Blank Line Suppression When Using FILLIN field

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Word 98 Macintosh Edition
• Microsoft Word for the Macintosh, versions 6.0, 6.0.1, 6.0.1a

SYMPTOMS

If you are using a FILLIN field in Microsoft Word, and do not enter any information into the FILLIN message box, the line in the document that holds the field code will still exist (and will be blank).

WORKAROUND

To have the blank line suppressed if no information is entered in the FILLIN field message box, use one of the two methods below.

Method 1: Use Bookmarks

TO use bookmarks to create the FILLIN field data, follow these steps:

1. Using the following example as a model, insert the following lines somewhere in your document, before the location where the information generated by the FILLIN fields will go:

         {set name "{fillin "enter name"}"}
         {set company "{fillin "enter company"}"}
         {set address "{fillin "enter address"}"}
   

   These lines assign FILLIN values to bookmarks. These bookmarks will be referenced later in the document where the information will actually appear.

2. Enter the following lines at the location in the document where you want the information to appear.

         {if name <> "" "{name}
         "}{if company <> "" "{company}
         "}{if address <> "" "{address}
         "}
   

Method 2: Use SET Statements

The results of this method are identical to the results of Method 1. The SET statements have been incorporated into the conditional statements.

   {set name {fillin "enter name"}}{if name <> "" "{name}
   "}{set company {fillin "enter company"}}{if company <> "" "{company}
   "}{set address {fillin "enter address"}}{if address <> "" "{address}
   "}

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, pages 474 and 672