customize: New &Blank Document

[Spenard/Bosworth]

Now that the concept of creating new templates for the purpose of
customizing toolbars has been sorted through I have a related question:

how does one get word to open a new document based on the new template using
the loaded "New &Blank Document" macro. I tried pointing "user templates" to
my new template with little expectation that it would work and was not
disappointed.

I can record a macro. I am not down with visual basic.

Andre

 

[Spenard/Bosworth]

Hi Beth,

"New & Blank Document" is the name MS gives to their built in macro (in
WordX at least) that appears by default in the file menu and opens a, well,
a new and blank document based on normal.dot

I thought it might be possible to make this MS supplied macro point to a new
user defined template rather than normal.doc. At one point I thought I would
attempt to edit the "New & Blank Document" macro, but MS blocks the edit
function in the macros dialogue for their own installed macros. I wouldn't
know where to look for them otherwise.

So, what I have done is to record a new macro that opens a new & blank
document based my own custom template and installed it in both normal.dot,
and my own custom template. I copied the image of the MS installed button to
my new one and put it in my template.

Then I removed the MS installed "new & blank doc" macro from the file menu
and standard toolbar in normal.doc, and replaced it there with my own macro.
I did this so that when I open an old document based upon normal.doc, I can
easily open my own template, select all and copy the contents to a new
document based upon my own template.

There was one remaining problem when word fires up. I prefer not to be
bothered with the project gallery. However, when proj gal is defeated at
startup in preferences, word defaults to opening, you guessed it, a new &
blank document. And of course, it is based on normal.dot. So, I have gone
back to allowing project gallery to open at launch, and my template is at
the top of the list.

Its just a reminder that no matter how dutifully they think they mean to
condescend to the user, in their heart of hearts, they truly believe they
know more about what I want than I do in Redland.

This solution is still, in my opinion, a work around. I think the better
solution lies in being able to rewrite a line of code in the MS installed
macro. It would also help if in preferences, one was able to define which
template a new document is based upon by default. If anyone knows how to do
either or both of these things, please chime in.

Andre

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Hi Andre,

If you followed the uninstall/reinstall procedures in my last email, then I
think your Normal template and toolbar problems will be over. However, see
below.

Beth

"New & Blank Document" is the name MS gives to their built in macro (in
WordX at least) that appears by default in the file menu and opens a, well,
a new and blank document based on normal.dot

I thought it might be possible to make this MS supplied macro point to a new
user defined template rather than normal.doc. At one point I thought I would
attempt to edit the "New & Blank Document" macro, but MS blocks the edit
function in the macros dialogue for their own installed macros. I wouldn't
know where to look for them otherwise.

I know next to nothing about macros but can't you open the MS macro in the
VBA editor and then copy and paste it into a new macro window so you can
edit it?

Its just a reminder that no matter how dutifully they think they mean to
condescend to the user, in their heart of hearts, they truly believe they
know more about what I want than I do in Redland.

LOL! This is too true. We keep trying to convince MS that we know what we
want better than they do, but they just don't believe us .

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

I know next to nothing about macros but can't you open the MS macro in the
VBA editor and then copy and paste it into a new macro window so you can
edit it?

I also know next to nothing re VBA, but believe I have seen NG posts
(possibly in PC-land) saying the way to intercept an MS command is to give
it exactly the same name as the MS one. So if you name your macro "New &
Blank Document", then cmd-N should call your macro instead of the MS code.

Dayo

 

[Beth Rosengard]

I also know next to nothing re VBA, but believe I have seen NG posts
(possibly in PC-land) saying the way to intercept an MS command is to give
it exactly the same name as the MS one. So if you name your macro "New &
Blank Document", then cmd-N should call your macro instead of the MS code.

That makes sense except that Andre wants to be able to use the code in the
MS macro but be able to edit it and then attach it to a Custom template, not
create a macro from scratch that will be defaulted to in Normal instead of
the MS macro. Maybe we macro-challenged users are just confusing the issue
.... or ourselves ;-).

--
Beth Rosengard
Mac MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/WordMac/index.htm>
Entourage Help Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org/toc.html>