Field swallows my characters

  • Thread starter Thread starter Ben Bullock
  • Start date Start date
B

Ben Bullock

If I have a field containing text, like

[XYZ],

where [ and ] represent the beginning and end of the field, and I start
typing

This is an XYZ

then instead of getting

This is an [XYZ]

I get

[This is an XYZ].

Then when I update the field, the "This is an " disappears completely.

To work around this, I discovered that a comma does not get swallowed, so I
type a comma before the XYZ, then go back and input before the comma, so

This is an ,[XYZ]

then go back yet again and delete the comma. However, this is a little
annoying. Is there a way to stop fields from automatically swallowing and
then destroying my input? Also, what is the purpose of this function? Why
would anyone want their text to be swallowed into the field? Text input
after the field doesn't get swallowed.

Thank you for any help.
 
This doesn't bear any resemblance to any Word fields. It would help if you
explained what you are trying to do and what sort of fields these are.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
 
Graham Mayor said:
This doesn't bear any resemblance to any Word fields. It would help if you
explained what you are trying to do and what sort of fields these are.
Click to expand...

They are DocProperty fields such as { DocProperty ABC }, which has the value
"XYZ". When I put the cursor on them they show as a grey box. I made them
using the "Properties" menu. I inserted them at very many places in my
document using "Insert, Field" then choosing "DocProperty" and the name of
the field with the mouse. The problem (what I am trying to do) is exactly as
described below. I'm using the fields to get consistency of terminology and
ease of modification of that terminology throughout a long document. (I
don't know any better way to do it, I got this idea from a web page.) I'm
not sure what else to tell you. The problem is that they swallow up the
letters in my document and incorporate the letters, as described. I'm using
Microsoft Word 2002, Japanese language version, if it makes any difference.
Ben said:
If I have a field containing text, like

[XYZ],

where [ and ] represent the beginning and end of the field, and I
start typing

This is an XYZ

then instead of getting

This is an [XYZ]

I get

[This is an XYZ].

Then when I update the field, the "This is an " disappears completely.

To work around this, I discovered that a comma does not get
swallowed, so I type a comma before the XYZ, then go back and input
before the comma, so
This is an ,[XYZ]

then go back yet again and delete the comma. However, this is a little
annoying. Is there a way to stop fields from automatically swallowing
and then destroying my input? Also, what is the purpose of this
function? Why would anyone want their text to be swallowed into the
field? Text input after the field doesn't get swallowed.

Thank you for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
If you want to edit a field you would have to display the field construction
by toggling the field to show
{ DocProperty ABC } A Doc Property field inserts the document property -
here the document property ABC. You can't simply add text into the field.
You would have to change the content of the document property and update the
field to reflect the change.

With the field toggled you can use the replace function to add text before
the field eg
Find ^d DOCPROPERTY
Replace with
This is a ^&
or you can insert your cursor in front of the field and type. What may be
happening (and I don't know what the influence of the Japanese version is)
is that you have Tools > Options > Edit > "When selecting automatically
select entire word" checked and Word is selecting more than you intend.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

Ben said:
Graham Mayor said:
This doesn't bear any resemblance to any Word fields. It would help
if you explained what you are trying to do and what sort of fields
these are.
Click to expand...

They are DocProperty fields such as { DocProperty ABC }, which has
the value "XYZ". When I put the cursor on them they show as a grey
box. I made them using the "Properties" menu. I inserted them at very
many places in my document using "Insert, Field" then choosing
"DocProperty" and the name of the field with the mouse. The problem
(what I am trying to do) is exactly as described below. I'm using the
fields to get consistency of terminology and ease of modification of
that terminology throughout a long document. (I don't know any better
way to do it, I got this idea from a web page.) I'm not sure what
else to tell you. The problem is that they swallow up the letters in
my document and incorporate the letters, as described. I'm using
Microsoft Word 2002, Japanese language version, if it makes any
difference.
Ben said:
If I have a field containing text, like

[XYZ],

where [ and ] represent the beginning and end of the field, and I
start typing

This is an XYZ

then instead of getting

This is an [XYZ]

I get

[This is an XYZ].

Then when I update the field, the "This is an " disappears
completely. To work around this, I discovered that a comma does not get
swallowed, so I type a comma before the XYZ, then go back and input
before the comma, so
This is an ,[XYZ]

then go back yet again and delete the comma. However, this is a
little annoying. Is there a way to stop fields from automatically
swallowing and then destroying my input? Also, what is the purpose
of this function? Why would anyone want their text to be swallowed
into the field? Text input after the field doesn't get swallowed.

Thank you for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I don't think he's trying to edit the field, Graham; he's trying to type
text *before* the field, but it's getting into the field instead. This is
really rather surprising because I would expect the typed text to replace
the field (if "Typing replaces selection" is enabled) rather than disappear
into it. The only time I've seen text (paragraph/page breaks) get into a
field this way is in a TOC field.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

Graham Mayor said:
If you want to edit a field you would have to display the field construction
by toggling the field to show
{ DocProperty ABC } A Doc Property field inserts the document property -
here the document property ABC. You can't simply add text into the field.
You would have to change the content of the document property and update the
field to reflect the change.

