K
Kim
Im trying to see if my company can improve our current way of using
Word templates. I have asked questions and gotten answers, but yet Im
still not sure and I still have some questions.
My previous thread (Link1):
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...read/thread/cadcac3f1ee746c3/c54810f923e82ade
Somebody else asked similar questions (Link2):
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...thread/thread/4a4340a1ed8c45/0f5c0795d7dcc100
Relationship between a Microsoft Word document and its template
(provided by a Word MVP)(Link3): http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/templaterelations/index.html
This is how we do it now: We use a domain and common network drives/
shares, so any employee can get the document they need. All templates
are placed in a special folder, and when a user logs on any machine
the content of that special folder is copied to the local place Word
uses to store templates. (This is done so every machine has the most
current templates).
Recap: We only inherit from a template ONCE, and only when a document
is created.
We mainly use Word 2003 now, but maybe we will upgrade to Word 2007.
I have two issues. Generating a general company template (T1) and a
documentation template (T2).
More templates will be added later if a solution is found and deemed
good.
a) Both T1 & T2 must carry the company's current header and footer.
That applies to older documents based the templates as well.
I was told, in Link1, that using a "INCLUDETEXT" field in the
templates could provide the header and footer if they were a separate
files. Meaning the content of the header would be written in one file
and the footer in another file. Then the templates would in the
header- & footer-section input the above field-type and type in the
names of the files to the header and footer.
It works fine, but there is no automatic update. Again, a Word MVP,
could give a solution. A macro called "AutoOpen" and placed in the
templates with the following code, will automatically update all
fields upon opening of a document based on T1 or T2.
Dim oStory As Range
For Each oStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
oStory.Fields.Update
If oStory.StoryType <> wdMainTextStory Then
While Not (oStory.NextStoryRange Is Nothing)
Set oStory = oStory.NextStoryRange
oStory.Fields.Update
Wend
End If
Next oStory
Set oStory = Nothing
That also works fine. And with that the header-footer problem is
solved.
b) Next up is styles. Font type, size, header 1-6 etc.
This seems to be tricky matter. Documents inherit styles from the
template on creation, but it can also continue to apply styles by
checking a box in the document, not the template. And it MUST be done
manually for EACH document.
The checkbox, "Automatically update document styles", is located under
"Templates and Add-Ins" in the "Tools" tab on the ribbon.
As T1 & T2 require different styles settings, two templates must be
created.
I am fully aware that having that box checked may cause problems, but
as all our templates will be write-protected it shouldnt be a
problem.
c) Having created these two templates with automatic and easy style
changing features, there is a better way to keep just 1 copy of the
templates instead of copying them to every machine as we currently do
(see above) ?
Wouldnt it be possible to use our network drives as the location of
templates ?
And if possible, would it require work on every machine to make them
point to the network location instead of their local location ?
I remember Margaret Aldis writing this in Link2:
"Word has its own way of picking up templates which you should be able
to
use to your advantage. When a document is opened, Word looks first in
the User Templates directory and then in the Workgroup Templates
directory (according to the locations set up under File Location
options). If it fails to find a template of the right name there, then
it will look in the same directory as the document, then try to follow
the original path, and finally look under Program Files (I think
that's
the right order). So if you put your company templates on the network
and have everyone's Workgroup Templates location pointing at them, and
allow individual users to have local copies anywhere except in their
User Templates directory, then whenever they (or another user) open a
document created from a local copy while attached to the network it
will
be the network version that is opened and used to update styles
(sorry,
that's a bit longwinded, but I hope you can see how it works)."
d) Here I will assume any problem stated above has been fixed.
Our customers require documents with information, and we provide these
of course. Given this new automatic way of maintaining the latest
header, footer and styles - how would this effect the customer if we
just send them the .docm file ? What will be lost, if any, and if so,
can this be prevented from within Word ?
Or will it be much easier to convert the Word documents into PDF files
and send those instead ?
To recap: its my hope we can achieve a way to update the company style
with ease. Much like CSS can with HTML. CSS make changes that apply to
both old and new alike.
If something is not clear or needs clarification, please state so and
I will provide as good as possible.
