Inserting Fields in Font

Generating QR-Code in Font Inserting Fields

Word also provides a number of different fields you can insert in your document. Unlike Mail Merge fields, Word determines the field values automatically or uses the field to perform an action. You probably already use fields in your document without realizing it. For example, Word uses field codes when you insert page numbers and create tables of contents. To insert a field in your document, click Insert Field. In the Field dialog box, shown in Figure 9-10, you can use the Categories box to choose the type of field you would like to insert. Depending on the type of field you are using, you will have a number of different options for the field. For example, with the Ask field, you can enter a prompt and a default response for the field. After you ve specified the options for your field, click OK to insert it in your document. If you are unsure of a field s function, consult Word s Help feature by pressing F1. Additionally, you can add arguments and switches to your fields. Because there are a variety you can add, and they largely depend on the field you re using, I won t cover them here. For more information, consult Word s Help feature. Fields don t always automatically update. So, if you make changes that affect the contents of a field, the changes may not be apparent to you. In that case, you should update the field. To update a single field, select it and press F9. You can update all the fields in your document by pressing Ctrl+A to select the entire document and pressing F9 to update the fields. Finally, you may wish to lock one or more fields in your document. To lock a field, select it and press Ctrl+F11. To unlock a field, press Ctrl+Shift+F11.

When you insert a field in your document, you will see the contents of the field rather than the field code. But sometimes it is helpful to see the field code rather than its contents. To view the code for a single field, select the field and press Shift+F9. To show the codes for all the fields in the document, press Alt+F9. These hotkeys work as toggles. You may also want to apply shading to the fields in your document. This will help you distinguish them easily from the rest of your document. To do so, click Tools Options. Open the View tab. In the drop-down box labeled Field shading, select Never, Always, or When selected. Click OK. With shading enabled, fields will contain a pale gray border on the computer screen.

AutoText is an easy way to speed up the creation of your documents. You can automatically insert predefined text in parts of your document.

Word has a number of AutoText entries preinstalled that you can use. To access them, click Insert AutoText. On the submenu, you can select from a list of entries (see Figure 9-11). Click an entry, and Word automatically inserts it into your document.

Tip The AutoText submenu detaches from the Insert menu. Click the dotted bar at the top of the menu and

By customizing AutoText entries, you can make creating documents even easier. To add AutoText entries, you must first open the Normal.dot template, the template upon which all Word documents are based. The default location for the Normal.dot template in Windows XP is C:\Documents and Settings\user name\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates. Navigate to it via the Open dialog box in Word and open it.

Note If you try to open the Normal.dot template from Windows Explorer, a new, blank Word document will