# Special Types of Marked Text Fields

> Create hypertext links, page numbers, highlights and topics with FieldType and FieldTypeData, and import MERGEFIELD and form fields from Word and RTF files.

- **Product:** TX Text Control ActiveX
- **Section:** Documentation
- **Kind:** Topic
- **Path:** TX Text Control ActiveX > Document Editor > Marked Text Fields > Special Types of Marked Text Fields
- **2444 words**
- **Web URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/special-types/
- **LLMs URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/special-types/llms.txt
- **LLMs-Full URL:** https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/special-types/llms-full.txt

---

Hypertext links, page numbers, highlights, topics and the fields of Microsoft Word and Heiler HighEdit documents are all marked text fields of a special type in TX Text Control ActiveX. You give a field its type with the [FieldType](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtype-property/llms-full.txt) property and the data that goes with the type with [FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt). The sections below describe each type, with Visual Basic code for links, page numbers and Word fields.

### Field Types

| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| `txFieldExternalLink` | The source of a hypertext link to a location outside the document. |
| `txFieldInternalLink` | The source of a hypertext link to a location in the same document. |
| `txFieldPageNumber` | Displays the current page number. It can only be used in headers or footers. |
| `txFieldAllPages` | Displays the number of pages in the document or section. It can only be used in headers or footers. |
| `txFieldHighlight` | A piece of text that can be highlighted. |
| `txFieldTopic` | A position in a document that is the beginning of a topic. |
| `txFieldMSWord` | A Microsoft Word field. |
| `txFieldHighEdit` | A Heiler HighEdit field. |

Fields of these types have the same general properties as standard marked text fields, with two exceptions:

- **`txFieldTopic`** fields define text positions in a document. They have no visible text, so they cannot be edited and have no extended editing mode.
- **`txFieldPageNumber`** and **`txFieldAllPages`** fields can only be used in headers or footers.

### Type-Related Data

For each special type, `TXTextControl` handles additional data, the *type-related data*, which [FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt) sets and returns. What it holds depends on the type: the destination of a link, the color of a highlight or the parameters of a Word field. [FieldNext](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldnext-method/llms-full.txt) enumerates all fields of a certain type.

### Insert a Hypertext Link

For `txFieldExternalLink` and `txFieldInternalLink`, the type-related data says where the link points: an address or a file name, the name of a target in a document, or both. You insert targets in a document with the [TargetInsert](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/targetinsert-method/llms-full.txt) method, which takes the target's name; [Link Targets and Bookmarks](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/link-targets-bookmarks/llms-full.txt) lists the members that work with them.

To insert a field of a special type from code, insert a field with [FieldInsert](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldinsert-method/llms-full.txt) first and then set its type and its data. The following Visual Basic code inserts a field that links to the Text Control homepage:

```vbscript
Dim Field As Integer
TXTextControl1.FieldInsert "visit the Text Control homepage"
Field = TXTextControl1.FieldCurrent
TXTextControl1.FieldType(Field) = txFieldExternalLink
TXTextControl1.FieldTypeData(Field)  = _
      "http://www.textcontrol.com"
```

The code works as follows:

- [FieldInsert](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldinsert-method/llms-full.txt) inserts a marked text field with the text "visit the Text Control homepage".
- [FieldCurrent](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldcurrent-property/llms-full.txt) returns the identifier of the new field.
- [FieldType](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtype-property/llms-full.txt) makes the field the source of an external link, and [FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt) sets the address it points to.

When the user clicks a `txFieldExternalLink` or `txFieldInternalLink` field, `TXTextControl` fires the [FieldLinkClicked](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldlinkclicked-event/llms-full.txt) event with the information where the link points; for the field above, this is the address of the homepage. The [TargetGoto](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/targetgoto-method/llms-full.txt) method then scrolls to a target position.

### Load Links From Documents

When HTML, RTF or Word documents are loaded, `TXTextControl` creates the source and target fields of their hypertext links automatically. Set the `txEnableLinks` attribute with the [LoadSaveAttribute](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/loadsaveattribute-property/llms-full.txt) property before you call the [Load](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/load-method/llms-full.txt) method.

### Insert a Page Number

A `txFieldPageNumber` field displays the current page number and can only be used in a header or footer. The following Visual Basic code inserts one:

```vbscript
TXTextControl1.FieldInsert ""
TXTextControl1.FieldType(TXTextControl1.FieldCurrent) = _
      txFieldPageNumber
```

### Highlight Text

`txFieldHighlight` fields mark pieces of text that can be highlighted, for instance the occurrences of a word that a global search has found. The highlight color is stored as the type-related data of the field, and the [FieldGoto](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldgoto-method/llms-full.txt) method scrolls from one highlight to the next.

