Help Me: MS Word doc Template

Fallingman

Any help appreciated - even if it's with the correct terminology for me to hunt down help info myself.

I have a standard contract document.
Each time I fill out this document, there are only certain details that change. Name of person, wage, start/end dates, job title etc.

Now, the nature of the contract is that these details are repeated numerous times and scattered throughout the paragraphs.

Is there a way for me to enter the details into a simplified interface (like an excel file or something) and have it autopopulate into the Word doc?

I wonder if this is a mail merge, but I will only redo these contracts one at a time - and I cant remember if a mail merge is more of a once off, multiple recipients type of thing. Its definitely similar. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

DeadlyPorpoise

I think the fastest way would be to use Document Properties...assuming you're using the latest verion of word, click on the Office Button and then Prepare->Properties.

Forgive the cut and paste from F1 Help:

You can add properties or property information to any document that you create in Office Word 2007. If you save properties and information through the Document Information Panel, the information in the Document Information Panel stays with your document. By adding property controls to the document itself, you quickly update property information.

Do one of the following:

Add property information to the Document Information Panel
The properties that appear in the Document Information Panel can't be changed unless you add custom properties by using a property management server or a Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 form. You can add some custom properties by clicking Advanced Properties in the upper left of the Document Information Panel, but the properties will not appear in the Document Information Panel or in the document itself.

Click the Microsoft Office Button , click Prepare, and then click Properties.
The Document Information Panel opens above your document.

Fill out the property information that you want to keep with your document.

The Required field flag appears only with properties that are bound to documents that are stored on property management servers. Built-in properties are never required for a document.
You can add custom properties to the Document Information Panel if you are using a property management server, such as Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007, and Office InfoPath 2007.

Add property controls to a document

Click where you want to add a property control in your document.
On the Insert tab, in the Text group, click Quick Parts.
Click Document Property, and click the control that you want.

For example, you might want to add the Company Address property control to a document. If the Company Address property control appears throughout the document, such as in a contract, you can update one control and all of the Company Address property controls in the document will update.


Update document properties

You can update the document properties in the Document Information Panel. If those same properties appear in property controls in your document, the property controls will be updated with the information that you changed in the Document Information Panel. You can also update a property control in the document and all controls of the same type will also update with the information you changed, as well as the Document Information Panel.

Note The Document Information Panel displays only some of the property controls that you can add from the Quick Parts list.

Do one of the following:

Update properties in the Document Information Panel

When you update properties in the Document Information Panel, those properties will also be updated wherever they appear in your document.

Click the Microsoft Office Button , point to Prepare, and then click Properties.
View and change any of the property information in the Document Information Panel.
Update document property controls in a document
When you update properties in your document, those properties will also be updated in the Document Information Panel.

Fallingman

Thanks for the help.

I'm using 2003, but will look into it.