Can I create a Word field with text that disappears with a click?

October 14, 2007 10:29 PM

Can I/how do I make a field in Microsoft Word where the text disappears when you click into it?

I think I've seen webpages/programs where there are fields (like the one I'm typing in right now!) in which there is text that disappears once the user clicks into the field, and the user can type in the field.

I'm hoping to be able to create a field like this in MS Word. Basically, I want to present someone with a template that has fields with descriptions of how to fill in the fields. Time has shown that people can't always be trusted to delete explanatory text, even when it's in red blinky lights. I'm hoping to idiot-proof the template by making it impossible for them to fill in the form while leaving the explanatory text in place. So, they would read the text and click on it. The text would magically disappear and the user would fill in that field with text as per the instructions.

Does anyone know how to do this? Any other suggestions for this problem are welcome, of course! Thanks in advance.

I'm sorry this is a horrible explanation, as it's only a vague memory and I haven't been able to find an example, and I'm having trouble finding my words today...

posted by Lucie to Computers & Internet (4 answers total)

You can add fields where the entire text will be selected. This way, as soon as the user types in something, the entire text will be erased. Will that work for you? Here is how you would do it:

- Click View, Toolbars, Forms
- Click the Text Form Field button to add the text field
- Right-click on the field and select Properties
- Insert your text properties as required. For the text that you want to appear by default, enter it in the Default text field.
- Click OK to close this box.

Now when you click on the field, the entire text will be selected.

Note however:
- As soon as you enter text, the entire field will be erased. I don't know if this is ideal for your situation.
- If you try to protect the form, the behaviour where the text is selected will not be there.

If you are really fancy, in the Text Form Field Options dialog box, there is an option that allows you to run a macro when a user enters and exits the field. I have never tried this, but maybe you can create macros that:
- erase the text when a user enters the field
- restore the text when a user exits the field and no text has been entered.
posted by bitteroldman at 3:32 AM on October 15, 2007

Thanks Bitteroldman, they're fantastic suggestions and I'll give it a go.

Nintendo: unfortunately we have to use MSWord, as this is at work - and it's loading into a government program that absolutely cannot be changed. I'm involved, but not quite senior enough...

Some more info: each field will have a 'heading' (which should remain) and be in some sort of 'floating box', so it might look like this:


Heading: instructional text that we want to disappear. Blah, blah, blah....

Yeah, I know it's a bit of a pony request. All help appreciated!
posted by Lucie at 4:03 AM on October 15, 2007

Perhaps I'm missing something, but can't you just use the solution used in the templates that come with Word? That is to use the field code MACROBUTTON with the instruction NoMacro. From my fax cover template, what the user sees is

Pages: [Click here and type # of pages] including this

but if you toggle field codes you'll see

Pages: {MACROBUTTON NoMacro [Click here and type # of pages]} including this

If the user clicks within the square brackets, that text disappears, but the surrounding bits remain, so if the user clicks and types "5", the text will then read

Pages: 5 including this

posted by boudicca at 7:17 AM on October 15, 2007

Brilliant! Thank you both!
posted by Lucie at 4:58 PM on October 15, 2007