I have become very frustrated with trying to create fill-in spaces in a Word document.
I want a reliable way to create the following:
This is normal text {this is an underlined part of the line} this is the rest of the sentence.
I want the user of the document (NOT the printed output, the document in word), to see an underlined portion of the line and be able to type into that space as normal. The typing can’t obscure the underline and the underline must not become broken up. The latter is the normal problem when one tries to use underlined text.
This should be simple, but I haven’t seen a document where it has been done.
I tried a text box, but while it partly worked, I still don’t have what I need.
I know I can build a table for this functionality, but I don’t want to force the user to operate and edit differently in the table part of the document vs the rest of the document.
Any Word mavens out there? I know we have an Excel guy. Perhaps we have a Word Wiz as well.
I was going to suggest a text box, but then I see you tried that. Sorry. I had the same problem, and the text box was good enough for me.
IIRC, this problem exists because the underline which shows the user where to type in a form is in a different place (lower, I think) than the underline which results from ctrl-u formatting. Why does Microsoft put these things in different places?
You can underline the text box. Just select the text box and format it as you would normal text (CTRL-U will underline it), then anything typed in the box will be underlined. It won’t break up and it will auto-size just like the text box normally does. I think this is what you’re looking for, but sorry if you’ve already tried this.
I’m not sure what the final product is that you’re looking for…
Do you want the final product to be…
A sentence where this part is entered by the user and is underlined?
or do you want the final printed product to NOT have the underline?
I’ve used the “fillin” command on many documents which brings up a dialog box asking for the user’s input. The fillin command can be formatted (bold, underline, whatever) to the final product.
In the document, CTL-F9 brings up the command brackets in which you type {FILLIN “Type the name of your favorite toilet paper”}. The text that you put in quotes are the instructions to the user and don’t appear in the document. You format the output of the dialog box by highlighting everything in the CTL-F9 brackets and format as usual.
Instead of having a fill-in-the-blank document, though, you have a fill-in-the-dialog box document. Not sure if this will help.
ETA: The final document may have to be saved and used as a template (.dot)rather than a document (.doc) for the dialog boxes to work. It’s been a while since I’ve made one even though I use them every day
Try using a form field. Right-click in the toolbar area and select Forms. Insert a Text Form Field and format it with your underline. When they click and type in the area, the underlining stays. Double-click on the text field to get some other options you can play with.
If you care to, you can protect the form so that they’re only allowed to fill in the blanks (Tools, Protect Document).
Thanks. I think the form field is closest to what I want.
To the earlier post, I don’t want the text underlined. What I do want is the underline to be there regardless of what is typed including nothing. Think of it as a paper form where there is a space to sign your name or fill in a number. The space is delineated by a line. I want to create the form to behave like that except the user in wielding a keyboard not a pen.
I think the form does (mostly) this. Seems like it should be an inherent part of formatting though and not require special manipulations.