Peter,

I was using Word 2000, but I am at home now and still and see the same
behavior.

I have {REF Age}{ASK Age "How old are you?"}{Ref Age} in the document
header.

The first REF field generates the error you mention on first attempt to
update and the displays on the second update. The REF field following the
ASK field will not display. I see the same behavior if I separate the ASK
and REF field with text {REF Age}{ASK Age "How old are you?"} XXXX {Ref
Age}

If I cut and paste the ASK field into the main document and update, both REF
fields in the header update and display normally. If I cut and paste the ASK
field back in between the two REF fields, the first will udate on the second
attempt but the second REF field retains and displays the previous value and
will not update.

Very odd????

A REF Field in the main document or footer visually following the ASK field
updates and displays normally.



--
Greg Maxey
A peer in "peer to peer" support
Rockledge, FL
To e-mail, edit out the "w...spam" in

Peter Jamieson wrote:
I put {ASK Age "How old are you?"} in the HEADER of a
document and {REF Age} immediately FOLLOWING the ASK field
bookmark indicator and the REF field results will not
display. Odd.

I don't get this here (Word 2003).

I put {ASK Age "How old are you?"} in the HEADER of a
document and {REF Age} immediately PRECEEDING the ASK
field bookmark indicator and the REF field results will
display but only after I fire the prompt (F9) and respond
a second time. Very odd.

Broadly speaking, this is because Word executes the field codes in the
sequence they appear in the text. If you select the whole header and
press F9, when Word tries to execute the REF field, no Age bookmark
exists yet. Word will typically display "Error! Reference source not
found." Then WOrd will execute the ASK field, which will result in the
creation of the ASK bookmark. Word won't go back and re-execute the
REF field. In fact, it doesn't even execute it when you print with the
Print|Update Fields option set. But if you carefully select the REF
field and press F9, you should see Word insert the value you specified
when you responded to the ASK.

Peter Jamieson