10 steps to creating a Word input form

1. 10 steps to creating a Word input form By Fabian Mendez

2. 1: Determine needs The first step is always about design. Take a minute to consider the form’s purpose and the type of information that will be entered. If the form is complex, you might want to sketch a quick design. This step won’t take much time, and it will help you produce the right form the first time.

3. 2: Create the shellIn this context, the term shell refers to the permanent labels and formats that won’t change with usage. For instance, in this example, we’ll work with the simple order form shown in the picture. It contains a few descriptive labels and simple formatting.

4. 3: Save the shell as a template Most of the time, you’ll want to save the shell as a template. After entering the descriptive labels and applying formatting, save the form as follows: 1. Click the File tab (or the Office button in Word 2007) and click Save As. 2. From the File As Type drop-down, choose Word Template (*.dotx). 3. Give the document a name. 4. Click Trusted Templates in the Favorites bar to select Word’s default template folder. You can save the template anywhere you like, but this is the easiest route. The picture shows the expanded drop-down so you can see the full path. 5. Click Save.

5. 4: Display the Developer tab The content controls are available via the Developer tab, which Word doesn’t display by default. To display this tab, click the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT) drop-down and choose More Commands. In the left pane, click Customize Ribbon. In the list to the right (under Main Tabs), select the Developer item, as shown in the picture. Then, click OK. In Word 2007, click the Office button and then click Word Options. Choose Popular in the left pane and then select the Show Developer Tab In The Ribbon option.

6. 5: Add text boxes Now you’re ready to add the first content control. Position the cursor a couple of tabs to the right of Name and click the Developer tab. In the Controls group, click Plain Text Content Control. Continue by inserting a plain text control for each of the following input areas: Ext #; Dept; Part; and Price, as shown in the picture.

7. 6: Add a date picker Adding a date control is just as easy. Position the cursor to the right of Date and click the Date Picker content control. To change the way the control displays the date, click Properties in the Controls group (with the date picker control still selected). In the resulting dialog, shown in the picture, change the display format by choosing the MMMM d, yyyy format. Then, click OK.

8. 7: Add a list box Use a list or combo box when you know the choices. For instance, by providing a list of departments, you can limit typos and input errors, which isn’t possible with text controls. To add a list box, position the cursor to the right of Dept and click the Drop-Down List content control from the Controls group. To populate the list, click Properties in the Controls group. In the resulting dialog, click Add and enter Editorial, as shown in this picture. The Value property isn’t of interest in this technique, so you can leave it alone. Continue adding items until you’ve completed the list, as shown in the bottom picture. Then, click OK to return to the form.

9. 8: Protect the form At this point, you’re almost done. Once you’ve inserted all the content controls (for input), protect the document. On the Developer tab, click Restrict Editing in the Protect group to open the Restrict Formatting And Editing task pane. In Word 2007, click Protect Document and choose Restrict Editing And Formatting. In the step 2 section, select the Allow Only This Type Of Editing in the Document under Editing Restrictions. Then, choose Filling In Forms from the drop-down list, as shown in the picture. Finally, click the Yes, Start Enforcing Protection button. Word will prompt you for a password. In this type of document, you probably won’t need to password-protect anything. You can bypass this option by clicking OK without entering a password. Save the template one last time.

10. 9: Distribute the form This next step requires no special instructions. Users can distribute the template as they normally would, with instructions for saving the form in the users’ template directory.

11. 10: Use the form Using the form is simple. If you saved the form as a template, click the File tab and choose New. In Word 2007, click the Office button and choose New. Click My Templates in the Available Templates section and double-click the template to open a new document (form). Enter a name and press Tab; then, click the date picker’s drop-down list and select a date, as shown in the top picture. Pressing Tab will cycle through the controls. The lower picture shows the drop-down list you created for the department information.