You might insert a field if you want to:

• Display information about a document such as the author's name, the file size, or the number of pages. To do so, use the AUTHOR, FILESIZE, NUMPAGES, or DOCPROPERTY field.
• Add, subtract, or perform other calculations. To do so, use the = (Formula) field.
• Work with documents in a mail merge. For example, insert ASK and FILLIN fields to display a prompt as Word merges each data record (data record: A complete set of related information that corresponds to one row of information in the data source. All information about one client in a client mailing list is an example of a data record.) with the main document.

In other cases, it's simpler to use the commands and options provided in Word to add the information you want. For example, you can insert a hyperlink (hyperlink: Colored and underlined text or a graphic that you click to go to a file, a location in a file, a Web page on the World Wide Web, or a Web page on an intranet. Hyperlinks can also go to newsgroups and to Gopher, Telnet, and FTP sites.) by using the HYPERLINK field, but it's easier to use the Hyperlink command on the Insert menu.

Field codes (field code: Placeholder text that shows where specified information from your data source will appear; the elements in a field that generate a field's result. The field code includes the field characters, field type, and instructions.) appear between curly brackets, or braces ( { } ). Fields are somewhat like formulas in Microsoft Excel — the field code is like the formula, and the field result (field results: Text or graphics inserted in a document when Microsoft Word carries out a field's instructions. When you print the document or hide field codes, the field results replace the field codes.) is like the value that the formula produces. You can switch between displaying field codes and results in your document.

You cannot insert field braces by typing the characters on the keyboard. However, you can insert them by using the keyboard shortcut CTRL+F9.

A switch is a special instruction that when placed in a field causes a specific action to occur. For example, inserting the \* Caps switch into a field specifies that the first letter of each word in the field result (field results: Text or graphics inserted in a document when Microsoft Word carries out a field's instructions. When you print the document or hide field codes, the field results replace the field codes.) is capitalized.

Contact: {DOCPROPERTY "Manager" \* Upper }

In this example:

• Contact: is the text that precedes the field result (field results: Text or graphics inserted in a document when Microsoft Word carries out a field's instructions. When you print the document or hide field codes, the field results replace the field codes.).
• DOCPROPERTY is the field name.
• "Manager" is the text for the required instruction ("Name").
• \* Upper is an optional switch to specify that the name is displayed in all capitals.

If the name of the Manager specified on the Summary tab of the Properties dialog box (File menu) is Anna Gerrard, inserting this field in your document results in the following:

Contact: ANNA GERRARD