Imported Styles don't work

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I have created a document with styles, both Heading and otherwise, which contain automatic numbering and which works the way I want. I then saved it as a template and used it to import the styles from there into other documents where I want to apply my numbering. However, the styles appear to loose their numbering and don't work at all the way the original document did

Can anyone help?
 
Hi Ann,

I have seen that and had to deal with this numerous times, this is what I
consider a bug in Style handling.
I bet you used the Organizer to transfer the styles, and then realized that
you either had lost the numbering/bullets or that tabs/indentation have
changed.

If that is the case, there may be a clever solution I do not know about, but
here is what I do:
Instead of transferring the styles through the Organizer (I still transfer
non/bulleted-numbered styles with it though):
I type some mumbo-jumbo, one line per style I want to transfer;
Apply a different "problem" style to each line;
Select the lines;
Copy/paste to the new document.
This way the styles are transferred and usually the bullets/numbers stick
(This has been my experience anyway). That way has never failed me, but the
Organizer has almost every single time. This is why I have not bothered
looking for an alternative as this works.

If I know that I am going to use some styles in a large number of unrelated
documents, then I write a macro to produce the styles and run the macro in
the documents where I want those styles, that is the best method, but can be
very time consuming if you are not familiar with macros...

--
Salut!
_______________________________________
Jean-Guy Marcil - Word MVP
(e-mail address removed)
Word MVP site: http://www.word.mvps.org


AnnP said:
I have created a document with styles, both Heading and otherwise, which
Click to expand...
contain automatic numbering and which works the way I want. I then saved it
as a template and used it to import the styles from there into other
documents where I want to apply my numbering. However, the styles appear to
loose their numbering and don't work at all the way the original document
did.
 
Hi Ann and Jean-Guy

This area seems very unpredictable and has certainly changed for me across
Word versions.

Copying styles 3 times while the Organizer is open seems to work for some
people/versions.

If the numbering has been set up correctly, and in later versions of Word,
the Tools > Template and Add-ins is normally a better choice - but can still
lose the list template linking sometimes.

I'm not sure the copy and paste method will work for existing documents - if
Word thinks the style is 'in use' it will use the current definition rather
than overwrite it. I would check anyway that you aren't getting the
numbering coming in as direct formatting (i.e. does it disappear when you do
a Ctrl-Q), as I've noticed that Word often 'cheats' on this one <g>.

More about updating styles (but some of it out of date, I think) in

http://word.mvps.org/faqs/macrosvba/UpdateStyles.htm
 
Margaret Aldis said:
Hi Ann and Jean-Guy

This area seems very unpredictable and has certainly changed for me across
Word versions.

Copying styles 3 times while the Organizer is open seems to work for some
people/versions.

If the numbering has been set up correctly, and in later versions of Word,
the Tools > Template and Add-ins is normally a better choice - but can still
lose the list template linking sometimes.

I'm not sure the copy and paste method will work for existing documents - if
Word thinks the style is 'in use' it will use the current definition rather
than overwrite it. I would check anyway that you aren't getting the
numbering coming in as direct formatting (i.e. does it disappear when you do
a Ctrl-Q), as I've noticed that Word often 'cheats' on this one <g>.
Click to expand...

Yes, I forgot to mention that in my post... the copy/paste suggestion
assumes that there are no styles with the same names as the one being pasted
in the target document. So it will not work for built-in styles...
Thanks for the pointing this out!

--
Salut!
_______________________________________
Jean-Guy Marcil - Word MVP
(e-mail address removed)
Word MVP site: http://www.word.mvps.org
 
Thank you so much for your reply, I will try it

----- Jean-Guy Marcil wrote: ----

Hi Ann

I have seen that and had to deal with this numerous times, this is what
consider a bug in Style handling
I bet you used the Organizer to transfer the styles, and then realized tha
you either had lost the numbering/bullets or that tabs/indentation hav
changed

If that is the case, there may be a clever solution I do not know about, bu
here is what I do
Instead of transferring the styles through the Organizer (I still transfe
non/bulleted-numbered styles with it though)
I type some mumbo-jumbo, one line per style I want to transfer
Apply a different "problem" style to each line
Select the lines
Copy/paste to the new document
This way the styles are transferred and usually the bullets/numbers stic
(This has been my experience anyway). That way has never failed me, but th
Organizer has almost every single time. This is why I have not bothere
looking for an alternative as this works

If I know that I am going to use some styles in a large number of unrelate
documents, then I write a macro to produce the styles and run the macro i
the documents where I want those styles, that is the best method, but can b
very time consuming if you are not familiar with macros..

-
Salut
______________________________________
Jean-Guy Marcil - Word MV
(e-mail address removed)
Word MVP site: http://www.word.mvps.or


AnnP said:
I have created a document with styles, both Heading and otherwise, whic
Click to expand...
contain automatic numbering and which works the way I want. I then saved i
as a template and used it to import the styles from there into othe
documents where I want to apply my numbering. However, the styles appear t
loose their numbering and don't work at all the way the original documen
did
 
Copying three times using the Organizer works for me (Word 97-2003) _if_ and
this is a big IF, the the styles are properly set up for numbering.
Numbering in Word is very complex (to me). See: How to create numbered
headings or outline numbering in your Word document
<URL: http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html>. This
is based on ...

Word's Numbering Explained
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Numbering/WordsNumberingExplained.htm>

How to Create a Template, Part II
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm>

Legal Numbering
<URL: http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/numbering.htm>

Seven Laws of Outline Numbering
<URL: http://www.microsystems.com/fra_sevenlawsofoutlinenumbering.htm>

The following are some discussions on the Microsoft newsgroups on numbering:
Nightmare on ListNumbering Street <URL:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&th=9e790fa7ed2886b3,18&ic=1>
The Joy of Lists <URL:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&th=811287ebce8fc203,15&ic=1>
Relinking ListTemplates <URL:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&th=2350746054c838e,12&ic=1>
Outline numbering: restart doesn't restart <URL:
http://groups.google.com/[email protected]#p>
Format Doesn't "Hold" <URL:
http://groups.google.com/[email protected]#p>
(above list compiled by Dave Rado, Word MVP)

ListNumbering Street Revisited <URL:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&safe=off&th=57df77857e4993ce>

See the latest numbering discussion I've seen, especially post #4 which
contains Dave Rado's concise instructions for setting up heading numbering.
<URL:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&safe=off&ic=1&th=bce07d7714769f5c>

If you didn't read at least one of the first two articles listed before you
set up your styles, chances are that this is part of your problem, at least.

Copying three times means:
Copy Styles 1,2,3,4
Press the copy button again (and OK overwriting)
Press the copy button yet again (and OK overwriting).

This is not necessary if you are attaching the template with styles updating
instead of using the Organizer. However, if you do that, you almost
certainly want to go back and uncheck the box to update styles from the
template once you have done the update. Otherwise you are likely to have
problems when you least expect them and can least afford them.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.

AnnP said:
I have created a document with styles, both Heading and otherwise, which
Click to expand...
contain automatic numbering and which works the way I want. I then saved it
as a template and used it to import the styles from there into other
documents where I want to apply my numbering. However, the styles appear to
loose their numbering and don't work at all the way the original document
did.
 
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