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Thread ID: 96126	2008-12-30 00:54:00	MS Word Form Fields Design Question	Perry (4966)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
733563	2008-12-30 00:54:00	Drop-down Form Fields In nearly all cases with such fields, there is one option that will exclude the others . E . g . Mr/Mrs/MS/Miss/Bi/Prefer not to answer (whatever!) But is there a way to 'manage' a multiple options question that allows several of the options to be selected? The sort of thing that you'd expect to the standard "mark all that apply" question . E . g Indicate all the symptoms displayed by the patient . . . with a list of (say) 10 options available . How to select several from the list - that's the question? If I put the same drop-down field in ten times (to allow for every option), I will likely end up with a form with at least 50% of the fields uncompleted, which will take up space . One objective is to reduce wasted space! The proficiency level of the intended form users is not high, so I do need to KISS! Any brainwaves? :thanks Perry	Perry (4966)
733564	2008-12-30 10:27:00	Wouldn't that be confusing for the person ?? Indicate all the symptoms displayed by the patient . . . with a list of (say) 10 options available . How to select several from the list - that's the question? Whats the chance of a person having, say selecting one option, and it automatically selects other symptoms ?? Couldn't you use check boxes ?? Anyway - what version of word are you using . ?	wainuitech (129)
733565	2008-12-30 11:18:00	Couldn't you use check boxes ??That's my fall-back position, of course. I was wondering if there was a more elegant solution? Using the very same example, if a patient needs only one box checked, I'll have nine redundant questions/check boxes. I forgot to mention that the completed form is required to be printed on paper, hence the goal to squeeze out as many superfluous items as I can. (The current printed result is 12 pages & I'm trying to slow down the forest-felling rate! I've created the form in W2003 and I think the organisation is using the same version.	Perry (4966)
733566	2008-12-30 20:43:00	Primary symptom selection (dropdown) would list secondary indicators ie wainuitech suggestion maybe all ticked by default giving the user the ability to unselect then confirm with the ability to go back and change If these ppl are a bit technology challenged I would be running a parallel prototype to their exsisting system just to see how things go and any mods that need to done.	beama (111)
733567	2008-12-31 04:49:00	Primary symptom selection (dropdown) would list secondary indicators ie wainuitech suggestion maybe all ticked by default giving the user the ability to unselect then confirm with the ability to go back and change. Whether selecting or de-selecting, I don't see how that solves the problem of potentially having many redundant check boxes (with associated space and paper wastage). If these ppl are a bit technology challenged I would be running a parallel prototype to their existing system just to see how things go and any mods that need to done. The present system is paper, so remains a fall- back option. Indeed, one staff has trialled the PC-based option for 2 months. Plan is for one more staff member to start trialling the same thing, in the new year. So it's a very slow and steady testing phase before wider adoption. The primary question to this thread is not as a response to feedback, but my critique of my own work, in an attempt to make it better. (There have been other suggestions from the one staff member presently using the PC form, but I've been able to deal with them, myself.) The problem child identified in this thread has me beat, so far, though.	Perry (4966)
733568	2008-12-31 05:14:00	Two ways I can see of doing it - If you have drop down boxes for each question - with a possible selection of answers, then when the answer is selected thats the one that shows, and when its printed off you will only show the actual answer, not the full list - as shown HERE (www.imagef1.net.nz)on the MS partner program I went to today to do some updates in my details. use excel - and use a formula something along the lines of If Question 1= Yes - Question 2 = yes / no etc -- then the other boxes will automatically be ticked as well - but I don't know excel well enough to give a formula (s) - some one else should be able to help if thats an option. I would say if you used excel the formula's could be quite complicated.	wainuitech (129)
733569	2008-12-31 08:11:00	any good at vbs I feel a custom macro coming on theres a near guru here with this sort of thing and surprisingly enough his nick is very close to your "Parry" (www.pressf1.co.nz) hopefully he will see this thread	beama (111)
733570	2008-12-31 08:14:00	Two ways I can see of doing it - If you have drop down boxes for each question - with a possible selection of answers, then when the answer is selected thats the one that shows, and when its printed off you will only show the actual answer, not the full list - as shown HERE (www.imagef1.net.nz)on the MS partner program I went to today to do some updates in my details. use excel - and use a formula something along the lines of If Question 1= Yes - Question 2 = yes / no etc -- then the other boxes will automatically be ticked as well - but I don't know excel well enough to give a formula (s) - some one else should be able to help if thats an option. I would say if you used excel the formula's could be quite complicated. hate to write those "if" statements:eek::eek::eek: maybe a case statement would be better	beama (111)
733571	2008-12-31 08:41:00	I used to do a bit of mailmerge programming - years ago - some quite complicated. By years ago, I mean an 8bit processor running @ 4Hz! Life seemed so much less complicated, way back then, before the great gawd GUI messed up the calm waters. On the basis of your informed comments, it does seem as if it's going to be simpler to leave well alone. The (self-driven) counsel of perfection is all well and good, but not to be pursued to the exclusion of all else. I think I've squeezed 12 pages down to between 5 & 7, (depends on the length of text field answers), so I'll learn to live with a couple of more-than-one multi- choice bits as check box responses, even if part of me wants to better that option. VB (apps) scared me witless when I last looked at it, in an attempt to create a mail merge output from a database. So I gave that idea up, too, and stuck with a vintage PC running the original 'old 8bit stuff,' which I'd ported across to 16bit. :thanksfor taking time out to give me the benefit of your insights. I do appreciate it. Happy New Year - if it's an available option ;)	Perry (4966)
733572	2009-01-15 01:13:00	OK - the December break is over . . . . Back to that damned form . And yet another snag: page breaks . I've got the 12 page (hand-completed) form down to a word-processor form of five pages . However, that's an empty template and could well be 7-8 pages, when a document is created and filled from it . (Still a saving on trees!) The form is randomly strewn with 1, 2 & 3 columns, as it wanders from combo box, to check box to text . And I see a problem with the section breaks . The Paragraph > Line and pages breaks > keep lines together doesn't seem to work across section breaks . As a consequence, the template has some sections broken across a page end . I have no way of knowing how the completed form will fill the pages, so a manually inserted [page break] in the form just isn't appropriate . I will protect the document, which will stop accidental changes, but it will also stop the option to insert page breaks, when needed to ensure sections aren't broken across two pages . (Can't see that as an allowable option under Protect document > Editing restrictions either . :angry Anyone got any clues about this one?	Perry (4966)
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