How does Word decide what name to use when saving new documents? (2007)

[Three Lefts]

I have several templates. When I create a new document, Word (2007)
gives it a temporary name, like Document3.

When I save the document for the first time, I get the Save As panel
and Word fills in some name in the File Name field.

How does Word (2007) decide what to use as default name?

It seems like every template has a different default. Some of them are
puzzling.

One always uses the name "Change.docx".

Another always uses "Lunch with Bob.docx".

Still another usesd "January 31.docx".

Is there some way that I can control what the default name is in some
template setting?

And what about the "Save in" field? Can I set a default location where
new files from a particular template will get saved.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I can't speak to Word 2007 specifically, but in all previous versions of
Word, the naming convention is as follows:

1. If there is content in the Title field of the document properties, this
will be offered as the file name. If there is content and you haven't
specifically put it there, it is coming from the template; if you don't want
this content, open the template for editing and delete the content of the
Title property.

2. If the Title is blank, Word will suggest the first text string in the
document, from the beginning to the first punctuation mark, line break, or
paragraph break. In letters this is often a date.

From your description, it would appear that your templates have been created
from documents that had Title content and so inherited it. If you don't want
this filename suggested all the time, open the template and delete the
Title.

 

[Three Lefts]

I can't speak to Word 2007 specifically, but in all previous versions of
Word, the naming convention is as follows:

1. If there is content in the Title field of the document properties, this
will be offered as the file name. If there is content and you haven't
specifically put it there, it is coming from the template; if you don't want
this content, open the template for editing and delete the content of the
Title property.

2. If the Title is blank, Word will suggest the first text string in the
document, from the beginning to the first punctuation mark, line break, or
paragraph break. In letters this is often a date.

From your description, it would appear that your templates have been created
from documents that had Title content and so inherited it. If you don't want
this filename suggested all the time, open the template and delete the
Title.

And where have they hidden the Title property in 2007?

I knew where to find it in 2000.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ah, right. I forgot that this is so friggin hard to get to in 2007. I've
added a button to the QAT for direct access, so I have to figure it out from
scratch every time. First you have to display the Developer tab. If you
haven't already done that, you do it by checking "Show Developer tab in the
Ribbon" in Office Button | Word Options | Popular. Then, on the Developer
tab, click Document Panel. I don't consider the Document Panel a substitute
for the Document Properties dialog but at least you can get to that dialog
by clicking Document Properties on the Document Panel and clicking Advanced
Properties... (question: since the menu has only one selection, why don't
you get to the dialog just by clicking the button?).

If you'll be using the Properties dialog often, do yourself a favor and add
a button to the QAT. The one you want is Advanced Document Properties under
All Commands in the Customize Quick Access Toolbar dialog.

 

[Three Lefts]

Ah, right. I forgot that this is so friggin hard to get to in 2007. I've
added a button to the QAT for direct access, so I have to figure it out from
scratch every time. First you have to display the Developer tab. If you
haven't already done that, you do it by checking "Show Developer tab in the
Ribbon" in Office Button | Word Options | Popular.

I have the Developer Tab displayed.

Then, on the Developer
tab, click Document Panel.

Uh-oh. No Document Panel button/option.

I have the document full screen so I can see everything that's
available.

I have 5 section: Code, Controls, XMP, Protect, & Templates.

The Code section has a bunch of buttons for VB & macros.

The Controls section has a bunch of Controls on the left. On the right
side there is a Properties button, but I think it is about control
properties and it is greyed out anyway.

The XML section has Structure, Schema, Transformation (greyed out),
and Expansion Packs.

The Protect section has just Protect Document.

The Templates section has just Document Templates.

No Document Panel.

Now what?

 

[CyberTaz]

From another direction: Office Button> Prepare> Properties

But the Document Panel button should be one of two in the Templates group
you mentioned in this reply... At least that's where it is here, and I don't
recall having done anything to add it beyond activating the Developer Tab.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Three Lefts]

From another direction: Office Button> Prepare> Properties

But the Document Panel button should be one of two in the Templates group
you mentioned in this reply... At least that's where it is here, and I don't
recall having done anything to add it beyond activating the Developer Tab.

Perfect. That's the old Word properties panel. Great.

I thought I tried that, but I guess not.

Changing the Title field fixes the problem with the default filename
as predicted by Suzanne, but I had to close all Word documents. I
guess it caches anmy templates I've used and doesn't reload them even
if the template itself is edited.

Thanks so much.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Same here. And I have used Word 2007 so little that I know I haven't done
anything weird. But the way I found this in the first place was from an
article in Herb Tyson's Word 2007 Bible blog at
http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com/2007/05/03/where-is-prompt-for-document-properties-in-word-2007/,
which tells how to make the Document Information panel display at Open and
initial Save; unfortunately, I don't consider this a satisfactory
alternative to "Prompt for document properties," either.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

The umbilical cord between document and template is severed at creation; see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/templaterelations/index.html

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

 

[Three Lefts]

From another direction: Office Button> Prepare> Properties

But the Document Panel button should be one of two in the Templates group
you mentioned in this reply... At least that's where it is here, and I don't
recall having done anything to add it beyond activating the Developer Tab.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Is there a way to make Word NOT propagate these properties when a new
document is created using (a) Save As or (b) Save after New?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Only by clearing the Title field in the Properties of the template or
document used to create the new document.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

 

[Bob Buckland ?:-\)]

Hi Suzanne,

In addition to being able to right click on
Office Button=>Prepare=>Properties to add the basic Properties/Information panel to the Quick Access bar, you can choose to add to
the Quick Access Toolbar
'Advanced Document Properties'
from the All Commands list in
Office Button=>Word Options=>Customize for the old style Properties dialog.

The Document Information panel's capabilities can extend quite a bit beyond what the old 'properties' dialog did and can be setup to
ask for quite a bit of information, often for SharePoint library work or for collaboration. I suspect that in part the old Word
setting may have interfered with being able to rely on the new information requests 'getting thru' when something is automated, but
it's a guess.

==============
Same here. And I have used Word 2007 so little that I know I haven't done
anything weird. But the way I found this in the first place was from an
article in Herb Tyson's Word 2007 Bible blog at
http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com/2007/05/03/where-is-prompt-for-document-properties-in-word-2007/,
which tells how to make the Document Information panel display at Open and
initial Save; unfortunately, I don't consider this a satisfactory
alternative to "Prompt for document properties," either.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill >>
--

Bob Buckland ?
MS Office System Products MVP

*Courtesy is not expensive and can pay big dividends*

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you'd read the entire thread, you'd see that I've long since added
Advanced Document Properties to the QAT and recommended it to the OP. I had
forgotten about Prepare, however. Since I have so far not gotten far enough
into Word 2007 to actually save or print any documents (except a couple Word
2003 format ones that I chickened out and printed from Word 2003), I haven't
had a lot of use for Prepare. <g>