Lecture Notes Of Class 13 - Forms and Fillable Documents

 

Lecture Notes Of  Class 13 - Forms and Fillable Documents

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Objective:
Design fillable forms for surveys, feedback, or data collection using Microsoft Word.

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1. Introduction to Forms and Fillable Documents

Forms and fillable documents are essential tools for collecting data, feedback, and conducting surveys. Microsoft Word offers features to create interactive forms where users can enter information directly into predefined fields.

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2. Inserting Form Fields

Microsoft Word provides various form fields that can be used to create fillable forms. These fields include text boxes, checkboxes, and dropdown lists.

A. Text Boxes

1. Insert a Text Box:
• Go to the Developer Tab:
• If the Developer tab is not visible, enable it by going to File > Options > Customize Ribbon and checking the Developer box.
• Insert Text Box:
• Click on the Developer tab on the Ribbon.
• In the Controls group, click the Rich Text Content Control or Plain Text Content Control to insert a text box.
• Customize Text Box:
• Click on the inserted text box to set properties like default text, formatting, and size.
2. Set Placeholder Text:
• Click on the text box and type a placeholder text (e.g., "[Enter Name Here]").

B. Checkboxes

1. Insert a Checkbox:
• Go to the Developer Tab:
• Ensure the Developer tab is enabled as described above.
• Insert Checkbox:
• Click the Check Box Content Control in the Controls group on the Developer tab.
• Customize Checkbox:
• Click on the checkbox to set properties like the default state (checked or unchecked).
2. Add Labels:
• Add text labels next to checkboxes (e.g., "Agree" or "Disagree") to indicate the options available.

C. Dropdown Lists

1. Insert a Dropdown List:
• Go to the Developer Tab:
• Make sure the Developer tab is enabled.
• Insert Dropdown List:
• Click the Drop-Down List Content Control in the Controls group.
• Customize Dropdown List:
• Click on the dropdown list control to configure the options.
• In the Properties tab, click Add to enter dropdown items (e.g., options for a survey question).
2. Set Default Selection:
• Choose a default option if needed by selecting it from the dropdown list properties.

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3. Protecting Forms and Restricting Editing

Once the form is created, you need to protect it to ensure that users can only fill out the designated fields and cannot alter the structure of the form.

A. Restrict Editing

1. Protect the Document:
• Go to the Developer Tab:
• Click on the Developer tab.
• Restrict Editing:
• Click Restrict Editing in the Protect group.
• Select Editing Restrictions:
• In the Restrict Editing pane, check Allow only this type of editing in the document.
• Select Filling in forms from the dropdown list.
2. Start Protection:
• Click Yes, Start Enforcing Protection.
• Set a password if desired to prevent unauthorized changes and click OK.

B. Test the Form

1. Test Functionality:
• Ensure that all form fields (text boxes, checkboxes, dropdowns) are working as expected.
• Verify that users can fill in the fields but cannot modify the rest of the document.
2. Distribute the Form:
• Save the form as a Word Document (*.docx) or PDF for distribution.
• Share the form with users for data collection or feedback.

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Summary

In this class, you learned how to design and create fillable forms in Microsoft Word. You practiced inserting various form fields like text boxes, checkboxes, and dropdown lists. You also learned how to protect the form to restrict editing and ensure that users can only complete the designated fields.

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