[Solved] Inserting blank "text" field

[prr]

I would like to insert what in MS Word is called a field--a grey area, perhaps with text in it, that alerts me to insert text there whenever I use/edit the document. I'm not sure how to insert this in OpenOffice. I didn't see anything in the OO User Guide about this. I have gone to Insert>Fields>Other, but haven't seen how to get this done. I don't want anything automatically entered there (such as date, author info, etc.), so I don't want to use the types of fields already listed in the Insert menu.

[Hagar Delest]

Does it help: [Solved] Multiple entries in Writer?

Thanks to add '[Solved]' at beginning of your first post title (edit button) if your issue has been fixed.

[prr]

No. what I want is to create a grey box, that alerts me to insert text in a particular section of a document. The only thing I was able to get, after a lot of clicking and a small amount of typing, was an invisible space in my document---that if I clicked on it, would give me a new popup dialog window. But I would never notice this---I need something colored, and ideally something that I can just click on and start typing.

[Hagar Delest]

The only thing I was able to get, after a lot of clicking and a small amount of typing, was an invisible space in my document---that if I clicked on it, would give me a new popup dialog window. But I would never notice this---I need something colored

You can add a colored background to the field.

something that I can just click on and start typing.

You should subscribe and vote for it (up to 2 votes per issue) : Issue 33737 - Allow for in-place editing of input field (turn off pop-up).

Else, put a note/comment.

[acknak]

It seems that Writer's behavior has changed at some point: it used to be that input fields would pop up as soon as a document was opened, so you could not miss them. I know some people complained about that; it seems that now they no longer pop up unless you click on them, or press Ctrl+Shift+F9.

However, you don't have to have just a tiny gray block either. Either an input field (function, not the variable) or a placeholder should work for what you want.

Try this document:

[Hagar Delest]

it used to be that input fields would pop up as sonn as a document was opened

Still does it, for templates (with input fields).

[acknak]

Ahh, OK. I remember now.

Thanks--I updated the file to make it a template.

[JohnV]

I think what you want is a Placeholder. At Insert >Fields > Other you will find it on the Functions tab.

It will contain whatever text you assign it like a hint of what should go there. Once you click it and type the field disappears and your text takes its place.
Because it disappears the original file should definitely be save as a template.

[prr]

I think what you want is a Placeholder. At Insert >Fields > Other you will find it on the Functions tab.

It will contain whatever text you assign it like a hint of what should go there. Once you click it and type the field disappears and your text takes its place.
Because it disappears the original file should definitely be save as a template.

That's it! Thank you so much.

OK now my next question is--I tried turning this into a macro (I don't do this often enough to remember Ctrl+F2, the keyboard combo that brings up the dialog), and was able to get OO to "record" the macro. But after clickinng on "stop recording," I couldn't see any traces of the macro anywhere.

If I'm not given the organizer dialog after recording a macro, does that mean that OO didn't save it, for some reason? All I want to do with the macro, is do what Ctrl+F2 does. From that point, I enter the text, then ok out.

[prr]

Acknak, thanks for making that template, but John's solution is a bit quicker for what I want to do.

[Hagar Delest]

Acknak, thanks for making that template, but John's solution is a bit quicker for what I want to do.

There is a placeholder in the template as said in his post...