Most user-friendly way to auto-generate docs in MS Word?

Here’s the situation I have:

I have a document template that I want people to use. But I want people to be able to enter some data and have that data show up repeatedly in the document. So, for example, let’s say I have a doc like this:

"Dear Mr. [Recipient Last Name],

I [Sender First Name] think that you [Recipient First Name] are a big poopyhead!

Sincerely,

Mr. [Sender Last Name]"

So, when someone opens my template, they’re going to type in the Sender First Name and Last Name and Recipient First Name and Last Name somewhere, and then the document will be generated for them. But, here are some caveats:

  1. I don’t want any form fields in the generated document, because the user may have to edit, and those will just get in the way.

  2. This isn’t a merge type thing. There’s not going to be a list of names anywhere. It’ll just be a case-by-case thing, where a user wants to enter fields and have a document generated for them.

So, what are my options here? Thanks.

One possibility: custom properties. I’m using Word 2007.

  1. Office menu | Prepare | Properties. Select Advanced Properties. Add custom text properties called RecipientFirstName, SenderLastName, etc. with some sample values. Close the property box.

  2. Write your text. Where you want a boilerplate item to appear, do Insert | QuickParts | Field | DocProperty, select one of your custom properties (such as RecipientFirstName) in the list and press OK.

  3. Save the document.

In the future:

A. Go back to the custom properties for the document. Change the values as desired. Close the property box.

B. Select everything (Ctrl-A) and press F9. All references to the properties will be updated to the new values.

Custom properties is a very good way to do this for the user whom you can train to use them. We use this method in formal documents that we deliver to the federal government (e.g., the delivery date shows up in at least three places).

There’s another way to use custom properties so you can actually type in the value the first place it appears in the document, rather than going to the Advanced Properties dialog, but I haven’t figured out how to set that up yet.

Another way to do it that is easier for the user but harder for you is macros to prompt the user for those fields. That could be done by using custom properties, or it could be done with a find-and-replace approach.

It sounds like custom properties is the way to go. I’ll try having them input them into the Advanced Properties dialog, but I’m dealing with people who didn’t know how to turn a sentence into all caps (they thought you had to re-type it). If they can’t handle it, I guess I’ll have to go the macro route. Thanks.

Should you decide to use macros and need help, PM me. I can help you whip this up.

Custom Properties are a good technique overall, but violate this part of your requirements. The values get inserted into the doc as form fields.

Which are a two-edged sword. They do make editing harder for the clueless. But they also help ensure the same value is used everywhere. Nothing looks [del]better[/del] worse in a finished doc than somebody having done *find *for “Jim Smith” & *replace *with “Sam Brown” in some, but not all, locations.

I don’t think it violates the requirements. In a document set up as a form, the only thing the user can update are the form fields, and only with unformatted text. Using custom properties still allows the user to edit anything else they want to their heart’s content.