# Using Microsoft Word Fields > Wrap the Microsoft Word MERGEFIELD and FORMTEXT fields in Visual Basic 6 classes that read FieldTypeData, edit them in dialog boxes and merge database data. - **Product:** TX Text Control ActiveX - **Section:** Documentation - **Kind:** Topic - **Path:** TX Text Control ActiveX > Document Editor > Marked Text Fields > Using Microsoft Word Fields - **1542 words** - **Web URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/microsoft-word/ - **LLMs URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/microsoft-word/llms.txt - **LLMs-Full URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/microsoft-word/llms-full.txt --- Templates created in Microsoft Word bring their fields along, and TX Text Control imports and exports all fields that can be inserted into a Word document. Two Visual Basic 6 samples wrap the two most commonly used Word fields, *MERGEFIELD* and *FORMTEXT*, in classes that read and write the field's settings. The source code of both samples is in the *Samples\\VB6\\ApplicationFields* directory. ### How Word Fields Are Stored A Word field is a marked text field. To create a valid field, set its type with the [FieldType](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtype-property/llms-full.txt) property and its settings with the associated [FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt) property, as [Special Types of Marked Text Fields](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/special-types/llms-full.txt) describes. Both samples follow the same pattern: a class holds a reference to a field through its identifier, the [FieldCurrent](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldcurrent-property/llms-full.txt) value, and maps the parameters stored in `FieldTypeData` to properties of its own. A dialog box shows these properties, and the class writes changes back to the field. ### Implement a MERGEFIELD Class The *MergeField* is the most commonly used field in Microsoft Word and RTF documents. Besides the field text, it lets template designers add information to a field, such as text that is displayed before or after the field text, or the format of the text. The sample implements a *MergeField* class that gets and sets the parameters in `FieldTypeData`. It holds a reference to `FieldCurrent` to work on the right field in TX Text Control, and it implements the parameters of a merge field as the following properties: - TextFormat - TextBefore - TextAfter - Mapped - MergeFieldName - PreserveFormatting - VerticalFormatting When the TextBefore property of a *MergeField* is set, the Text property of the class changes the referenced field and its text. The class also saves the new setting in `FieldTypeData` in the appropriate format. #### Edit a Merge Field 1. Start the sample and click *File / Load* to load a sample document that contains several merge fields. 2. Place the input position inside an existing field, for example *<>*. ![The MergeField Sample window with a document full of merge fields such as «Company», «Street» and «city», and the MergeField menu open on its items Insert... and Edit....](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-text-control-activex/mergefield-sample-menu.2ddf1061.webp) 3. Choose *Edit...* from the *MergeField* main menu to open the merge field dialog box of the sample. ![The MergeField dialog box with the field properties Field name, Field text and Format, and the field options Text to be inserted before, Text to be inserted after, Mapped field and Preserve formatting.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-text-control-activex/mergefield-dialog.678d10e0.webp) 4. The dialog box changes all properties of the *MergeField* instance. Check *Text to be inserted after*, type some text in the box next to it and click *OK*. #### Merge the Fields With Data Choose *Merge fields...* from the *Merge* menu to merge all merge fields with database content. The [FieldNext](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldnext-method/llms-full.txt) method loops through all inserted fields to replace their text: ```vbscript oID = TXTextControl1.FieldNext(oID, &H8000) Do While oID > 0 Dim newMergeField As New MergeField Set newMergeField.TextControl = TXTextControl1 newMergeField.FieldID = oID newMergeField.GetParameters For i = 0 To rs.Fields.Count - 1 If StrConv(rs.Fields(i).Name, vbLowerCase) = StrConv(newMergeField.MergeFieldName, vbLowerCase) Then If rs(i).value <> "" Then newMergeField.Text = rs(i).value End If End If Next newMergeField.UnLoad oID = TXTextControl1.FieldNext(oID, &H8000) Loop ``` The code works as follows: - `FieldNext` with the field group `&H8000` returns only the identifiers of fields of the type `txFieldMSWord`, the Microsoft Word fields. - For each field, a new *MergeField* object gets the `TXTextControl` and the field identifier, and `GetParameters` reads the field's settings. - If a column of the recordset `rs` has the name of the merge field, compared without regard to case, and holds a value, that value becomes the text of the field. ### Implement a FORMTEXT Class Microsoft Word uses the *FormText* field to create fillable documents. Many applications fill such documents automatically, so these fields must be readable. A TX Text Control field acts as a container for all settings (switches) of a form text field. The sample implements a *FormText* class for these fields. Every time a field of the type FORMTEXT is edited, the sample creates a new *FormText* object for the field at the input position: ```vbscript Dim curField As New FormText Set curField.TextControl = TXTextControl1 curField.FieldID = TXTextControl1.FieldAtInputPos curField.GetParameters ``` [FieldAtInputPos](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldatinputpos-property/llms-full.txt) returns the identifier of the field at the input position. The *FormText* instance stores this identifier in its `FieldID` property, and `GetParameters` makes the field the current field with [FieldCurrent](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldcurrent-property/llms-full.txt). As in the *MergeField* sample, the identifier is used to get and set the parameters that are mapped to the properties of the *FormText* object. A dialog box of the sample shows the properties of the form text field and changes them: ![The Text Form Field Options dialog box with the Type list open on Regular text, Number, Date, Current date, Current time and Calculation, and the boxes Default text, Text format and Name and the options Fill-in enabled and Calculate on exit.](https://docs.textcontrol.com/assets/img/tx-text-control-activex/text-form-field-options.7e65e809.webp) When the user clicks *OK*, the values of the dialog box are set in the *FormText* object, which writes the parameters of the referenced TX Text Control field. ### Next Steps - [Special Types of Marked Text Fields](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/special-types/llms-full.txt): the field types, including Microsoft Word fields, and their type data. - [Using Marked Text Fields in Visual Basic](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/tutorial/llms-full.txt): insert fields, respond to clicks and find fields with `FieldNext`. - [Mail Merge](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/mail-merge/llms-full.txt): merge database data into documents. - [Form Fields](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/categories/form-fields/llms-full.txt): the members for form fields such as form text fields. --- ## Nearby - **Previous:** [Hypertext Links](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/hyperlinks/llms-full.txt) - **Next:** [Working With XML Files](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/xml/llms-full.txt)