Multiple similar templates needing word changes

[Chrimarsh]

I have created multiple letter templates, each letter applies to a specific
situation, so though some parts of the letters are the same, they will have
different paragraphs.

This has created a maintenance nightmare, because if something changes
(phone numbers or names of contacts that are common in all the templates) I
have to open each one individually (over 40 templates) to do find/replace.

As I sit here doing this for hours on end for the third time this year...
I'm thinking there just has to be a better way! Any suggestions?

 

[Gordon Bentley-Mix]

I'd look at creating one template and then using AutoText/Building Blocks
for the variable parts of the letter. If you feel confident enough or can
find a resource, I'd also consider using a bit of VBA to automate the
creation of documents from the templates. It shouldn't be too difficult for
someone with the right skills to encode the business rules for several
scenarios into one macro.

Alternatively, you could try an approach where you have an AutoText entry or
Building Block for the "common" content that's stored and maintained in a
separate template. You could keep your existing templates and add a bit of
code to insert the most recent version of the common content into the
document when it's created. However, this seems a bit backwards to me. I
usually prefer to have the "boilerplate" in the template and add the
variable content as needed rather than having separate templates for the
variable content and add the boilerplate at runtime.
--
Cheers!

Gordon Bentley-Mix
Word MVP

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup.

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[Graham Mayor]

Although it would be simple enough to create a macro to batch process your
templates to perform the replace function -
http://www.gmayor.com/batch_replace.htm (change the line myFile =
Dir$(PathToUse & "*.doc") to modify templates rather than documents) - like
Gordon, I too would use a common data source for the repeated information.
This could either be a bookmarked section of a document inserted with an
IncludeText field or autotext inserted with an Autotext field. My own
letterhead templates use Autotext fields.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Chrimarsh]

Thanks so much Gordon. It looks like I have some reading to do on
AutoText/Building Blocks. I've had limited experience with AutoText but not
enough that I'm able to jump in both feet.

 

[Chrimarsh]

Thanks Graham,

The templates already use bookmarks to auto-insert information from another
program, and though I know how to maintain what I have, I don't know how it
was actually created.

I like the idea of batch replacing for now and then taking the time to set
it up properly for later changes. I will check out the link!

 

[Gordon Bentley-Mix on news.microsoft.com]

Funny what a good night's sleep will do for the clarity of one's mind. This
same thought occurred to me in the shower this morning, and I intended on
posting a message to that effect at the first opportunity - only to find that
Graham had beaten me to it. GMTA!
--
Cheers!

Gordon Bentley-Mix
Word MVP

Please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup.

Read the original version of this post in the Office Discussion Groups - no
membership required!

 

[Graham Mayor]

If you create the required autotext field in a document and copy it to the
clipboard, you can use the batch replace to replace the search string with
the clipboard content ^c thus killing two birds with the same stone.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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