To other programs, 'plain text' means open up an auxiliary program with it’s own separate screenage. Fill in the blanks of that program by typing in, one at a time the variables and questions you intend to use in a Word document. Because you are typing characters using keyboard text to fill-in their blanks, they can claim 'plain text entries'. When done completing their form, drag or otherwise copy and paste the variable into your document at strategic location(s). The auxiliary program then converts the variable into code to reflect the variable text, its font, color and emphasis, which is added into your Word document as a gray field. When you need to edit a variable or want to add more variables to the document because you did not anticipate the need for the particular variable, open up the auxiliary program, follow the above steps to make changes or additions and save. The auxiliary program again converts the works just done into those gray fields. Sorry, but there is simply nothing 'plain text' about this approach. Yes, you are typing into the auxiliary program in plain text from your keyboard, but when is that ever not the case.  (Depending upon the program, instead of creating gray fields initially, the program creates an auxiliary file which saves font, color and emphasis and other information. You would insert document variables into your document with plain text coding (so yes, this is plain text as Pathagoras contemplates it) but the document must be directly associated with the auxiliary file for it to processed. When the document is processed, the auxiliary file is called, and the gray fields are created then. When you share a document with another, the auxiliary file must accompany it.) Proof: after your file is assembled/processed, press Alt-F9

 

   To Pathagoras, it means: type a word surrounded by plain text square brackets at strategic points in a Word documents surrounded by brackets. Type the variable using the same font, color and emphasis as you want the replacement word to appear. If you need to add more variables or change the spelling, return to the document and make the changes, still in plain text. No conversions. No auxiliary programs. No auxiliary files either at the outset, or when you want to share the document with another. Press Alt-F9 on a Pathagorized document at any stage of its 'life.' You'll see what we mean.