Nick Mirro said:
Thanks for the link. We're using Word 03. I am still a bit confused
after reading the article.
We store our templates on the server and users synch with offline
files for updates.
I recommend against using shared templates on a network folder in this way.
1. There is a bug in Word regarding opening documents based on network
templates. If the document is emailed to a customer who doesn't have the
template, Word sometimes waits several minutes before giving up hope that
the network location will respond. While a hotfix is available, there is no
guarantee that a recipient of the document outside the company has had the
hotfix installed. Documents based on local templates do not have this
problem. (This reason by itself is usually enough to persuade customers that
network templates are a Thoroughly Bad Idea.)
2. If the templates are all locally installed, laptops do not need a
separate different setup to cope with when they are disconnected from the
network. (This reason also very much appeals to network admins!)
3. Response speed is generally better for locally installed templates.
4. If templates are all locally installed, word-processing can continue even
if the network or server has gone down. (Quite enough of a company's
operations will grind to a halt anyway without unnecessarily adding
word-processing to the list.)
5. Installing templates locally reduces network traffic, improving response
times for those other applications which must use the network.
6. Local templates can easily be updated using a login script or other
mechanisms that guarantee that Word will not be open and locking files when
the update occurs.
7. If a user manages to mess up a template, he has only done so on his own
PC, and doesn't affect other users.
8. On occasion, I have found that the VBA code in a template behaves
differently when the template has been opened concurrently on two different
PCs. I have no idea what causes this and have never been able to find a way
of predicting when the problem will hit. All I can say is that when it does
hit, it is reproducible.
This kind of solves distribution, but not of
apportioning items to our many different templates. There are macros
and keyboard shortcuts that are universal while the toolbars are
template unique.
Code, toolbars and keybiard shortcuts that are universal should be saved in
an add-in template. This should be placed in Word's Startup folder (you can
find the location of the startup folder in the Tools, Options, File
Locations dialog). Templates loaded as add-ins on startup have their
toolbars keyboard shortcuts & macros permanently available to the user.
Macros, toolbars, shortcuts etc which are unique to a template and only
intended to be used in that template should be stored in the template. they
become available when the user creates a document based on the template.
There is the "Organizer" that lists the toolbars we've created but the
macros are not showing there. Those only show under "Customize Keyboard
\Macros." Does this mean that they are saved in the global template?
I "open" the global template in the Organizer but there are none
listed.
The Organizer dialog lists "Macro Project Items". These are the various
modules in the VBA project where you have saved your macros. If you want to
see which module9s) your macros are in, press Alt-F11 to view the VBA
editor.
