Re: New Guy Question - MS Word

[Suzy -dot- Davis -at- doi -dot- vic -dot- gov -dot- au]

Hi Kevin

Hidden text
-----------------
I often put hidden text instructions into my manual templates for users of
the template.

When you were referring to hidden text, the only thing I could think of was
that you had included hidden text notes to yourself to help with the next
update of the doc.    I don't have need for indexes.  I personally don't do
this, but I thought some writers might.

Templates
-----------------
And just read the post where you have said you are unfamiliar with
templates - well, after a bit of work setting them up, your job is about to
get much easier.
All documents in Word are based on a template.  If you do not intentionally
choose a custom template, the document will be based on Normal.dot.

For specific types of documents it is recommended that you create a
template which stores all the styles required for that type of document.
For example, a letter template would not need as many styles, or the same
styes, as a Manual template.  You can also store, beside Styles, Autotext,
Autocorrect, toolbars and macros with your template - and for large
documents macros become very useful in performing a lot of fixes in a short
space of time.

Definitely read up on Jonathon's links, they will give you good info and
background.  I have jotted down an overview of how I would proceed if I was
you to save you going off down the wrong track (as that could be a long
journey in a document your size).

If you are transferring your document out of the Master/Sub document setup
(and while many run from this kind of setup, some people with super powers
love them - and they may teach you how to love them too), this would be a
good time to set up your template, create a new blank document (I would
recommend that you rename your Normal.dot template (any that you can find)
which will cause Word to generate a new one which will be free of any
corruption.  Select File | New and blank document, then save as a document
with a ".dot" extension, so, Manual.dot.  It will be saved to the template
directory setup in your Tools | Options | File Locations.  Change any Page
Setup options that you want, add any boilerplate, ie standard headers and
footers etc.  Define all the styles you require.  Then close it.  Select
File | New again to create a new document, and this time select Manual.dot,
and a new document will be created which uses your Manual.dot document as a
base.  Then copy in one of your sub-documents, leaving out your last
paragraph mark, and your section breaks (replace these) as you copy.  Appy
all your styles to the paragraphs.  Then do it again, and you will have a
much cleaner document that is easier to manage without the old styles (if
you had any).

If you use autonumbering, we recommend that you generate these
programmatically using VBA.  Let me know if you want help with that.

Suzy






                                                                                                                                                    
                      kevin -dot- lovejoy -at- trnswrks -dot- com                                                                                                    
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                      echwr-l.com                           Subject:  Re: New Guy Question - MS Word                                                
                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                    
                      01/12/04 02:42 AM                                                                                                             
                      Please respond to                                                                                                             
                      kevin.lovejoy                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                                    





What kind of hidden text are you refering to Suzy?

I am not aware of anything like you are talking about.

I am refering tho the hidden text uesed to identify Indexed fields.

Thanks for all the information everyone, I am getting some better ideas.

> All true - it sounded like it was an internal distribution, rather than
an
> external, in which case there is a place for macros.  I wouldn't
recommend
> macros be used in externally distributed docs either.  But if it's
> internal, and if it is sometimes useful for the end-user to be able to
read
> the hidden text, (but your preference that they don't see it usually)
then
> a macro is pretty much the way to go.
>
> Who is the hidden text for?  If it is of no use to the end-user, or
> shouldn't be viewed by the end-user, take it out - create a Distribution
> version.  A quick search and replace for Hidden text should do the trick
in
> less than a minute- well you are using Master docs so... make that a
minute
> per doc
>
> Suzy







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