I really like Word...

[Gwen Barnes <gwen -dot- barnes -at- MUSTANG -dot- COM>]

-> ...but we are still finding problems. This time, when we make local
-> changes to a paragraph but do not redefine the paragraph's style (in
-> other words, we override attributes of the applied style), the
-> changes are discarded the next time we open the file. This used to
-> be so simple in Word 2.0...

Some attributes stick, others don't. I have found, for instance, that
paragraph indents applied specifically to a single paragraph, are lost
when you reopen the document, however other things stick.

I solved the problem by creating a style for exceptions like these. Not
an ideal solution, but a workable one.

Which then leaves me to ponder the organization of my document, if the
style tags I created then need so many exceptions. It's a good
opportunity to review formatting and structure as a whole, when these
exceptions and special cases begin to proliferate.

Readers are inclined to assume a significance to any exception to
standard formatting. To give them what they expect, there ought to be a
coherent reason for the change, and that should be applied consistently
throughout the document.

Readers are also inclined to assume a level of complexity beyond their
capability to understand, if they see a *lot* of exceptions to standard
formatting, hence the need to rethink and perhaps restructure a
document.

I do not "know" this for any reason other than "I just thought it up,
and it seems right" -- if there is a body of work that either
corroborates or discredits these thoughts, I'm interested in pursuing it
further...

Cheers,                                                 @DISCLAIMER@
Gwen                                         gwen -dot- barnes -at- mustang -dot- com
MSI * Connecting the world                              805-873-2500