You create a form just as you would create any other document in Word, using tables and any formatting that you wish.  However, with a form, you can insert form “fields”.  These are used to control what and where information is entered into the form – typically for electronic completion.  There are three types of “field” that you can include in a form:

Text field – this can be formatted in terms of its length and style etc.

Drop-down list – this is used to ensure that the recipient only enters one of a set number of responses, that you provide

Check box – this is a simple box that is used for a yes/no type of response.

Once you have created your form using all the usual features of word, you insert the appropriate fields.  You can then customize or format each field by double-clicking on it.  You can even get the field to display default entries if you wish, and even execute a macro on entering or exiting each field (but this is a little to advanced for this brief overview!).  The form can then be protected from modification using the protection button.  It can then be printed or circulated electronically.

There is a FORMS toolbar that provides all the facilities for creating your form and inserting and formatting each of the fields.  To display the toolbar, go to VIEW, TOOLBARS and check the FORM toolbar to display it.

One other related feature of this toolbar is that it has a button for inserting a table, where you enter the number of rows and columns into a dialogue box.  What is innovative is the additional button for actually drawing a table using the cursor (which changes to a pencil) when the facility is being used.  This is useful for adding ad hoc tables and/or additional cells to a form to assist with fine-tuning the layout.

For assistance using Word or any of its features, contact Alan Finch of May Day Consulting on 01224 697457.