G
Guest
Any ideas how to copy a whole load of autotext entries from one template to
another?
Thanks.
Sue
another?
Thanks.
Sue
G
Guest
I just looked in the Building Block Organiser (under Insert - Quick Parts)
and used Edit Properties on a BB to alter the template in which is is stored
(I made a custom BB template by copying the original and renaming and
removing its contents).
I recorded a macro while doing this and this code was recorded: -
ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate.BuildingBlockEntries("BigDaveCCBBName"). _
Insert Where:=Selection.Range, RichText:=True
NormalTemplate.BuildingBlockEntries.Add Name:="BigDaveCCBBName", Range:= _
Selection.Range
ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate.BuildingBlockEntries("BigDaveCCBBName"). _
Insert Where:=Selection.Range, RichText:=True
So, it looks to me that you need to use a VBA macro to iterate through the
building blocks collection of one template and add them into another via
pasting them into the activedocument and re-recording them.
Not the best, is it?...
and used Edit Properties on a BB to alter the template in which is is stored
(I made a custom BB template by copying the original and renaming and
removing its contents).
I recorded a macro while doing this and this code was recorded: -
ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate.BuildingBlockEntries("BigDaveCCBBName"). _
Insert Where:=Selection.Range, RichText:=True
NormalTemplate.BuildingBlockEntries.Add Name:="BigDaveCCBBName", Range:= _
Selection.Range
ActiveDocument.AttachedTemplate.BuildingBlockEntries("BigDaveCCBBName"). _
Insert Where:=Selection.Range, RichText:=True
So, it looks to me that you need to use a VBA macro to iterate through the
building blocks collection of one template and add them into another via
pasting them into the activedocument and re-recording them.
Not the best, is it?...
G
Guest
Auto-text isn't really stored in the document's template anymore. Rather,
auto-text is stored in a building blocks file, which is also .dotx.
Basically, any .dotx file stored in the building blocks folder is now a
building blocks file. I posted about that file location here:
http://blogs.3sharp.com/Blog/dougv/archive/2007/06/06/3319.aspx.
When you save text as a quick part into a building blocks file, that text
should be available to any document template. Also, you can more the building
blocks files between computers.
Doug
auto-text is stored in a building blocks file, which is also .dotx.
Basically, any .dotx file stored in the building blocks folder is now a
building blocks file. I posted about that file location here:
http://blogs.3sharp.com/Blog/dougv/archive/2007/06/06/3319.aspx.
When you save text as a quick part into a building blocks file, that text
should be available to any document template. Also, you can more the building
blocks files between computers.
Doug
G
Guest
Your answer oh so nearly gets me where I want to be!
The situation is this:
I have about 15 templates, all of which need to use the same selection of
autotext. There are almost 100 autotext entries, some of which are full
paragraphs.
The templates are held on a drive that is accessible by several users, all
of whom need to be able to use the templates, and the autotext.
It seems to me that I can either save the autotext (which I will continue to
call autotext not a building block, because I am a grown up at work not a
small child in the nursery) within the template, which means all users can
use it, but only in that specific template, so the whole thing will need
setting up 15 times. Or within the building blocks file which means I can
use it within all of the templates, but none of the other users can access it.
How do I copy the autotext between a/ templates and b/ users.
Just to complicate the issue even further, some users are on 2007 and others
on 2003.
Heeeeeeeeeeelllllllp me please!
Thanks.
Sue
The situation is this:
I have about 15 templates, all of which need to use the same selection of
autotext. There are almost 100 autotext entries, some of which are full
paragraphs.
The templates are held on a drive that is accessible by several users, all
of whom need to be able to use the templates, and the autotext.
It seems to me that I can either save the autotext (which I will continue to
call autotext not a building block, because I am a grown up at work not a
small child in the nursery) within the template, which means all users can
use it, but only in that specific template, so the whole thing will need
setting up 15 times. Or within the building blocks file which means I can
use it within all of the templates, but none of the other users can access it.
How do I copy the autotext between a/ templates and b/ users.
Just to complicate the issue even further, some users are on 2007 and others
on 2003.
Heeeeeeeeeeelllllllp me please!
Thanks.
Sue
G
Guest
One more thing ... periodically things will need amending within the autotext
entries, so I really need as few places as possible to go to to effect these
changes.
Can the building blocks file location simply be changed to a server location
that all machines access? I've done this with the template location.
Thanks again.
entries, so I really need as few places as possible to go to to effect these
changes.
Can the building blocks file location simply be changed to a server location
that all machines access? I've done this with the template location.
Thanks again.
G
Guest
As far as I know you cannot change the location of the building blocks folder
to a server location.
Here's what I would do if I were you:
1. Create a new template in the building blocks folder called
"CompanyBuildingBlocks" or something like that.
2. Add all the auto text items to that building blocks file as quick parts.
3. Copy that file to the building blocks folder of all machines in your
organization (this can be automated, I'm sure).