With the field toggled you can use the replace function to add text before
the field eg
Find ^d DOCPROPERTY
Replace with
This is a ^&
or you can insert your cursor in front of the field and type. What may be
happening (and I don't know what the influence of the Japanese version is)
is that you have Tools > Options > Edit > "When selecting automatically
select entire word" checked and Word is selecting more than you intend.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

Ben said:
Graham Mayor said:
This doesn't bear any resemblance to any Word fields. It would help
if you explained what you are trying to do and what sort of fields
these are.
Click to expand...

They are DocProperty fields such as { DocProperty ABC }, which has
the value "XYZ". When I put the cursor on them they show as a grey
box. I made them using the "Properties" menu. I inserted them at very
many places in my document using "Insert, Field" then choosing
"DocProperty" and the name of the field with the mouse. The problem
(what I am trying to do) is exactly as described below. I'm using the
fields to get consistency of terminology and ease of modification of
that terminology throughout a long document. (I don't know any better
way to do it, I got this idea from a web page.) I'm not sure what
else to tell you. The problem is that they swallow up the letters in
my document and incorporate the letters, as described. I'm using
Microsoft Word 2002, Japanese language version, if it makes any
difference.
Ben Bullock wrote:
If I have a field containing text, like

[XYZ],

where [ and ] represent the beginning and end of the field, and I
start typing

This is an XYZ

then instead of getting

This is an [XYZ]

I get

[This is an XYZ].

Then when I update the field, the "This is an " disappears
completely. To work around this, I discovered that a comma does not get
swallowed, so I type a comma before the XYZ, then go back and input
before the comma, so
This is an ,[XYZ]

then go back yet again and delete the comma. However, this is a
little annoying. Is there a way to stop fields from automatically
swallowing and then destroying my input? Also, what is the purpose
of this function? Why would anyone want their text to be swallowed
into the field? Text input after the field doesn't get swallowed.

Thank you for any help.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Graham Mayor said:
If you want to edit a field you would have to display the field
construction by toggling the field to show
{ DocProperty ABC } A Doc Property field inserts the document property -
here the document property ABC. You can't simply add text into the field.
You would have to change the content of the document property and update
the field to reflect the change.
Click to expand...

That's exactly why I want to use the field. I have a very long document and
in one place I found myself writing "the top of the tree" and in another
"the treetop", so I put these fields in so that the terminology would be
consistent.
With the field toggled you can use the replace function to add text before
the field eg
Find ^d DOCPROPERTY
Replace with
This is a ^&
or you can insert your cursor in front of the field and type. What may be
happening (and I don't know what the influence of the Japanese version is)
is that you have Tools > Options > Edit > "When selecting automatically
select entire word" checked and Word is selecting more than you intend.
Click to expand...

I think it might help to post a screenshot of my screen. First of all I type
in "The quick brown fox jumps after the lazy dog". Then I enter a new field
through the properties window with the name "fox" and the value "mammal".
Then I put "DocProperty fox", and press control-f9 to make it a field. Now
the screen looks like this:

http://www.sljfaq.org/w/screenshot1.PNG

Toggle the field to show that it is working:

http://www.sljfaq.org/w/screenshot2.PNG

Now I put the insertion cursor exactly before the field (after the space
before "m") and type "this is a test", and the phenomenon I described takes
place. The "This" is not swallowed, but as soon as I type a space, the text
starts getting swallowed into the field:

http://www.sljfaq.org/w/screenshot3.PNG

Now I renew the field, and look what happens:

http://www.sljfaq.org/w/screenshot4.PNG

"is a test" has disappeared completely.

This is with a blank document.

I have a workaround, which is to type a comma in front of the text. For some
reason Word doesn't swallow commas in this way. So I can solve the problem,
but I wondered if there was a better way to do this.
 
What happens if you place the insertion point left of the space before the
field instead of immediately left of the field. In the example, you'll need
to type a space anyway, either before or after the added text, so it might
as well be before as after.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
Thank you very much for your very fast reply. If I type before the space the
swallowing does not occur, on this example. Unfortunately that is not the
complete solution to the problem, for several reasons. In an example where
the field is on the left hand side of the page, and there is no space before
it, unfortunately it swallows the space if I try to insert one, which means
that I have to insert a new line, type on the new line, then remove the new
line again. I also frequently have to type between two fields, as in {
A }{ B }. This is when I use the comma to stop swallowing from taking place.
I already have some workarounds, but it is very hard for me to see the value
of Word's behaviour in this case and I wondered if I was missing something.
 
Well, there's something very bizarre going on because in a similar situation
(DocProperty field at the very beginning of the document), I have no problem
placing the insertion point just left of the field and entering text that
does NOT become part of the field.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
Thanks, now at least I know my version of Word is doing something
non-standard.

I've removed the images from the web site now.
 
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