Field codes are used in Microsoft Word as placeholders for data that might change in a document and for creating mail-merge documents.

Microsoft Word inserts fields when you use particular commands, such as the Date and Time command on the Insert menu in Word 2003 or in the Text group on the Insert tab in Word 2007. You can also manually insert your own fields by using the Field command on the Insert menu in Word 2003 or Quick Parts button in the Text group on the Insert tab in Word 2007.

Field Code Security Issues

Field codes can be visible to anyone reading your document, so you should be sure that the information you place in field codes is not information that you want kept private. OR make sure that the metadata management application, such as iScrub, can manage (unlink or preserve) them.

Unlinking Field Codes

The term "unlinking field code" means replacing the specified field with its result. That is, it turns the field code to text and removes the field code. What’s nice about unlinking field codes is that it removes any private information, such as server paths or links to other objects (i.e., Excel workbooks).

Metadata Management and Unlinking Fields Codes

Unlinking field codes in a document is more than just unlinking all field codes. Depending on who the collaborating party is you may not want to or need to unlink all field codes. Often doing so renders the document unusable and the document is no longer roundtrip-able. Your metadata management tool should be able to apply metadata field code business rules to the document depending on what metadata you are removing from the document. If the metadata management tool’s approach is "an all or nothing", then that’s like using a sledge hammer to nail a picture hanger to the wall. Potentially damaging and dangerous!

Does your Metadata Management tool follow these Field Code Rules?

1. If Bookmarks are being deleted, are all REF field codes being unlinked as well? If not then you’ll have "Error" text where this field code exists with the name of the Bookmarks remaining.
2. If Document variables are being deleted then you have to unlink all DOCVARIABLE field codes. If not, then you’ll have "Error" text where this field code exists with the name of document variables remaining. Possible security risk!
3. If Built-in document properties are being deleted then all those field codes applicable to document properties must be unlinked:  If not, then you’ll have "Error" text where this field code exists with the name of document property values remaining. Possible security risk!
4. If Custom Properties are being deleted then you have to unlink all DOCPROPERTY field codes that are referencing custom properties. If not, then you’ll have "Error" text where this field code exists with the name of Custom property values remaining. Possible security risk!

   This also depends on what specific custom properties will be deleted. Your metadata management tool should preserve specific custom properties you list.

5. If ALL field codes are to be unlink then all field codes will be unlinked, except those in section Fields You Cannot or Should Not Unlink (below)

Note: Pressing Alt+F9 in Microsoft Word is a toggle to show or not show field codes

Fields You Cannot or Should Not Unlink

1. PAGE
2. NUMPAGES
3. LISTNUM
4. PRIVATE
5. ADVANCE
6. TC
7. XE

Sophistically managing field codes as metadata is and should be looked at as an essential function of your metadata management tool. Managing field codes in your documents that are leaving the digital walls of your firm should apply rules that are a part of your firm-wide metadata policy and should be applied differently depending on who the collaborating or adverse party is.

iScrub – Enterprise Metadata Management

To prevent accidental disclosure of document metadata it is important to implement an enterprise metadata management application, such as iScrub. iScrub enables a company to set up fixed standards for metadata removal and enforce those standards. There are unlimited levels of metadata management in iScrub. Users simply have to select one of the levels available to them – there is no guess work or manual metadata removal and little training needed.

Microsoft provides (free) an OpenXML Office 2007 converter for Office 2003. To get it, all you have to do is open an Word 2007 document in Word 2003. Word will prompt you to download it from Microsoft’s site.

Suppose you’re opening a file in one of your macros and you need the OpenXML converter installed to get it to work. Well, you test for it’s existence first.

Here’s a useful VBA function that you can use in Word 2003, to test whether the 2007 converter is installed. If it returns True then it’s installed.

Public Function Is2007ConvertInstalled() As Boolean

Dim Converter As FileConverter

For Each Converter In Application.FileConverters

If Converter.OpenFormat = 14 Then

Is2007ConvertInstalled = True

Exit Function

End If

Next

End Function

This was one of those “Word things” I would do so much in 2003… but then in Word 2007, it was like… where the hell did it go? Irritating. Then I found it… and well… I like how Microsoft implemented it 2007.

You can create (assign) new shortcuts or modify existing keyboard shortcuts:

1. On the Office button menu, click the Word Options tab at the bottom.
2. In the Word Options dialog box, click Customize.
3. Click the Customize button next to Keyboard Shortcuts in the Customize dialog box. The dialog box for creating or modifying keyboard shortcuts will open.
4. After writing in the new or modified shortcut, click Assign before closing the dialog box.

But still you can do it programmatically with code:

Sub ShowKeyBoardShorts()
With Dialogs(wdDialogToolsCustomizeKeyboard)
.Show
End With
End Sub

There may be times when you want to unlink a table of contents. By unlinking I mean turn the Table of contents to text, that is it is no longer a “TOC” Field code. Here’s some code to ensure all TOCs in a document are unlinked.

Sub UnlinkTOCs()
Dim TOC As TableOfContents
For Each TOC In ActiveDocument.TablesOfContents
TOC.Range.Fields.Unlink
Next
End Sub

Temecula, CA. November 4, 2008 – Esquire Innovations, Inc., a leading provider of Microsoft Office integration software for legal and document intensive firms, today released iRedline 7, a document comparison and revision collaboration tool for Microsoft Word documents.

Starts Where Word Leaves Off

iRedline 7 is designed to enhance Word’s ‘Compare Documents’ and ‘Tracked Changes’ features and begins where Word leaves off. iRedline 7 provides the document management system (DMS) integration so important to law firms’ workflow, advanced reporting features and the ability to control how results are displayed.

‘Tracked Changes’ Is Here To Stay

Law firms are increasingly using ‘Tracked Changes’ to monitor changes made to live documents. Firms want to use Word 2007’s native features to effectively communicate with clients and others, but law firms also require certain features that are missing in Word. iRedline 7 allows firms to effectively track documents internally and still clearly communicate with anyone using Word.

Features of iRedline 7:

• Document management system integration with Open Text and Interwoven (and other DMS systems)
• Produce results as tracked changes or iRedline changes (static text)
• Work with result documents from third party applications such as DeltaView
• Convert iRedline changes to Word’s tracked changes
• Accept iRedline changes and DeltaView changes
• Convert Word’s tracked changes to iRedline changes
• Add a report to any result document
• Tri-View layout – view the original, revised and result document simultaneously