Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Displaying Fields.
Many of the tips provided in WordTips rely on the use of fields. The reason for this is simple: Fields allow the easy inclusion of dynamic data within your documents. Normally, Word hides the contents of fields (the "codes" that are intrinsic to the field), replacing them instead with their result, if they are the type of field that yields a result.
If you want to see the contents of your fields, then you can toggle the display so that those contents are visible. You do this by pressing Shift+F9. Any field contents should then be visible, and you can modify those field contents, if desired.
Remember that this shortcut functions as a toggle. When you are through viewing the field contents, just press Shift+F9 again. Word hides the field contents and replaces them with the field results, if any.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (385) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Displaying Fields.
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2016-07-16 11:25:26
Stephen Gray
In my opinion, MS made a horrible design decision, putting the fields in line with the text. The problems with this are too numerous to list but they show up mostly in long documents. The fields should be displayed on the side,like some markups are.
2016-07-15 17:24:58
David Latham
Hi Allen,
I believe the "Shift+F9" is a typo and should be "Alt+F9", at least that's the my version of Word in Office 2016 works...
Cheers
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Please Note:
This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: 
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