Styles

[Guest]

Is it a good practice to create styles based on Normal and/or not use unique
names?

I am working on a project that requires styles be developed for large
complex documents with numbered headings and numbered lists. These documents
will eventually be viewed from a web application and be printed from Word. I
have also been given a style sheet (from another project) to use as a guide
to create these styles. This style sheet uses Word's default H1, 2, and 3
styles in addition to Normal.

 

[Robert M. Franz (RMF)]

Hi Jane

Is it a good practice to create styles based on Normal and/or not use unique
names?

I am working on a project that requires styles be developed for large
complex documents with numbered headings and numbered lists. These documents
will eventually be viewed from a web application and be printed from Word. I
have also been given a style sheet (from another project) to use as a guide
to create these styles. This style sheet uses Word's default H1, 2, and 3
styles in addition to Normal.

Whether you want one or more "root" styles on which all others are
ultimately based on is probably a matter of taste. The more you do your
style setup through VBA, it won't matter at all. The root(s) are simply
very handy when you want to change the appearance of your styles very
quickly through the UI.

I can reccomend a couple of articles for your work:

Ins and outs of bullets and numbering in Word
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA011376791033.aspx

See the section on "Numbering, bullets, Headings, Outlines" (by Shauna
Kelly)
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/
How to restart style-based numbering (by Margaret Aldis)
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/numbering/ListRestartMethods.htm
Word's numbering explained (by John McGhie)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Numbering/WordsNumberingExplained.htm

Working with Sections (by Dave Rado)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/WorkWithSections.htm

Creating a Template – The Basics (Part I, by Suzanne Barnhil)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm

Creating a Template (Part II, by John McGhie)
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm

HTH
Robert