Insert a drop-down list, check box, or other items in a form

You can insert a drop down list, checkbox, or other items (form field: In a form, a location where a particular type of data, such as a name or address, is stored.) in a form (form: A document that contains fill-in blanks, or form fields, in which you enter information. For example, you can create an online registration form in Microsoft Word that uses drop-down lists from which users can select entries.) that users can view and complete in Microsoft Word, or else print and fill out.

To display the Forms toolbar, point to Toolbars on the View menu, and then click Forms.

  1. In the document, click where you want to insert the form field.
  2. Do any of the following:

ShowInsert a fill-in field where users can enter text.

  • Click Text Form Field Button image.

You can specify a default entry so that users do not have to type an entry unless they want to change the response.

ShowInsert a check box next to an independent option that users select or clear.

  • Click Check Box Form Field Button image.

You can also use this button to insert a check box next to each item in a group of choices that are not mutually exclusive — that is, users can select more than one.

ShowInsert a drop-down list box that restricts available choices to those you specify.

  • Click Drop-Down Form Field Button image.

If needed, a user can scroll through the list to view additional choices.

 Note   Before you can make a form available to users, you must protect it by clicking Protect Form Button image on the Forms toolbar (toolbar: A bar with buttons and options that you use to carry out commands. To display a toolbar, press ALT and then SHIFT+F10.). Protection allows users to fill in the form but prevents them from changing the form's layout and its standard elements. When you want to go back to writing or modifying the form, click Protect Form Button image again to unprotect the form.

 
 
Applies to:
Word 2003