Updating Fields in Locked Forms

If you are creating a form in Word, it is possible to use two types of fields in the form: regular fields and form fields. Form fields, and how they are updated, are covered in other issues of WordTips. If you are creating a form that utilizes other types of fields that must be periodically updated, it can be frustrating to do so. Why? Because Word doesn't always update regular fields as you are filling in a locked form.

Unfortunately, the only way to update such fields is either to print the document (which normally forces all fields to be updated) or to force updates through the use of a macro. If the latter is the desired course, the macro must accomplish the following:

1. Unlock the document.
2. Update the fields.
3. Relock the document.

This is a relatively easy task to do using VBA. You can use a macro such as the following:

Sub UpdateFields()
    Dim OneStory as Range
    Dim OneField as Field

    ActiveDocument.Unprotect Password:="YourPassword"
    For Each OneStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
        For Each OneField in Stories.Fields
            OneField.Update
        Next OneField
    Next OneStory
    ActiveDocument.Protect Type:=wdAllowOnlyFormFields, _
      NoReset:=True, Password:="YourPassword"
End Sub