Word templates. I have asked questions and gotten answers, but yet Im
still not sure and I still have some questions.
My previous thread (Link1):
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...read/thread/cadcac3f1ee746c3/c54810f923e82ade
Somebody else asked similar questions (Link2):
http://groups.google.com/group/micr...thread/thread/4a4340a1ed8c45/0f5c0795d7dcc100
Relationship between a Microsoft Word document and its template
(provided by a Word MVP)(Link3): http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/templaterelations/index.html
This is how we do it now: We use a domain and common network drives/
shares, so any employee can get the document they need. All templates
are placed in a special folder, and when a user logs on any machine
the content of that special folder is copied to the local place Word
uses to store templates. (This is done so every machine has the most
current templates).
Recap: We only inherit from a template ONCE, and only when a document
is created.
We mainly use Word 2003 now, but maybe we will upgrade to Word 2007.
I have two issues. Generating a general company template (T1) and a
documentation template (T2).
More templates will be added later if a solution is found and deemed
good.
a) Both T1 & T2 must carry the company's current header and footer.
That applies to older documents based the templates as well.
I was told, in Link1, that using a "INCLUDETEXT" field in the
templates could provide the header and footer if they were a separate
files. Meaning the content of the header would be written in one file
and the footer in another file. Then the templates would in the
header- & footer-section input the above field-type and type in the
names of the files to the header and footer.
It works fine, but there is no automatic update. Again, a Word MVP,
could give a solution. A macro called "AutoOpen" and placed in the
templates with the following code, will automatically update all
fields upon opening of a document based on T1 or T2.
Dim oStory As Range
For Each oStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
oStory.Fields.Update
If oStory.StoryType <> wdMainTextStory Then
While Not (oStory.NextStoryRange Is Nothing)
Set oStory = oStory.NextStoryRange
oStory.Fields.Update
Wend
End If
Next oStory
Set oStory = Nothing
That also works fine. And with that the header-footer problem is
solved.
b) Next up is styles. Font type, size, header 1-6 etc.
This seems to be tricky matter. Documents inherit styles from the
template on creation, but it can also continue to apply styles by
checking a box in the document, not the template. And it MUST be done
manually for EACH document.
The checkbox, "Automatically update document styles", is located under
"Templates and Add-Ins" in the "Tools" tab on the ribbon.
As T1 & T2 require different styles settings, two templates must be
created.
I am fully aware that having that box checked may cause problems, but
as all our templates will be write-protected it shouldnt be a
problem.
c) Having created these two templates with automatic and easy style
changing features, there is a better way to keep just 1 copy of the
templates instead of copying them to every machine as we currently do
(see above) ?
Wouldnt it be possible to use our network drives as the location of
templates ?
And if possible, would it require work on every machine to make them
point to the network location instead of their local location ?
I remember Margaret Aldis writing this in Link2:
"Word has its own way of picking up templates which you should be able
to
use to your advantage. When a document is opened, Word looks first in
the User Templates directory and then in the Workgroup Templates
directory (according to the locations set up under File Location
options). If it fails to find a template of the right name there, then
it will look in the same directory as the document, then try to follow
the original path, and finally look under Program Files (I think
that's
the right order). So if you put your company templates on the network
and have everyone's Workgroup Templates location pointing at them, and
allow individual users to have local copies anywhere except in their
User Templates directory, then whenever they (or another user) open a
document created from a local copy while attached to the network it
will
be the network version that is opened and used to update styles
(sorry,
that's a bit longwinded, but I hope you can see how it works)."
d) Here I will assume any problem stated above has been fixed.
Our customers require documents with information, and we provide these
of course. Given this new automatic way of maintaining the latest
header, footer and styles - how would this effect the customer if we
just send them the .docm file ? What will be lost, if any, and if so,
can this be prevented from within Word ?
Or will it be much easier to convert the Word documents into PDF files
and send those instead ?
To recap: its my hope we can achieve a way to update the company style
with ease. Much like CSS can with HTML. CSS make changes that apply to
both old and new alike.
If something is not clear or needs clarification, please state so and
I will provide as good as possible.
