Word templates across networks

[gunnilla]

Hi. I have a question about word templates.

I have designed a template in Word and all the reports in
our office are written in this template. When I email a
report to a client, does the template travel with it?

Also, this template is read-only protected. When I send a
report to a client, will they get prompted with the "This
*.dot is read-only.... Open password to modify or...."
message box??

Thank you in advance for your help!

 

[Larry Randall]

You seem to be confused about what a "Template" really is,
and about how it is used.

A Word "template" (.dot file) is a repository for styles.
To be stable and useful, it must contain an example of
each style and be locked as read only. It *should*
contain custom toolbars with buttons to simplify
application of styles. This file *must* reside in a
specific directory, and there is *risk* associated with
having it reside on a network drive. (Fewer problems will
occur if the .dot file is on each local machine!)

A Word Template (.dot file) is *never* directly used to
create a document! It must be *attached* and *added* to
the "base document" (via Tools->Templates and addins) to
link the document to the template.

If you are attempting to have documents look the same, you
need to create a "base document" that is formatted as you
wish. Make it a read only .doc file, add and attach the
template, update the styles, then *uncheck* "Automatically
update document styles" (to prevent crashes), and
distribute this document as your "starting point"
document.

Only one template may be active at a time.

The user should *never*, *ever* open the Template! The
end user will not need the Template to view the document,
but the pagination and appearance of the document may
change if their styles conflict. For this reason, you
should *never* use the default Word styles, and should
*always* create your own styles that do not conflict (in
naming) with the Word styles.

My final observation is that there is no way to guarantee
or control the appearance of a Word file on any other
computer. If document appearance is important, you should
distribute only unchangeable documents that are guaranteed
to appear and print as you would like. That means PDF
format, in most cases.

If the recipients do not need to change the documents, why
are you taking the numerous unmanageable risks associated
with distributing a Word file? If unauthorized changes
can be a source of issues, Word distribution should
*never* be done.

Larry Randall
Certified Word Expert

 

[Charles Kenyon]

To answer the user's original question,

I assume you mean that all reports are written using this template. The
reports themselves are document files based on the template.

When you email the report document to someone who does not have your
template in the same location on their computer, their computer will
temporarily attach the report to that user's normal.dot template. They do
not get your template. They do not have access to macros, toolbars, styles,
AutoText or keyboard shortcuts contained in your template. They do have
access to styles that were in use in the template at the time the document
was created because those styles will be in the document.

Responding to Larry Randall's post:

A template is used directly to create a document through the File => New
process or by double-clicking on the template's icon from Windows.

Technically this adds a document to the documents collection using the
template. This automatically attaches the template to the new document.

Larry, you may be a certified Word expert but in saying that a Word template
is *never* used to create a template and advising people to create a base
document containing text and then attach a template to it, you are talking
gibberish. I am not a certified Word expert but I know enough about
templates to recognize partial information and plain misinformation when I
see it.

The method you are describing is a method of using a template as a "style
sheet." This is a limited use and appropriate in some circumstances. It is
not, and should not be taught as being, the best or only way of using
templates.

Document Templates are repositories of:

Styles - you are right on that one -
Text in the template that will be replicated in the new document,
AutoText which will be available to attached documents,
Macros which will be available to attached documents,
Custom toolbars and menus as well as customizations to built-in toolbars and
menus, and
Keyboard shortcuts which will be available in attached documents.

--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: 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.

 

[gunnilla]

Thank you -that helps!

-----Original Message-----
To answer the user's original question,

I assume you mean that all reports are written using this template. The
reports themselves are document files based on the template.

When you email the report document to someone who does not have your
template in the same location on their computer, their computer will
temporarily attach the report to that user's normal.dot template. They do
not get your template. They do not have access to macros, toolbars, styles,
AutoText or keyboard shortcuts contained in your template. They do have
access to styles that were in use in the template at the time the document
was created because those styles will be in the document.

Responding to Larry Randall's post:

A template is used directly to create a document through the File => New
process or by double-clicking on the template's icon from Windows.

Technically this adds a document to the documents collection using the
template. This automatically attaches the template to the new document.

Larry, you may be a certified Word expert but in saying that a Word template
is *never* used to create a template and advising people to create a base
document containing text and then attach a template to it, you are talking
gibberish. I am not a certified Word expert but I know enough about
templates to recognize partial information and plain misinformation when I
see it.

The method you are describing is a method of using a template as a "style
sheet." This is a limited use and appropriate in some circumstances. It is
not, and should not be taught as being, the best or only way of using
templates.

Document Templates are repositories of:

Styles - you are right on that one -
Text in the template that will be replicated in the new document,
AutoText which will be available to attached documents,
Macros which will be available to attached documents,
Custom toolbars and menus as well as customizations to built-in toolbars and
menus, and
Keyboard shortcuts which will be available in attached documents.

--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: 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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