dumb questions on templates (Word X)

[Andy]

I'm trying to understand templates, I've been reading some of the MVP
guides, but I'm having some trouble. My needs are pretty simple, I will
pretty much be using a single template at all times to write papers. If
I want to all docs open to these settings, should I be using a custom
template, or saving changes to Normal and using that? If the latter,
I've already made a custom template, so I would use the Organizer to
bring over the styles, right?

Other questions would probably depend on what the best strategy is
here, because I'm not sure I understand the use of global templates.

Thanks for any help..

(P.S. I've taken the MVP advice and moved my Templates folder to the
MUD folder, I'm pretty sure I did it without screwing up)

 

[JE McGimpsey]

I'm trying to understand templates, I've been reading some of the MVP
guides, but I'm having some trouble. My needs are pretty simple, I will
pretty much be using a single template at all times to write papers. If
I want to all docs open to these settings, should I be using a custom
template, or saving changes to Normal and using that?

Since you're only going to be using the single template, you *can* use
the Normal template, but I wouldn't.

The Normal template, in addition to being the default document template,
is a scratchpad for a lot of different activities, and tends to corrupt
much more frequently than other templates.

I would use your custom template instead. Not only will it be more
stable, but on the off-chance you want to dash off a one-time something
that's different than your papers, you can use the default New Document
command to create a doc from Normal.

If the latter, I've already made a custom template, so I would use
the Organizer to bring over the styles, right?

If you do use Normal, yes, use the Organizer to bring over styles,
autotext, etc. Make sure you keep a backup for the inevitable day that
Normal becomes corrupted. I've not had it do so all that often, but it's
been at inconvenient times - which is why I now delete Normal daily and
have Word recreate it.

Other questions would probably depend on what the best strategy is
here, because I'm not sure I understand the use of global templates.

Global templates, which are also called add-ins, are templates that you
use to give Word some extra functionality - whether it's macros,
autotext, toolbars, etc.

If you haven't read this yet

http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/GlobalTemplate.htm

it may help clarify what global templates can be used for.

 

[Andy]

Thanks for your response, I'll use my custom template then. So just to
clarify, if I want to start a new document with it, I would have to
open the template from the Project Gallery? What would be the effect of
putting it in the startup folder?

Thanks again.. You MVPs and other volunteers are doing your part to
bring peace and harmony to the world!

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Thanks for your response, I'll use my custom template then. So just to
clarify, if I want to start a new document with it, I would have to
open the template from the Project Gallery?
Yes.

What would be the effect of putting it in the startup folder?

Templates stored in the startup folder are loaded as add-ins, or global
templates - see

http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/GlobalTemplate.htm

(hit refresh a couple of times if you're using Safari. Better, use
another browser).

 

[LH]

Since your needs are relatively simple, and you don't quite see the
whole "gestalt" of templates, let me suggest that you not worry about
global templates just at present.

You say that pretty much you'll be using this to write papers -- are
there any macros, toolbars or auto-text entries that you would use both
in writing the papers and writing an ordinary letter? Probably not at
first. As you continue to write using both the "paper" template and the
"normal" template, you'll eventually get annoyed at some macro or
custom touch that you have in the "paper" template that is missing in
your normal template. It is this kind of customization that belongs in
a global template.