Managing styles accross MSWORD docs. especially after imports.

[Rahul]

Hi,

What's a good way to manage my styles? I typically have defined like a
Heading1 Heading2, RahulBodyText, RahulTableCaption, RahulFigureCaption etc.

Right now every time I do it with a new document I end up redefining all
these styles which is a pain! Somehow the styles seem associated with docs.
rather than a user.

I am trying to consistantly format all my docs with these styles. Problem is
I have some of my previous docs. (mine as well as from other people) that
have all kinds of strange styles defined in them. I want to reformat these
docs. before putting them in my report.

I wanted to make sure that when I copy those foreign docs. into my doc. :

(a) The formatting is consistent with MY styles not THEIRS

(b) As soon as I copy stuff from those foreign docs. my styles don't get
screwed up!

I'm especiallly worried about any name clashes for styles and how to handle
those so that my styles always overrride any others.

Any pointers?

Thanks!

-Rahul

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you apply styles in the "foreign" documents that have the exact same
names as the styles in the target document, then, regardless of their
formatting in the external document, they will take on the formatting of
your style definitions in the target document when inserted, with this
limitation: direct font formatting affecting less than 50% of a given
paragraph will be retained.

If you have any doubt, use the Paste Options button to specify "Match
Destination Formatting." See also
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/FormatOfTextChanges.html. And to help
you understand how styles operate within a given document, see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/templaterelations/index.html

 

[Rahul]

Thanks! But is there a good place to store my stlyes so that they are
visible from all docs I make?

How do you expert users manage your styles?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Styles are saved in templates. You create a template to store the styles you
want to use in a specific type of document. You then create documents based
on that template in order to use those styles.