Automatic update of repetitive fields in a Word document

Question

In a "standard contract," certain variable fields are repeated in different paragraphs of the document. To ensure the reliability of updating the standard contract during customization, I would like to input a repetitive variable field only once. For example, I send the contract to "Mr. Dupont"..................."Mr. Dupont" must respond to me within 15 days. "Mr. Dupont" is a repetitive field. I have tried the bookmark method without success, but it might be the solution? The mail merge method doesn't seem suitable to me, and it involves an Excel file, making it too cumbersome.  In my idea, I should be able to save my standard contract uncustomized, and when I customize it, the update is automatic on the repetitive variable fields. Once this customization is done, of course, I will save the document under a different file name.  Do you have a solution to my problem?  Thank you in advance.

Alan9848 · Answer

By asking my question, I automatically came across links that were supposed to answer it. I implemented the bookmark procedure well explained in this link: How do REF fields work to reference previously entered text? This procedure works perfectly well, so I thank the author; as mentioned, updating references is not automatic, you have to select everything and use the F9 function key. It's a bit of a shame: used to Excel functions, I thought we could expect similar behavior.  Thanks again. I think I will improve my skills by using the answers from the site.

Alan9848 · Answer

Well, no, I believed it too quickly.  In fact, it works once: inserting the reference correctly returns the value of the bookmark. But then, if I modify the content of the bookmark, and that’s exactly the purpose of the contract personalization I need to do, I feel like we lose the bookmark and it causes an error with the reference.  I'm stuck, so a little help please, because I can’t be far from the solution.

m@rina · Answer

Hello,  Bookmarks are not very convenient to use. Indeed, when you modify a bookmark, you have to be careful not to overwrite the entire bookmark, because in that case, you lose it.  Since, apparently, you’re browsing on my site, here’s an article that provides other solutions: https://faqword.com/index.php/word/faq-word/forme/261-je-veux-saisir-un-texte-sur-la-premiere-page-dun-document-et-que-ce-texte-se-recopie-automatiquement-en-dautres-endroits-du-meme-document  m@rina  -- If you want to be effectively helped, make sure you are on the right forum,... and specify the software used as well as its version. We lack clairvoyants!

Alan9848 · Answer

Thank you M@rina for these explanations.  I have examined the 5 possibilities proposed in the response. Unless I'm mistaken, "REF" and "ASK" correspond to the bookmark method that we are trying to avoid. I am also setting aside the last 2 options: "STYLEREF" and "properties fields" which, for me, stray from the subject. I have thus tried, without success, to implement the Autotext solution.  But let's suppose that my text refers to "field1" and that a little further on in the text I position a "field2" that should take the value of "field1" when it is updated. If I define "field1" with Autotext, how is "field2" defined? I tried to define both fields in the same way: it doesn't work. Furthermore, in the abbreviations, I tried 2 possible choices: either "empty" or "plain text", somewhat at random because I do not master the various options proposed. Moreover, I am puzzled to see in the text: an inserted field [text]. How can I make it take the value "Dupond", for example?  Perhaps a simple example would help me understand. For instance: I am currently drafting the contract for "Field1" (which will take the value: Dupond or Durand)......... and further in the text ........"Field2" (which will automatically take the value Dupond or Durand) must return it to me signed within 15 days.......... In my example: 1) how to define "Field1" and how to update it 2) how to define "Field2"  Thank you again for the attempt, but I am touching on Word functions that are completely unknown to me which seem very interesting but not so easy to implement.  Note: I am using WORD 2010 on Windows 7  Best regards

m@rina · Answer

Hello,  Why did you directly eliminate STYLEREF which is a method of childlike simplicity? You just need to create a few character styles, all the same if necessary with different names.  The first “field 1” is put in the “Style 1” style for example  and for all the others, you put the {STYLEREF “Style 1”} field  To change it, you just need to change the first name entered in the document, the one that is in the indicated style.   For the AUTOTEXT (without the e) method, you need to start by creating a building block, named for example “field 1”, then in the text, you will need to insert a {AUTOTEXT “Field 1”} field.  To change it, you need to redo the building block naming it the same way so that it overrides the previous one.  Sorry for my late response, but I'm not always very available.  m@rina  -- If you want to be helped effectively, make sure you are in the right forum,... and specify the software used as well as its version. We lack psychics!

p@t926 · Answer

Hello,  You can also use the "document properties" fields in the Insert menu > Quick Parts (a slightly roundabout method, I admit).  Example: I insert the "summary" field three times in my document. When I enter the first one, the other two update automatically.  The only limitation is that the number of fields is restricted to the number of Word properties (about fifteen) and that the field name does not necessarily match the text to be entered.  P@t926

Automatic update of repetitive fields in a Word document

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