title: Access 2010 - enter references to form elements as the value of a text field
body: <p>Is there a way to take a value from a field on a form and use it as a reference to a different field in the same form, and not just literally? I want to be able to manually enter something like [txtFlavor] in one field and have it show the actual flavor, the value of the field named "txtFlavor" in another field, and not just the string "[txtFlavor]". I'm basically trying to store some vba references (terminology?) in a table so I can bring up a string of text with references to values on the form.</p>
  
  <p>I have been asked to create a system that will store letter templates in Access 2010 and allow users to choose a record with personal information and insert that info into a template letter, preferably displaying it on a form immediately in plain text. I already proposed using reports to do this but that was unacceptable to the end users. They really just want a form that combines</p>
  
  <p>a) contact records, one at a time<br>
  with<br>
  b) letter templates, one at a time</p>
  
  <p>I've been trying to store the template info with it's form references in a table, but I have yet to be able to make references pull data from another text field on the form.</p>
  
  <p>Is it possible and/or sensible to try to store something like the following in a table, or to enter it into a field on a form?</p>
  
  <pre><code>[txtFlavor] &amp; " is dull but popular."
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>and then have it show up elsewhere in the form as</p>
  
  <pre><code>Vanilla is dull but popular.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I sure feel dumb and am sure I've missed something obvious. Everything I do is just repeated literally and not interpreted as a reference.</p>