easy it is to do so.

Inserting the Document Revision Number
Need to know how many times your document has been saved? Word keeps track of this information, and makes it easily accessible through the use of a field.

Inserting the Document Title in Your Document
One of the pieces of information you can store with a document is the title of that document. Using fields, you can then insert that title anywhere in the document you desire.

Inserting the Edit Time
One of the things that Word keeps track of is how long, in minutes, you've been editing your current document. This information can be inserted into the document using the EditTime field.

Inserting the Name of the Last Person to Save the Document
One of the pieces of information that Word maintains for documents is the name of the last person to save the document. This tip explains where this information comes from, where it is stored, and how to use that information in your document.

Inserting the Subject in Your Document
One of the properties you can specify for a document is a subject. You can then use a field code to insert this subject, dynamically, into your document. This tip explains how to access the subject in your documents.

Inserting the Template Name in Your Document
Templates are a powerful part of the Word experience, as they allow you to create and format documents based on patterns. Every document has an associated template, and you can insert the name of that template in the document itself by using a special field designed for that purpose.

Inserting the Total Number of Characters in Your Document
One of the things that Word keeps track of regarding your document is the number of characters it contains. Using the NumChars field, you can insert this number anywhere in your document that you'd like.

Inserting the Total Number of Pages in Your Document
Word keeps track of many statistics for each of your documents. One statistic is the total number of pages in the printed document. You can insert this information anyplace you want, using the NumPages field.

Inserting the Total Number of Words in Your Document
Need to know how many words are in your document? You can use the NumWords field to add that statistic, dynamically, to anyplace you want in your document.

Inserting the User's Address
If you enter your address into Word, you can insert that address anywhere you want in a document by using a single field. This tip introduces the UserAddress field and shows how easy it is to use it within a document.

Inserting the User's Initials
One of the pieces of information tracked by Word are your name and initials. You can insert your initials by using the UserInitials field, described in this tip.

Inserting the User's Name
Word, upon installation, is customized for you. It even includes your name, which you can instruct Word to automatically place within a document. This is done with a special field, as described in this tip.

Jumping Between Fields
Need to step through the fields in a document? It's easy using the shortcuts detailed in this tip.

Letters and Numbers in Page Numbers
A common task is to add page numbers to document headers and footers. If you want those page numbers to include more than just digits, you can easily accomplish your desires.

Limiting Directories in the FILENAME Field
When you use the FILENAME field in a document, it can include the full path name that leads to your file. This might be too long for your needs, however. Here's a way you can limit what directories are shown in the path.

Locating Locked Fields
A field can be locked or unlocked, and its condition controls whether it is updated automatically or not. If you want to search for only locked fields in a document, you're going to need the macro presented in this tip.

Locking a Field
When you use fields in your document, you may want them to not change from a particular displayed result. You can lock individual fields so that they remain static from that point forward.

Maintaining Fields in a Merged Document
When merging documents, you may want to include some fields in the merged documents. For some fields this is impossible, as to include them would make no sense.

Making Common Information Accessible
Got a bunch of info that is common to a lot of your documents? Here's a way to get that information standardized among all those documents.

Making Sure a Document Always Has an Even Number of Pages
For some documents, you may want to make sure that a printout always has an even number of pages. Word has no intrinsic way to do this, but you can work around this apparent limitation using the techniques in this tip.

Merging Graphics from Access
An Access database can store all types of data, including graphic images. Merging most data from Access into Word is relatively easy, except when it comes to graphics. This tip explains why this is the case and ways you can work around the problem.

Numbering With Sequence Fields
You can use sequence fields for reliable numbering.

Overlining Characters
Want to add an overline above a character or two in your document? There are several ways you can try, as described in this tip.

Placing Numbers Over Other Numbers
Sometimes you need to create text that isn't as "linear" as you might expect. For instance, you may need to put some text over the top of other text, almost like a fraction (but without the fraction line). This tip examines a few ways that you can position text in this over-and-under manner.

Printing Copy Numbers
Copy 1, Copy 2, Copy 3... Do you want to mark your printouts so that they are numbered? Here's how you can do it.

Printing Field Codes
Field codes allow dynamic information to be included in documents and can be a great boon. At some point you may want to print a copy of your document with field codes displayed. Here's how to do it.

Printing Portrait Page Numbers on Landscape Pages
Word allows you to specify whether different parts of a document are printed in portrait or landscape mode. If you mix and match these modes in a document, you will appreciate this tip.

PRIVATE Fields in WordPerfect Documents
Did you ever convert a document from WordPerfect and see PRIVATE fields in it? Here's what those fields mean.

Protecting Fields
Fields are very helpful for inserting dynamic information or standardizing the information that appears in a document. Unfortunately, users can inadvertently delete fields, thereby ruining your careful planning. While fields cannot be protected in Word, there are some steps you can take to minimize the chances of fields being deleted accidentally.

Quickly Inserting the Date Your Way
Tired of messing with inserting the date and then changing it to a format that is more to your liking? There's a quick way you can set up Word to allow you to enter dates in just the manner that you want, as described in this tip.

Removing Specific Fields
Word allows you to place all sorts of fields in your documents. If you want to search for only specific types of fields, then you'll love the techniques presented in this tip.

Searching for a Specific Field
Fields can be a great boon to document development, as they allow you to insert different types of dynamic information in the body of the document. If you want to search for a specific type of field, you can do so using the techniques presented here.

Security Flaw in Word Traced to Fields
How to fix the security flaw traced to the fields in Word.

Selecting a Field
Do you need to select a field? It is as simple as selecting a single character, as this tip explains.