RTF documents can bring highlights with them. When the `txEnableHighlights` attribute is set with [LoadSaveAttribute](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/loadsaveattribute-property/llms-full.txt) before an RTF document is loaded with [Load](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/load-method/llms-full.txt), every RTF `\cbN` keyword is converted to a `txFieldHighlight` field. N is the index of a color in the RTF color table.

### Mark Topics

`txFieldTopic` fields are text positions that mark the beginning of a topic. [FieldGoto](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldgoto-method/llms-full.txt) scrolls to the topic with a given number.

When the `txEnableTopics` attribute is set with [LoadSaveAttribute](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/loadsaveattribute-property/llms-full.txt) before an RTF document is loaded with [Load](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/load-method/llms-full.txt), every RTF `\sect` keyword is converted to a `txFieldTopic` field. The topics are numbered from 1 to n in the order they appear in the RTF document.

### Import Microsoft Word Fields

TX Text Control supports the field formats of other applications such as Microsoft Word. Fields of the types `txFieldMSWord` and `txFieldHighEdit` let you retrieve and change the data and parameters of such fields. Three formats are supported:

- the Microsoft Word field format;
- the format of Microsoft Word form fields;
- the field format of the Heiler HighEdit component.

The formats are not compatible with each other, so you specify the format when you load a document. The following code imports all *MergeField* and *PrintDate* fields of an RTF document created with Microsoft Word:

```vbscript
TXTextControl1.LoadSaveAttribute(txLoadMSWordFields) = True
TXTextControl1.LoadSaveAttribute(txMSWordFieldTypeNames) = "MERGEFIELD" + Chr(9) + "PRINTDATE"
TXTextControl1.Load "c:\invoice.rtf", 0, 5, False
```

After loading, all *MergeField* and *PrintDate* fields of the document are marked text fields of TX Text Control.

#### The Parameters of a Word Field

[FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt) holds the field's parameters as a tab-separated string. A *MergeField* defined in Microsoft Word has this format:

```text
MERGEFIELD FieldName [Switches]
```

For example, in `MERGEFIELD Address \* Upper \v` the *FieldName* is *Address*, and two switches specify formatting options. The [FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt) string of this field starts with the type name, *MERGEFIELD*, followed by the field's parameters: the *FieldName* and then the switches. Microsoft's field reference for Word explains the switches and their meaning.

#### Change the Text of Imported Fields

The following code goes through all fields imported by the example above and sets the visible text of the address field:

```vbscript
FieldID = TXTextControl1.FieldNext(FieldID, &H8000)
Do While FieldID > 0
  TXTextControl1.FieldCurrent = FieldID
  Dim parameters() As String
  parameters = Split(TXTextControl1.FieldTypeData(FieldID), Chr(9))

  If parameters(0) = "MERGEFIELD" And parameters(1) = "Address" Then
    TXTextControl1.FieldText = "Bakerstreet, London"
  End If

  FieldID = TXTextControl1.FieldNext(FieldID, &H8000)
Loop
```

The code works as follows:

- [FieldNext](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldnext-method/llms-full.txt) with the field group `&H8000` returns the identifier of the next `txFieldMSWord` field; the loop ends when there is none.
- [FieldCurrent](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldcurrent-property/llms-full.txt) makes each field the current field.
- `Split` divides the [FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt) string at the tab characters, `Chr(9)`.
- When the field is the *MergeField* named *Address*, [FieldText](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtext-property/llms-full.txt) sets its visible text.

### Import Microsoft Word Form Fields

TX Text Control also imports and exports Microsoft Word form fields. To import them, specify **FORMCHECKBOX**, **FORMDROPDOWN** or **FORMTEXTBOX** with the [LoadSaveAttribute](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/loadsaveattribute-property/llms-full.txt) property.

Word form fields have parameters, too, which users edit in Microsoft Word in the **Form Field Options** dialog box. TX Text Control provides these parameters through [FieldTypeData](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/reference/txtextcontrol/fieldtypedata-property/llms-full.txt), in the XML syntax of the Office Open XML format. The official ECMA standard for Office Open XML file formats describes this syntax.

### Related Pages

- [Link Targets and Bookmarks](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/link-targets-bookmarks/llms-full.txt): the `Target` members that replace `txFieldLinkTarget` fields.
- [Hypertext Links](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/hyperlinks/llms-full.txt): a Visual Basic application that inserts links and targets and reacts to clicks.
- [Using Microsoft Word Fields](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/microsoft-word/llms-full.txt): classes for the Word fields MERGEFIELD and FORMTEXT.
- [Marked Text Fields](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/llms-full.txt): the members that every marked text field has.

---

## Nearby

- **Previous:** [Relating Data to a Marked Text Field](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/data/llms-full.txt)
- **Next:** [Link Targets and Bookmarks](https://docs.textcontrol.com/tx-text-control-activex/document-editor/fields/link-targets-bookmarks/llms-full.txt)