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Dropdown Content Control = display name vs. value

Anonymous
2013-01-18T13:22:28+00:00

When adding items to the list in a Dropdown Content Control, Word offers a Display Name field and a Value field. I don’t see where it ever uses the latter. Is is only intended to be accessed from VBA?

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HansV 462.6K Reputation points
2013-01-18T14:10:22+00:00

Yes, the Value property is only available in VBA, but what for? Your guess is as good as mine.

See http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tip_pages/content_controls.html for some useful info about content controls and the lack of decent support for them in VBA.

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  1. Anonymous
    2013-01-18T14:46:19+00:00

    Hans,

    If I may, let me clarify this a bit.  The "Display" data is what is displayed in the content control.  The "Value" data defines what will be stored in the CustomXMLPart if the content control is mapped to a a node in a customXMLPart.  So, if I create a CC with:

    Display         Value

    Apples          A

    Blue berries  B

    Cherries        C

    and map that to a customXMLPart and select "Blue berriels," the data stored in the node will be "B" as shown below:

    <?xml version="1.0"?><basic_XML xmlns="http://AddIn Basic XML Script/Basic Nodes">

    <mappingElement_1>B</mappingElement_1>

    </basic_XML>

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-03-27T14:13:30+00:00

    We are placing Word templates on a SharePoint site.  Within the body and headers of the templates we are placing Quick Parts with some of the server properties.  When the server property is a lookup, the Quick Part and the Document Information Panel show it as a drop-down.  The entries in the drop-down show the Display Name, which populates the Quick Part.  We then save the template.  When we later create a new document from the template, the Quick Part shows the Value instead of the Display Name.  The user has to select a different choice from the drop-down, then reselect the desired choice to repopulate the field with the Display Name.  After that, the Quick Part retains the Display Name.

    Is there any way to get this to retain the Display Name when setting up the template so the user doesn't have to go through the reset?

    Thanks for any guidance.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-01-18T15:00:10+00:00

    Yeah, I see. Makes me wonder if they started to build a better low-level user interface for it & gave up....

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-01-18T15:00:09+00:00

    Yeah, I see. Makes me wonder if they started to build a better low-level user interface for it & gave up....

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