Sending Printer Commands
You can use the PRINT field to send commands directly to your printer, bypassing any processing by Word. This tip explains how to use the field.

Sequentially Numbering Elements in Your Document
How to sequentially number figures, tables, or illustrations in your Word document.

Setting Up an Array with Fields
One of the more esoteric ways to display data is with an "array," which is like a miniature inline table. This tip demonstrates how to insert these arrays in your document using the EQ field.

Setting Your Default Document Directory
If you've got your documents organized well on your hard drive, you probably have them all accessible through a particular directory. You can configure Word to recognize that directory as your default for any file operations.

Special Characters in Fields
If you try to add a quote mark or a backslash as part of a field parameter or switch, you may be surprised at what you actually end up with. In order to use these characters you need to apply the technique covered in this tip.

Spelling Out Page Numbers
If your document is more than a couple of pages long, adding page numbers is a nice finishing touch. If you want, you can even have those page numbers be spelled out using words by applying the technique described in this tip.

Starting Chapters on Odd-Numbered Pages
Want to start a new heading on an odd-numbered page? You can do it with section breaks, obviously, but you can also do it using fields. This tip shows you how.

Sticking with the Dashes
By default, dashes don't "stick" to the text which follows them. Here's one way around this normal formatting convention.

Stopping Automatic Changes from Being Tracked
Fields provide a way to add dynamic data to your document. The information presented by fields is regularly (and automatically) updated, which can cause problems when you have Track Changes turned on in a document. This tip discusses the problem and some potential solutions.

Superscript and Subscript at the Same Place
Do you want a superscript and subscript character to appear directly above each other without using the Equation Editor? There are multiple ways you can accomplish this task, and this tip examines all of those ways.

Table Numbers are Skipped
What do you do if you add numbered captions to an element of your document (such as tables) and Word skips a number? There are a couple of things you can check to discover where the problem lies, as discussed in this tip.

Tools to View Field Codes
Fields can be used to add all sorts of dynamic data to your documents. Viewing the field codes, at times, is desirable. Here's a way to add a handy clickable tool that will both display and hide those field codes.

Understanding DATE Field Formatting
The DATE field is used to insert the current date into your document. You can use special formatting codes with the field to specify how you want the date to appear. This tip explains how you can get just the type of date you want.

Understanding Default DATE Field Formatting
The DATE field is one of the most commonly used fields for placing dynamic information in your document. It is helpful to understand how formatting is done within the field.

Understanding the ADVANCE Field
You can use the Advance field to change where text is positioned in your document. This tip shows how to use it and the options available.

Understanding the COMPARE Field
The COMPARE field is rather esoteric, but it can be helpful when you need to compare two values using fields. The result of the comparison can be used with other fields to create different results for different conditions.

Undesired Font in Form Fields
If you get unwanted formatting in your form fields, it could be because of the way you are formatting the line on which the form field appears. This tip discusses the way that form field formatting occurs and provides examples of how you can format the fields.

Unwanted Page Breaks in Cross-References
You can use fields to cross-reference different text in a document. If you get unwanted results from the cross-referencing (like a page break you don't want included), then you need the information in this tip.

Updating a Field in a Text Box
If you put a field into a text box, you might be surprised to find that it doesn't update when you try to update all your fields. That is because Word doesn't really update "all" fields when you update. This tip presents several techniques you can use to achieve the updating you desire.

Updating Calculated Fields in a Form
Using a macro to determine if the Calculated Fields in your document calculate correctly.

Updating Fields in Locked Forms
If you create a form in Word and then lock it, you may notice that regular fields don't get updated in the locked document as you might expect. If you want to update the fields, you must first unlock the document. This tip provides a quick macro you can use that will unlock, update, and relock the form—quite a timesaver!

Using Consistent References
Some text references need to be consistent in many places throughout a document. Learn different ways you can ensure that your references are consistent.

Using Continued Lines
If you combine a couple of conditional fields with the regular footer capabilities of Word, you can create some rather unique continuation lines in your document. This tip explains exactly how you can do that.

Using Fields for Fractions
Want a quick way to create fractions? You can do it by using fields, as described in this tip.

Using FIM Barcodes
Adding a Facing Identification Mark (FIM) barcode to your envelopes.

Using Last-page Headers and Footers
Want to change exactly what is displayed in a header or footer based on the page it appears upon? This tip explains a nifty way to make headers and footers automatically change for the last page of the document.

Using Mandatory Form Fields
Form fields can be used to create specialized forms in Word, which are very handy for collecting information. This tip explains some techniques you can use to ensure that some of your form fields are filled in by the user.

Using Multiple References to the Same Footnote
How to insert more than one reference to the same footnote.

Using TC Fields for Notes
The TC field is normally used in constructing manual Tables of Contents. The way the field works, however, makes it a natural for pulling together a handy "to do list" for a document.

Using the GotoButton Field
You can use a field to insert a "button" in your document. When someone clicks that button, the macro specified in the field is automatically executed. Adding the field is easy, and it provides a way for users to easily access macros that may be stored with the document.

Using the INFO Field
The INFO field allows you to include all sorts of information in your document. Here's a quick overview of the field and what it can do for you.

Using the SYMBOL Field
The most common way of adding symbols to a document is to use the Symbol dialog box. There is another way, however, that can be really helpful for some situations. This tip describes using a field to insert characters in a document.

View Field Codes and Results at the Same Time
Word lets you view either field codes or the results of those codes. Seeing them both at once can be a great help, however.

Word and Character Count Information
Using fields you can easily insert both the word and character counts for a document into the document itself. As those counts change (during editing), Word automatically updates what is displayed by the fields. Here's how to put them to work.

 

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