Inserting a Field into a Document

By far, the easiest way to put a field into a document is to use one of the built-in Word features to do the dirty work for you. For example, if you choose Insert, Date and Time, and then check the Update Automatically box, Word inserts a {Date} field into your document, adding a formatting switch for the date format you choose (see Figure 19.1).

Similarly, putting a page number in a header or footer using the Insert Page Number button on the Header and Footer toolbar will insert a {Page} field, as will inserting a table of contents or index, creating a caption or cross-reference, or running a document merge.

If you want to build a field from scratch, you can do it the hard way, by pressing Ctrl+F9 to create the field marks, and then manually inserting the field name and parameters. If you make a mistake, of course, the field won't work as you expect. To be absolutely certain you get the syntax right, choose Insert, Field instead. This Field dialog box (see Figure 19.2) offers context-sensitive help and immediate access to the most common field switches (the terms "properties" and "options" are somewhat arbitrary; don't get hung up on the terminology). If you want to work with the raw field code, click the Field Codes button in the lower-left corner.