is there a way of setting up a "countdown" of the number of available characters (or words) left in a text field?

I am setting up a catering function sheet, and one of the fields is the full description of the function - menu, room setting, decor,

cocktails, etc. For meetings, this can require just a paragraph or two. For receptions and dinner functions, however, the descriptions can be two or three pages. My problems are; (1) that I have to issue printed reports (file copies for the function dossier, for the catering files, a working copy for the banquet manager, etc.), (2) separate reports for the stewards, cooks, setup crews, bartenders, etc. These are easy - just a simple copy and paste of the applicable sections to individual reports, and (3) Essentially computer illiterate personnel who will be responsible for entering most of the information (they can be trained to click on a button when prompted - and I can create the scripts to perform the correct functions).

But, the problem is, they are typists who, once they start typing, they don't stop until they are finished - and this means extending a text field well beyond the limits of a page.

I would like to set up a countdown field so that, when nearing the end of the description field, it would warn the typist and enable them to switch to a second, or third text field (which could be printed without losing any data).

This has been a long explanation for what (I think) should be an easy problem to solve - but which has stumped me. Thanks for any assistance

Not so easy to solve in a general case. You've got issues of font size, non-monospaced fonts, and return characters.

You should attack it from the other side. Make sure your layouts can handle large text fields.

Here's a similar problem on a much larger scale: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/23/education/23college.html

Very interesting article.

Asked why the problem had not been fixed, Mr. Killion said, “Believe me, if there’s a way to do it, we’d do it. Maybe there’s a way out there we don’t know about.”

Sheesh.