dilemma with bookmarks

[klav]

I have a Word file (named project.doc) with bookmarks which identify pieces
of data that I need to replace from time to time from data that exists in a
separate file (named updated_data.doc).

The "updated_data.doc" file has key pieces of data such as a project title,
the project start and end dates, names of people who are heading the project,
etc.

So periodically, the data in "project.doc" is "refreshed" with the data from
"updated_data.doc." The way I do that is to assign the key pieces of data in
"updated_data.doc" to variables and then go through the "project.doc" file
and search for the bookmarks which define each piece of data and replace the
old data with the new data.

The problem, of course, is that users mess up the bookmarks -- they delete
them, redefine them accidentally so that instead of encompassing the
appropriate piece of data they now encompass multiple lines, etc.

I was instructed not to protect the file in any way so I am at a loss as to
how I can be sure I have the pieces of data I need to replace marked
correctly but yet give the user total freedom to edit the file.

Any suggestions for a better way of handling this?

 

[Dave Lett]

Hi,

While I think the answer is "yes," I know that a mildly determined user can
user can mess up whatever it is that you've done.

I would bookmark each piece of data in the updated_data.doc.
In project.doc, I would insert INCLUDETEXT fields that point to the data
bookmarked in updated_data.doc.
This way, the users can only mess up the project.doc by modifying the
contents of the field or by deleting the field itself.

HTH,
Dave