track changes

  • Thread starter Thread starter Barbara Reynolds
  • Start date Start date
B

Barbara Reynolds

If you don't have track changes turned on, do you still
have to accept all the changes? The reason for this
question is: When comparing two versions of the same
document in ClearCase, an error was received regarding
tracked changes. However, track changes was not turned on
when both versions were created. So, I was wondering if
you had to accept changes anyway.
 
NEVER, ever, use change tracking! And NEVER save anything
from a merge, unless you want a corrupted, bloated document.

The *only* safe way to merge is to use copies of both
documents, then save the merged file. Use this for a
comparison only - not for a finished product.

We had so many problems with "artifacts" from merges and
change tracking that I finally mandated that *neither*
would be used at this company. We have operations in
several countries and several US time zones, and the
headaches (and lost time to correct) became too much to handle.

Larry
Certified Word Expert
 
I try not to use change tracking but have to sometimes. I
don't merge documents, just a compare and if you're not
using ClearCase, you can't really answer my question!
 
Larry,

Track changes and document compare both have uses. They should certainly not
be used in every or most document. They may cause you problems that are
greater than the benefits for you but that does not justify your general
statements.

I would never merge compare and then save the merged document over the
original. I do use track changes to show changes that have been made.

Realize that when you put the tag line "Certified Word Expert" in your
signature people are going to expect that you know what you are talking
about. This is at least the second post I've seen from you that contained
certifiably bad advice about Word.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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Accepting changes is the way of getting rid of the comparison data and
accepting one of your versions.

Until you have practiced this and know what
you will end up with, do not save a merged document to the same name as one
of your originals, before or after accepting changes.
--

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.
 
Are you saying that accepting changes makes this a merged
document even if it's the only document that has been
changed? I thought merged documents were two documents
that had been combined. If that's not the case, then that
is an issue.

All I'm trying to do is compare two versions of the
document in ClearCase. It acts like I had track changes
turned on when I didn't. So, I need to know if you still
have to accept the changes even though you weren't
tracking them?

Barbara
 
Comparing two documents performs a markup using the track changes tools to
highlight the differences. Yes, the result of the comparison is a merged
document.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory:
<URL: http://addbalance.com/word/index.htm>

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide)
<URL: http://addbalance.com/usersguide/index.htm>

See also 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.
 
I understand that. I'm talking about a document that was
changed and saved. Track changes was not turned on. Do
you still have to accept changes in order for the compare
to work properly with Rational ClearCase?
 
I have no experience with or knowledge of Rational ClearCase. Have you asked
them?
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.
 
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