From the course: Word 2016: Forms in Depth

Inserting list controls

From the course: Word 2016: Forms in Depth

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Inserting list controls

- Next, we're going to add some list box controls and there are a couple of different types of list box controls. First, we have a Combo Box and a Combo Box allows the user either to choose from a list or enter information. We then also have a Drop-Down List Content Control, which is only a drop-down list. It doesn't allow a user to do anything different. In this particular document, we have two different places that we would like to be able to have list boxes. The first is Recurrence and the second is Contact Method. Under Recurrence, the question is can we plan every type of recurrence? If we can describe the entire universe of Recurrences then we could just use a drop-down box. But we might have a group that meets the third Thursday of the month or something so it's good to allow a little more space, and that's what a Combo Box does. So I'm going to click to enter a Combo Box control. Now we're going to click to look at its properties. This is going to be Recurs. We're going to say it can't be deleted and then we get to add items to the list. Notice, by default, it says Choose an item, that's the prompt. Let's now add another item, and we're going to do these in chronological order. We're going to say that we have a meeting that's weekly. Notice that when I press Enter, the Add button now has focus. If I just press Enter again, I'm adding another item, I don't have to click. I can do this totally from the keyboard. Monthly. Quarterly. Annually. If I'm doing a Drop-Down Box, at this point I need to provide the choice that is None of the Above, which would be, for example, Other. Because I'm using a Combo Box, I can simply allow the user to enter what they need to enter. If I want to remove an item, I can. If I want to move an item up or down, I use the move up and move down commands in order to do that. This looks exactly like I'd like it to look so I'm going to click OK. We're done there. Under Contact Method, I'm going to use a Drop-Down List because we have a Comments section. I'm going to provide a list of the methods that our events team told me that they use. If there's something that's not on the list, I'll put a choice here of Other and it can be documented in the Comments. Here's our Drop-Down List Box. Notice Choose an item. Let's go to properties. This is TeamContactMethod. Can't be deleted, choose an item. Email. Phone. In Person. Fax. Other. There might be a reason to alphabetize these and leave Other at the bottom. This is the order that they said they'd normally respond in, but there's something to be said for having a long list in particular in an order that people can tell what it is. It's alphabetical and then Other or None of the Above can go at the bottom or can go in alphabetical order. I kind of like this. If somebody was looking for something else, it's quicker to examine a list of values if it's in a order that makes sense. This order, alphabetical, seems to make sense for this list. I'm going to click OK to close the properties. We've been doing Design but haven't really switched to Design Mode. I'm going to take a moment and do that right now so you can see what this looks like. When I click on Design Mode, I'll have tags for the different items that I've entered. For example, Recurs, and so on. I also have the ability in Design Mode to edit the text. If I don't want to say click or tap here to enter text, I could say click or tap here to enter first name. I can do that in Design Mode. If I'm not in Design Mode and I click to type, I'm actually entering values replacing the text that's there. In Design Mode, where I can see the tags, I have the ability to edit the placeholder text. I'll see you in the next movie.

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