Re: Large Documents in Word

[Lin Sims <ljsims -dot- ml -at- gmail -dot- com>]

Would that I could. And by this I mean, I could if I knew how to do those
intercepts, but I don't. I did learn that was possible about a year ago,
but it required VB scripting and I don't speak VB. I found a couple of free
tools for redesigning the ribbon, too, but did not have the time to figure
out how they worked.

<sigh>

Can I quote you on the "weeks of effort to develop, maintain and support a
set of really bullet-proof templates"?

Also, I had not heard that Shauna died. That makes me said; I never met
her, but her website has been tremendously helpful.

On Mon, Nov 24, 2014 at 9:52 PM, Stuart Burnfield <slb -at- westnet -dot- com -dot- au>
wrote:

> For TWs to learn how to maintain stable long documents in Word is
> challenging but doable, and worthwhile. To maintain stable long
> documents using contributions from authors who a) don't know how to
> use Word, and b) are stubbornly convinced they know how to use Word...
> that's an order of magnitude harder. It's the difference between
> keeping your own home tidy and keeping a rental home tidy by providing
> the tenants with storage space and cleaning products and polite
> written instructions on how to use them. Some will, some won't, and
> some will use the instructions to set fire one of the cupboards.
>
> From: Lin Sims
> > Good point. I probably should have used "telling them that all the
> Font
> > and Paragraph formatting buttons in the ribbon are disabled and they
> > can't use them" as an example, instead. :-)
>
> Most SMEs and non-TW authors are used to using brute force to format
> their documents. They just keep hammering a few familiar keys and
> icons (Tab, Indent, Bullets, Numbering, Bold, Italic, Enter) till the
> text looks roughly how they want it to look.
>
> A good solution is not to disable problem keyboard shortcuts and
> toolbar buttons that apply manual formatting, but to intercept them.
> Many TWs have developed their own custom templates in which Ctrl-B and
> the [B] button apply an Emphasis character style, two slightly
> different Bullet buttons apply List Bullet 1 and List Bullet 2 styles,
> and  so on.
>
> For people wanting to develop their own stable, custom templates, I
> used to recommend the Word MVPs [1]site and the website of the late,
> much-missed Shauna Kelly [2]. These are no longer very up-to-date with
> respect to recent versions of Word and it would be weeks of effort to
> develop, maintain and support a set of really bullet-proof templates.
> Now I'd recommend looking for a commercial 'ribbon replacement'
> product. http://www.appsforoffice.com/ is one I know of; there are
> many others out there.
>
> --- Stuart
>
>
>
> Links:
> ------
> [1] http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/General.htm
> [2] http://shaunakelly.com/topic/word/numbering
>
>
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-- 
Lin Sims

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