4. When you make updates, you will have to copy it out again.
I'm hoping that MS soon makes it possible to designate a network location
for building blocks (and the Master Source List, for that matter), but for
now you'll have to deal with this annoyance.
Doug
to a server location.
Here's what I would do if I were you:
1. Create a new template in the building blocks folder called
"CompanyBuildingBlocks" or something like that.
2. Add all the auto text items to that building blocks file as quick parts.
3. Copy that file to the building blocks folder of all machines in your
organization (this can be automated, I'm sure).
4. When you make updates, you will have to copy it out again.
I'm hoping that MS soon makes it possible to designate a network location
for building blocks (and the Master Source List, for that matter), but for
now you'll have to deal with this annoyance.
Doug
G
Guest
Hi Doug
Your tips are really helpful, so I'm hoping you'll pick this up and be able
to advise further.
As several of our users are remote users I decided it would be easier to set
the autotext up in each of the templates, rather than try to get access to
all of the off-site laptops. That said, I imagine the problem outlined below
would be the case whichever way round I chose to do it.
Although I am using 2007, I have to save everything in 2003 format, because
a lot of our other users haven't yet been upgraded.
As soon as I set up some autotext then try to save the template, I get a
message saying:
Autotext and Building Block entries may lose some information because they
are not supported by earlier versions of Word. These features may be lost or
degraded when you save this document in an earlier file format.
Does this mean it is impossible to share autotext between 2003 and 2007?
Gosh I'm getting frustrated with this now!
Thanks again.
Sue
Your tips are really helpful, so I'm hoping you'll pick this up and be able
to advise further.
As several of our users are remote users I decided it would be easier to set
the autotext up in each of the templates, rather than try to get access to
all of the off-site laptops. That said, I imagine the problem outlined below
would be the case whichever way round I chose to do it.
Although I am using 2007, I have to save everything in 2003 format, because
a lot of our other users haven't yet been upgraded.
As soon as I set up some autotext then try to save the template, I get a
message saying:
Autotext and Building Block entries may lose some information because they
are not supported by earlier versions of Word. These features may be lost or
degraded when you save this document in an earlier file format.
Does this mean it is impossible to share autotext between 2003 and 2007?
Gosh I'm getting frustrated with this now!
Thanks again.
Sue
J
Jay Freedman
Hi Sue,
I'm not Doug (and I don't play him on TV), but I can answer this.
The message is misleading. Some of the new building block types, like
the cover pages, typically contain features that exist only in Word
2007, such as content controls. If you try to save them in Word 2003
format, you'll get something that probably won't work. That's the
situation the warning refers to.
AutoText entries, although they can contain the new features,
typically don't. If yours contain just text, including the kinds of
fields that existed in Word 2003, there is no problem saving the
template to the older format, so just ignore the message. But you do
have to pay attention to what's in the selection when you make
AutoText entries.
You might find it easier on the nerves to create a blank template and
save it in Word 2003 format, so Word 2007 indicates that it's in
Compatibility Mode, and then create your AutoText entries in it. While
you're in Compatibility Mode, Word won't let you use any features that
aren't available in the older format, so you'll know all your entries
are clean.
--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.
I'm not Doug (and I don't play him on TV), but I can answer this.
The message is misleading. Some of the new building block types, like
the cover pages, typically contain features that exist only in Word
2007, such as content controls. If you try to save them in Word 2003
format, you'll get something that probably won't work. That's the
situation the warning refers to.
AutoText entries, although they can contain the new features,
typically don't. If yours contain just text, including the kinds of
fields that existed in Word 2003, there is no problem saving the
template to the older format, so just ignore the message. But you do
have to pay attention to what's in the selection when you make
AutoText entries.
You might find it easier on the nerves to create a blank template and
save it in Word 2003 format, so Word 2007 indicates that it's in
Compatibility Mode, and then create your AutoText entries in it. While
you're in Compatibility Mode, Word won't let you use any features that
aren't available in the older format, so you'll know all your entries
are clean.
--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.
G
Guest
Hi Not Doug
I'm fairly sure that's what I did. In fact I'm virtually definitely sure
that's what I did. But I still got the error message on saving. And when I
went to try the autotext out on one of the 2003 machines, some of the entries
worked and some of them didn't. At complete random. None of the entries
contain anything more complex than a bullet point, or bold or underlined text.
I am now giving it a go setting it all up on one of the 2003 machines, in
the hope that the 2007 machines will accept this. I'm not sure that this
approach technically qualifies as 'progress', but right now I'll settle for
anything that gets the job done!
Sue
I'm fairly sure that's what I did. In fact I'm virtually definitely sure
that's what I did. But I still got the error message on saving. And when I
went to try the autotext out on one of the 2003 machines, some of the entries
worked and some of them didn't. At complete random. None of the entries
contain anything more complex than a bullet point, or bold or underlined text.
I am now giving it a go setting it all up on one of the 2003 machines, in
the hope that the 2007 machines will accept this. I'm not sure that this
approach technically qualifies as 'progress', but right now I'll settle for
anything that gets the job done!
Sue