Chapter 10: Creating Forms

Overview

In this chapter you will learn to:

• Set up a form.

• Modify and protect a form.

• Use a form.

Using a Microsoft Office Word 2003 form is a convenient way to collect information consistently. A form is a document containing text instructions and questions, together with blank areas where users can enter their responses. With a form, you can ask specific questions and get the responses in the format that you want. For example, The Garden Company might use forms to register customers for a training class and to collect feedback at the end of the class.

To set up a Word form, you associate each blank area where users enter information with a form field. Word includes many different types of form fields, such as text boxes for name entries, date and time fields for dates and times, fields that perform calculations, and fields that enable users to select from predefined options.

After you have created a form, you can print it so that users can respond on paper, or you can distribute the form electronically. In the latter case, you can protect the form document so that users can enter information in the fields but cannot otherwise change the form’s contents or layout.

In this chapter, you’ll create a form for a customer satisfaction survey. You will insert various form fields and then modify them. When you are satisfied with the form, you will protect it so that users cannot do anything but fill in the form fields. Finally, you’ll test the form by filling it in.

See Also

Do you need only a quick refresher on the topics in this chapter? See the Quick Reference entries on pages l–li.

Important

On The CD Before you can use the practice files in this chapter, you need to install them from the book’s companion CD to their default location. See “Using the Book’s CD-ROM” on page xiii for more information.