Clear Formatting Creates Frames in Master Document

[Jason]

I'm working on an word document that consists of several chapters (separate
word documents). I'm using the outline mode and have attached everything as
sub-documents. All has been going well until I started working on
reformatting styles. At first things were going well, but now anytime I use
the clear formatting selection (in print layout mode) under the styles menu
it converts all of my text into frames IN THE WHOLE DOCUMENT, not just the
selected text. I can select all the frames and remove them (right click
frame, format frame, remove frame) but eventually when I go to clear the
formatting on selected text it pushes everything back into frames. I'm at a
standstill until I can figure this out. I need all of the text to remain in
the document and NOT in frames.

PS I noticed that the sub-documents when opened do not contain the text in
frames, even though the master document does. Saving the master document
also saves any changes to the sub-document but these do not retain the frames
even if they appear to contain them in the master.

 

[Cindy M.]

Hi Jason,

I've never heard of the problem you describe, but...

Do NOT, EVER, edit sub-documents from within the Master document. Close the
master and do any editing in the individual sub-document files.

The Master Document feature was not designed for editing. The concept was a way
to pull individual documents together in one document, with common styles,
headers, footers, numbering - for PRINTING.

Trying to anything else in a Master Document can lead to document corruption,
including damaging the sub-documents. I recommend you throw out the Master
Document file and create a new one. Also, you should back up all the sub-
documents before bringing them into a Master, "just in case". Only create the
Master when you're ready to print.

An alternative to using this feature is to go over Insert/File with a Link. This
isn't as unreliable as the Master Document feature, although it can involve a
bit more work. To write changes back to the linked files, press Ctrl+Shift+F7.

I'm working on an word document that consists of several chapters (separate
word documents). I'm using the outline mode and have attached everything as
sub-documents. All has been going well until I started working on
reformatting styles. At first things were going well, but now anytime I use
the clear formatting selection (in print layout mode) under the styles menu
it converts all of my text into frames IN THE WHOLE DOCUMENT, not just the
selected text. I can select all the frames and remove them (right click
frame, format frame, remove frame) but eventually when I go to clear the
formatting on selected text it pushes everything back into frames. I'm at a
standstill until I can figure this out. I need all of the text to remain in
the document and NOT in frames.

PS I noticed that the sub-documents when opened do not contain the text in
frames, even though the master document does. Saving the master document
also saves any changes to the sub-document but these do not retain the frames
even if they appear to contain them in the master.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

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