Shape Fields

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Shape Fields

Data contained within the Properties dialog box of each shape or activity is referred to as shape data. There are also fields of data associated with the overall document, or other information not on the shape itself. The field data associated with a shape, or with other data in your document, can be displayed in the diagram as field text. A field can contain something simple like a date and time or a shape number, or something more complex, like a duration for the activity.

A shape field is set to automatically appear below the shape when you add custom data, though you can choose a custom location for the field data shown by editing shape fields as explained below.

On the Format menu, choose Fields to see the Shape Fields dialog box. You must have one or more shapes selected to add or modify shape fields.
Choose a task below and follow the procedure.

Task	Procedure
Add or display a field	In the Shape Fields dialog box, click the New Field button. In the New Field dialog box, click the field you want to insert and click OK. You may need to expand categories to see a field. In the Shape Fields dialog box, you may click a position indicated by the small diamonds in the Location window, select the Include Description check box if you want to display a predefined description of the field, set text orientation, font style, or advanced settings such as the dimensions to display the field. See the table entries below for more information.
Delete a shape field	In the Shape Fields dialog box, select the field to be deleted and click the Delete Field button.
Move a shape field	In the Shape Fields dialog box, select the desired field in the Current Fields list. Click and drag the field box to reposition the field in the Location window.
Display a shape field description	In the Shape Fields dialog box, select the Include Description check box.
Set Font and Border styles	Edit the Font style or Border style shown when the field data is displayed by clicking the Font or Border buttons. See the Help in those dialog boxes for more information.
Set Advanced display options, such as text wrapping	In the Shape Fields dialog box, click the Advanced button and select any of the following options: Limit Text Width (Allow Line Wrapping): Check the box to wrap the shape field text within a specific width. Set the width by using the spinner buttons or typing a width in the box provided. Hide Text: Check the box to Hide the shape field in the diagram Freeze Text: Check the box to protect field text from being updated.