Does Google docs have content controls?

Question

I have a question regarding Google Docs and content controls (if there are any?)

We have a system that lets users design a MS Word doc with content controls (rtf text, comboboxes etc) and assign an ID to the control so that our system can pull the ID and register the answer. The data is then saved in a database.

What is a content control?

So my question is, is there any way to acheive this with google docs? I've been looking around but were unable to find a satisfying answer. I would like to present users with a document in google docs that they fill in and return to me.

It does not have to be controls, but maybe sections that I can identify and pull content from with googles API.

Answer 1

You have couple of options:

• Use the Form option in Google Spreadsheet. Check their tutorial at: http://support.google.com/docs/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=87809. They have a nice set of controls (checkbox, multiple choice...). You are getting the benefits of automatic update of the forms into the spreadsheet; no need to create a database...

• A bit more complex (but still simple) option is to use Google Apps Script to write a small application GUI that works with the spreadsheet. You get more control over the GUI and all the benefits of automatic data storage, triggering events on each form submission etc. Check out this advanced tutorial: http://code.google.com/googleapps/appsscript/articles/building-sites-app.html