Using "symbols" in WinWord

[Susan Gallagher <Susan_Gallagher_at_Enfin-SD -at- RELAY -dot- PROTEON -dot- COM>]

Mary Beth Raven queries:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
MS Word for Windows experts:
        How do I create a "symbols" file in MS Word so that a book
title or version number automatically changes?
Details:
I'm using MSword for windows to write some documentation about
a buncha products. Many of the names and the versions of these
products will change between now and when the book is final. I have
been using glossaries to  make "shortcuts" for typing the book titles,
product names, and version numbers.
        I *Thought* that if I, say, changed the definition of "v1" in
the glossary to read "Version 1.2" that once the glossary was changed,
all the changes would percolate thru my document and all the phrases
that used to read "Version 1" (that had been defined with the v1
glossary) would now read "Version 2". But that does not seem to work.

        For those of you who know sgml type stuff, I want to make
symbols. I've  perused the "SYMBOLS" entries in the MS word
documentation, and they seem to be talking about "hieroglyphic-type"
symbols and not the kind of symbols I mean. But maybe I'm just obtuse.

        I don't think I can use a style definition to do this, becaue
a style definition will percolate the font, point and other changes
thru, but not the CONTENT changes (like a new version number).

        I haven't found anything in the documentation yet. (But then,
it took me 3 hours to figure out {seq table} because I looked under
table, and numbering and automatic numbering and didn't think of the
word sequence....)

If anybody knows... please feel free to write to me; no need to
clutter the list.
-------------------end original message--------------------------------

          Clutter, clutter, clutter...  But maybe interesting to
          others.

          The easiest way to do what you want in WinWord is to use one
          of the more esoteric MERGE commands -- either ASK or SET
          (ask will prompt for the info each time -- use sparingly,
          set must be typed in at the beginning of the file).

          For example...

               {SET version "1.1"}

               This document covers Version {version} of...

          Then, when you print your doc, Word inserts 1.1 wherever
          you've left {version} in your doc.  You can't just type the
          {} -- they need to be a bookmark (Ctrl+F9 to insert one,
          Shift+F9 to view for both WinWord 2.0 and 6.0)

          You find this info under Merge Letters in the manual (who'd
          a-thought!).

Sue Gallagher                                 |
Sr. Technical Writer                          |      "Updating a manual
Easel Corporation                             |     is like changing tires
Enfin Technology Lab                          |       on a moving car."
San Diego, CA                                 |        -- Edmond Weiss
Susan_Gallagher_at_Enfin-SD -at- relay -dot- proteon -dot- com |