question about OCR and forms "tester" <tester[ at ]testthis.net> 10.11.2005 15:30:30 This might not be the right group and please point me to the correct one if it is not. Regularly I have to create electronic versions of customers' paper forms using crystal or word and it is a pain staking process. I know I can use a pdf tool like acrobat to define the forms and data fileds for entry. What I am curious about is the following: Can I scan a form into word 2003 and define the fields for data entry, then use VBA or something similar to tie those fields back to a database table or series of tables so that the form now becomes an electronic data entry form on the fly? Also, as an alternative, can I create the electronic form by scanning then defining it, and make it so that OCR could recognize the data entered (electronic or hand written) and put that data into the database? I don't mind, and frankly I expect, some development work needing to be done, but I'd like to know if it is close or impossible. thanks.

Re: question about OCR and forms "Dawn Crosier" <dlc110161[ at ]hotmail.com> 30.11.2005 19:18:58 Yes, you can scan your form and then use it in Word 2003 as a background image and place formfields on it and tie those formfields to an Access database or other database. Dian Chapman has a series of articles that will help get you going with your project. See: http://www.mousetrax.com/TechPage.html#autoforms and look especially for the series called "Please fill out this form". Part 5 deals specifically with database connectivity. -- Dawn Crosier Microsoft MVP "Education Lasts a Lifetime" This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn as well. "tester" <tester[ at ]testthis.net> wrote in message news:11n6pr4opo0qac7[ at ]corp.supernews.com... | This might not be the right group and please point me to the correct one if | it is not. | | Regularly I have to create electronic versions of customers' paper forms | using crystal or word and it is a pain staking process. I know I can use a | pdf tool like acrobat to define the forms and data fileds for entry. What I | am curious about is the following: | | Can I scan a form into word 2003 and define the fields for data entry, then | use VBA or something similar to tie those fields back to a database table or | series of tables so that the form now becomes an electronic data entry form | on the fly? | | Also, as an alternative, can I create the electronic form by scanning then | defining it, and make it so that OCR could recognize the data entered | (electronic or hand written) and put that data into the database? I don't | mind, and frankly I expect, some development work needing to be done, but | I'd like to know if it is close or impossible. | | thanks. | |

RE: question about OCR and forms employee[ at ]online.mirosoft.com (Pranav Wagh[MSFT]) 02.12.2005 16:23:12 I think the tools to be used should be InfoPath & any tool that can convert paper form to IP form you can find a couple of them on Office Marketplace(office.microsoft.com/en-us/marketplace/default.aspx) -------------------- [Quoted Text] >From: "tester" <tester[ at ]testthis.net> >Newsgroups: microsoft.public.officedev >Subject: question about OCR and forms >Date: Thu, 10 Nov 2005 08:30:30 -0700 >Organization: Posted via Supernews, http://www.supernews.com >Message-ID: <11n6pr4opo0qac7[ at ]corp.supernews.com> >X-Priority: 3 >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal >X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2900.2527 >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.2527 >X-RFC2646: Format=Flowed; Original >X-Complaints-To: abuse[ at ]supernews.com >Lines: 22 >Path: TK2MSFTNGXA02.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTNGXA01.phx.gbl!TK2MSFTFEED02.phx.gbl!tornado.fa stwebnet.it!tiscali!newsfeed1.ip.tiscali.net!newshub.sdsu.edu!newsfeed.news2 me.com!sn-xit-04!sn-xit-12!sn-xit-09!sn-post-01!supernews.com!corp.supernews .com!not-for-mail >Xref: TK2MSFTNGXA02.phx.gbl microsoft.public.officedev:18014 >X-Tomcat-NG: microsoft.public.officedev > >This might not be the right group and please point me to the correct one if >it is not. > >Regularly I have to create electronic versions of customers' paper forms >using crystal or word and it is a pain staking process. I know I can use a >pdf tool like acrobat to define the forms and data fileds for entry. What I >am curious about is the following: > >Can I scan a form into word 2003 and define the fields for data entry, then >use VBA or something similar to tie those fields back to a database table or >series of tables so that the form now becomes an electronic data entry form >on the fly? > >Also, as an alternative, can I create the electronic form by scanning then >defining it, and make it so that OCR could recognize the data entered >(electronic or hand written) and put that data into the database? I don't >mind, and frankly I expect, some development work needing to be done, but >I'd like to know if it is close or impossible. > >thanks. > > >