Re: Fighting with templates (again)

From: Margaret Aldis (Margaret.Aldis_at_mvps.(SpamStopper)org.invalid)
Date: 03/02/04 

Date: Tue, 2 Mar 2004 13:49:39 -0000

Not definitive, but here's my contribution to greater understanding and
happiness ;-)

"RegUK" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:FB16CDD5-30C8-45E8-AF5D-B681F17AE972@microsoft.com...
> 1. Why did I have to 'reset' default numbering/bullet styles in the
'virgin' normal.dot

The settings of the 'list gallery' aren't stored in Normal.dot - I believe
they are registry settings.

> 2. Given that they had to be reset am I now working with a 'pre-corrupt'
template and just waiting for an axe to fall as documents grow

No-one can guarantee it won't, but if you work in a consistent way using
styles there is no certainty it will either :-) FWIW, I work on long and
complex documents regularly and I don't run into corruptions.

> 3. Why, when I uncheck the 'update document styles' in the templates and
add-ins dialogue of my new template does it re-check itself when I re-open
the dialogue

This sounds like you might have saved that setting in the template, which is
a mistake. You can't change it in the template via the dialog, but you can
run the following from the immediate window (Alt-F11 Ctrl-G)

 ActiveDocument.UpdateStylesOnOpen = False

> 4. Why, when I copy styles (three times, as recommended here), does the
target document first take on an 'original' style (as defined in my virgin
normal.dot) initially and then update properly (to my template style) if I
select text and re-apply the style.

Dunno - but apparently odd behaviour here is often a logical result from the
cascading of styles and the order of copying.

> 5. Why does my once-virgin normal.dot now have a style called 'heading 6,
heading 6 char' which could not be deleted but could be renamed to heading 6

Word 2002 makes explicit the fact that you can apply a paragraph style to a
piece of text and have it behave as a character style. The char styles tend
to become visible when you have Keep Track of Formatting on, and I've found
may appear on copy and paste, even if you are very particular about *not*
using para styles as char styles. More information at
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister/MyFavTip.htm#CharStyl

> 6. Why do some of my 'converted' ie: new template applied, have some
styles which cannot be deleted eg: 'centered' in the 'formats in use' list
but don't appear in the organizer list nor as far as I can tell in the
document

Sounds like that is not a style but 'formatting' (made visible by 'keep
track of formatting). Try 'selecting all instances' and seeing what
formatting (style and/or direct) you have.

> I'm trying hard to implement some standards here but people are rapidly
coming to the conclusion they are better off ignoring styles, templates, etc
and just applying whatever formatting directly to the text.
>

Fight hard against this - it is exactly that behaviour that will cause
problems and corruptions further down the track. Working consistently using
styles is the key to success - if everyone does their own thing, on top of
everyone else's thing, documents get tied in knots!

You must make it easy for users to use the standards, and hard(er) to ignore
them. Provide toolbars and menus for your styles, remove the bullets and
numbering buttons out of temptation's way, and generally try to 'package'
the solution the way you want it.

Good luck :-) 

-- 
Margaret Aldis - Microsoft Word MVP
Syntagma partnership site: http://www.syntagma.co.uk
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.word.mvps.org