Create a template in a Memo field

[lmjje]

For anyone that can help...I am trying to enter three separate lines of text in a Memo field either when the form is opened or as soon as you enter the Memo field. The three lines of text are:



1. What is your current role?
2. What are you seeking in your next position?
3. Is there anything else you would like to see in your next role?

I also only want the text to appear if no other text is present. So far I can get it to appear in a long string:

1. What is your current role? 2. What are you seeking in your next position? 3. Is there anything else you would like to see in your next role?

but not as individual lines...it also appears every time the form is opened regardless if there is other text already in the field (it adds the string above to whatever is in the field already).

My goal is to have this be a template for the field...but also give the ability to the interviewer to overwrite the field if need be.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[June7]

Memo fields are intended to be free-form data entry. A template defeats their purpose. If you have discrete and standardized data to collect, then keep it in separate fields. The multiple fields can always be concatenated on a report. It is much easier to combine fields than to split up data. Have 3 fields, 3 textboxes bound to the fields, 3 labels showing the questions. If 255 characters per field is not enough for all responses then make each field a memo type.

If the textbox is bound to the memo field and you have that text show in the textbox then that text is actually in the field and will be saved when the record is saved. Would have to use code (I use only VBA) to populate the textbox with those lines. Why not just put a label above the textbox?

[Missinglinq]

June7 is right on the money,here! Memo Fields are intended, as he said, for storing large amounts of free-style text, such as narratives, contact notes, examination notes, etc. You should never use it to store any data that you will ever need to manipulate in any way! In other words, no sorting, searching, parsing or running aggregate functions against it; in other words, no data manipulation! You enter the data, to be read by users, and if need be, you print it, in it's entirety! That's their purpose.

Data that will ever need to have this kind of thing done to it needs to be in its own, discrete Field, from the beginning! Trying, at a later date, to parse (separate) out data from a Memo Field, to do this kind of manipulation on, is a gargantuan endeavor and almost always doomed to failure from the beginnings!

Linq ;0)>