Counting the number of instances in a Repeating Section can be useful when you need to calculate totals or perform conditional logic based on the number of repeats. This guide explains how to create a field that counts how many times a Repeating Section has been filled out.
Instructions
1. Set Up Your Inline Text
- Start by typing the sentence or text structure where the repeating data will appear.
- For example, you might type: “The participants are [insert names], and the date of the event is [insert date].” Ensure that there is a clear placeholder where you will insert the repeating data fields.
2. Insert the Repeating Data Fields
- Highlight the part of the text where you want to insert the repeating data field (e.g., names, items, or dates).
- Use the Word Add-In to insert the relevant field for repeating data. For example, you might insert a field like Participant Name or Event Date.
- To do this, go to the Word Add-In and click on Insert Field. Choose the appropriate field from the list of available fields.
3. Highlight the Repeating Data Field
- Highlight the field you just inserted, including the surrounding text if needed (such as a comma or space between the data).
- This step ensures that the repeat functionality will be applied to the specific data.
4. Apply the Conditional Repeat Rule
- Once you’ve highlighted the field, navigate to the More Menu in the Word Add-In.
- Choose Conditional Rules, then select Repeat from the options.
- Apply the Repeat rule to the highlighted field. This tells Word to repeat the data field for each instance of the repeating data.
5. Apply Inline List Formatting
- Now that the repeat rule is applied, you can format the inline list to display the repeated data in a sentence or continuous format.
- Go to the More Menu in the Word Add-In and select Formatting Controls.
- Choose Inline List Formatting and click Add.
- In the options that appear, you can set the Suffix (the separator before the last repeat) and specify the punctuation to be used between the repeated items (e.g., a comma, semicolon, or “and”).
- Once set, click Add to apply the formatting to the selected field.
6. Preview and Test the Formatting
- After applying the inline list formatting, preview your document to check that the data appears in the correct inline format.
- Ensure that the repeated items are separated by the appropriate delimiter (e.g., commas or semicolons), and check that the last item is formatted correctly according to your settings (e.g., “and” before the final entry).
7. Make Adjustments as Needed
- If the inline formatting doesn’t display correctly, go back to the Word Add-In and adjust the settings.
- You may need to tweak the separator or punctuation settings, or check that the correct repeat rule is applied to the data fields.
Common Issues & Solutions
- Issue: The inline list does not appear in a continuous format.
- Solution: Double-check that the repeat rule is applied correctly to the field and that the Inline List Formatting is selected from the Formatting Controls menu. Ensure that the Suffix and punctuation options are set properly.
- Issue: Extra punctuation appears after the last repeated item.
- Solution: Adjust the Suffix setting in the Inline List Formatting options. Make sure that the separator only appears before the last item, not after it.