Change info in one place and have it change several places?

[Ed from AZ]

I have a report document that is constantly updated. It's the same
document, just added to and resaved. After I send it out, I change
the date to the date it will be sent out again (about 2-3 weeks ahead)
and SaveAs with the new date in the doc name (so I know which one I'm
supposed to be working on).

There's about six different places I need to change the date to the
new date. What's the best way to change it in one place and have it
change in all the places? I can not do anything that will invoke a
macro security warning. I know a little about bookmarks and the REF
field, and thought about putting the first instance of the new date in
a bookmark and using REF fields to update it everywhere else. But
won't I destroy the bookmark, and thus my reference points for the REF
fields, the next time I double-click and change the text? I don't
want to use the ASK or FILLIN fields because I don't want them to pop
up on any of the readers.

Any suggestions?

Ed

 

[Jay Freedman]

The best way, I think, is to define a character style that you apply only to
the first occurrence of the date and nothing else. (The style definition can
be nothing more than "Default Paragraph Font" so it looks the same as the
rest of the text.) Then use StyleRef fields instead of of Ref fields to
repeat it elsewhere.

When you double-click to select the date and change it, the style won't be
removed, making this a better solution than the bookmark version. Remember,
though, that you still have to update all the fields, either by
select-all-and-F9 or by going to Print Preview and back.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
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[Ed from AZ]

The best way, I think, is to define a character style

Then use StyleRef fields instead of of Ref fields

Thanks, Jay. I'll use that.

you still have to update all the fields, either by
select-all-and-F9 or by going to Print Preview and back.

Doesn't Save or SaveAs automatically update fields?

Ed

 

[Ed from AZ]

Jay - why does the Insert Field >> StyleRef action want to insert a
paragrah break at the end of the field? I can't select the pilcrow
and delete it without deleting the field also. Is there a switch to
get out of this?

Ed

 

[Ed from AZ]

Jay - why does the Insert Field >> StyleRef action want to insert a
paragrah break at the end of the field? I can't select the pilcrow
and delete it without deleting the field also.

*sigh* never mind.

I had accidentally selected the paragraph mark at the end of the line
and formatted it with the style, so of course the field picked it up!

Thanks again for the help, Jay.

Ed

 

[Henk57]

Ed, an alternative that you may find easier to manage is to define the
date in the Document Properties (File/Properties..). You can define
custom fields. Refer to this field (date) via the field code
"DocProperty", the 6x you need it. Now just update this document
property parameter when needed, and Word does the rest. You could also
define other properties (eg the tel.nr of the helpdesk, version number,
etc) in the same way.