Changing a template used for multiple documents

[Eric]

I'm working on a project which will have multiple documents based on the same
template.

Occasionally I'll need to make a change to a style. What's the best way to
update the style in the template, and then update all the documents to
reflect the change?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

When you update the style in a given document, cleck the "Add to template"
button in the Modify Style dialog. This will ensure that new documents use
the revised style. There's no way to retroactively apply the changes to
existing documents accept to set "Automatically update document styles" for
the template, which can be very problematic. See
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/templaterelations/index.html

 

[Eric]

Susan - That site links to another document -
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/UpdateStyles.htm - which does give a way
to do it: in Tools / Templates and Add-Ins, check the box labeled
"automatically update document styles".

However, this seems to create other problems. For some reason, when I tried
it, every paragraph in my document gained an outline number of the form
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.4.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

"Automatically update document styles" was what I suggested, and I did
suggest that it could be problematic.

 

[Eric]

Yes, you're right.

Do you know of any other way to do it that's less problematic? I hate to
have to make the same changes in 20 different documents every time the styles
in the template change.

It seems like such a common thing that people would want to do. I wonder why
Microsoft would have problems getting it right.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If your outline numbering is set up correctly, I shouldn't think that this
would happen. See
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html

 

[Eric]

Suzanne -

Thanks for your help in trying to figure this out.

I have not used outline numbering in either the termplate or the individual
document.

I have no idea where the numbers have come from.

The Normal style in my normal template is: Normal: Font: (Default) Times
New Roman, English (U.S.), Left, Line spacing: single, widow/orphan control.

The Normal style in the troublesome template is: Normal: Font: (Default)
Times, 12pt, German (Germany), Left, Line Spacing: single, widow/orphan
control.

I tried a test. I created a new blank document using my Normal template. I
attached the template to it, using "Automatically update document styles".
The first paragraph now is preceded by 1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1 When I look at
the formatting, it reads:
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1. Normal: Font: (Default) Times, 12 pt, German (Germany),
Line Spacking: single, widow/orphan control, Outline numbered + Level:9 +
Numbering style 1,2,3,... + Start at 1 + Alignment:left + Aligned at: 0" +
Tab after: 1.1" + Indent at: 1.1"

In the Styles and Formatting pane, all the style names are now preceded by
1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1.1

Thanks for any suggestions you can offer.

Ora

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

My suggestion would be that you start over again in the
microsoft.public.word.numbering newsgroup. Better still, start from scratch
with outline numbering as described by Shauna's Web page, applying the
styles as required.

 

[Eric]

Suzanne -

Thanks for your help.

This does not seem to me to be a "numbering" issue but a template issue.
None of my templates or styles have anything to do with numbering. I don't
use it and I don't want it.

It might make sense if I was using numbering, and it somehow proliferated to
my other styles. But I don't. It appered out of nowhere.

But in any case, thanks.

Ora