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Thanks to the many who responded with ideas about how to create a reusable form using Clarisworks. I have tried some of these suggestions and the teacher involved has tried some. She has figured out a workable alternative. Some of the suggestions given are for Mac computers and some are for IBM compatibles. I forgot to specify which platform we were working on, so I received both types of information. I have included all of these in the hit. Thank you for your help!! Many of you even sent me your phone numbers so I could call if I needed phone tutorial. You are generous people! My big laugh was receiving a message from Chris with the subject heading "ClarisDoesn'tWorks". ----------------------- Cathy, A work-around is to use the text tool from the tool pallette to create text boxes. These boxes will not affect the template in any way. To do this, make sure the tool pallette is activated. You can select this from the View menu. Then double click on the text tool (the box that looks like the letter A--to the right of the arrow). Hold down the option key while drawing a text box with the mouse. Release the mouse and then start typing in your comments. Since this is a graphic, you can make it any size you want. You can change the font and the size and the style. You can reposition it. What you've created is text that acts like graphics. This has always worked for me. Good luck. ------ Cathy--In word processing it will shift unless--you hold down the option key and "draw" or create a text box. Then you can type into the text box. Once you've finished, you can select the text box and move it into the position you want over the line. ------ Cathy, do you have a switch for INSERT / TYPEOVER? It sounds like the wordprocessing program is in INSERT mode, which will shift everything. If you can change to TYPEOVER, lines won't shift. It may be as simple as **not hitting ** (or ** hitting** ) the insert before starting to type. Try this, while in the document, press the insert key and watch the cursor. If it changes shape, it shows the change in condition between Insert and Typeover. ------ I don't know how extensive the fields are, but have you thought of making it a "Spreadsheet" document? You can make the fields as large as you need, and you can make the text wrap-around so that it stays contained in the field. I use this for our homework hotline -- the teachers fill it out every day on the computer and nothing shifts!!! Hope this helps! ------ Cathy, this is something I've scratched my head about for years. Here is one solution, and it will work IF the IEPs don't require vastly different amounts of space for the entries from one person to another. Two samples are attached--one of them a template, and the other the filled in form. On the blank form, just click in after the colon in each section and start typing. If you're familiar with frames, it may help to know that I created each text box by dragging a text frame of the right size on a draw page. On the form, each box will appear (when you click into it) to be only the size of a single line, but as you keep typing it will stretch out. I have no idea what's on an IEP, so this is totally bogus. If you need more help, let me know. I'm in ClarisWorks about 8 hrs. a day. (P.S., these are in CW 4.0 format. Also, as I was attaching IEPtemp, I got some message about it being a stationery pad and any changes would be saved into the doc itself--that's confusing. You might want to do a save as (as stationery) before you play with it, just in case email does something weird to stationery...) I would: Do this form in the Draw module--not in word processing. Put each segment that requires a fill in in a separate text box. Make sure that each of these also contains at the beginning the identifier or question for what is to be filled in (is not just a blank text box.) Get the text boxes in position and sized so that you have a big enough space to enter what you need. Select all text boxes and lock them in position. Now you can click into one of these after the printed text and enter what you wish. You won't accidentally move them around and your words will not move over. If you want things to look underlined (but why?) just set it so that the default style is underline.) I'm attaching an example. I have no idea what's on an IEP, so this is totally bogus. If you need more help, let me know. I'm in CW about 8 hrs. a day. ----- Cathy- Have you tried entering the information you want to stay put in a text box then putting the box where you want it on the page? Use a separate box for each piece of info that requires a response, the group all the boxes and lock them. ------ Try creating the template in spreadsheet instead of WP doc. Remember, you can resize columns, line heights, fonts. By the time you shut off the grid lines and row and column labels, it will look perfect. If you must stay in WP, turn on your Invisibles (a Shortcut) and at least you'll see why your lines are getting bumped around. Claris is wonderful and worth fixing the bugs! ------ Cathy, Once you've created the document that you want to make into a template, close it so that you can only see the icons in the folder where it is saved. Across the top of the screen should be the original desktop choices of "FILE, EDIT, and SPECIAL". Click ONCE on the icon for the document so that it is highlighted. Then go to FILE and drag down to GET INFO. The GET INFO window should come up. At the bottom of it there should be the choices LOCKED and STATIONARY. Click on STATIONARY, and then on LOCKED. (If you try to lock it first then you can't make it stationary. Don't ask me why! :-) ) Now that you've done that, you should be able to go back and open that document, but instead of it opening up with the name you gave it, it will open up as a document called UNTITLED, yet with all the things one it that you locked on. You'll then be able to add anything you want to, and then save it under its own name. ------ One of our Middle School teachers created just such a template with Filemaker Pro. All of our spec. ed. staff use it and I don't think it has the problem you are referring to. ------ Cathy, ClarisWorks is not really made for forms. It can be done. I kept my IEP's on it years ago and more recently our PO form. Create the form in the word processor, but use a draw box for any text that will stay in a permanant place. This way when you type the "drawings" don't move. Adjust the draw boxes to the lines of type as you need to. Then set tabs at the beginning of each line. -- Cathy Daane Library Media Specialist Stone Bank School N68 W33866 Hwy K Oconomowoc, WI 53066 (414)966-2900 cjdaane@stonebank.k12.wi.us =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-==-= To quit LM_NET (or set NOMAIL or DIGEST), Send an email message to listserv@listserv.syr.edu In the message write EITHER: 1) SIGNOFF LM_NET 2) SET LM_NET NOMAIL or 3) SET LM_NET DIGEST * NOTE: Please allow time for confirmation from Listserv. For LM_NET Help & Archives see: http://ericir.syr.edu/lm_net/ =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=