normal.dot query

[Cranky]

Hi

At work we use Word 2000; in my department we have around 150 letter
template which each require 2 modifications: contact number and Head
of Service.

I accept that I will need to go into each one to make the changes, but
want to ensure that when we appoint a new head of service I don't have
to go in 150 times again. So what I have done is create an autotext
field for our letterhead - address and logo in a 2 col, 1 line table
("bnfthead", and another for the Head of Service ("hoffserv").

The idea is that I have a field at the top of the first page on each
letter: {AUTOTEXT bnfthead /* MERGEFORMAT} and similar in the footer
for hoffserv, so that I only have to make one change and every
template pulls the amendment in when opened.

I've gone to the Template and Add-Ins -> Organizer to copy the
autotext from normal.dot to the test letter. I've saved both items in
the global normal.dot, but when the letters automatically refer to
their own version of the autotext. Is there a way of having the filed
look up the reference from the global normal.dot?

Or better still, is there an easier way of doing what I'm trying to
do?

Thanks in advance

Steve

 

[Graham Mayor]

If you have the same autotext entry name in the template and in normal.dot
then the one in the template will take precedence.
I am very suspicious of your comment 'the global normal.dot' given that this
is a shared system. You cannot share the Normal.dot file among multiple
users in Word http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=811468

Personally I would use an IncludeText field to insert a bookmarked item from
a commonly available document rather than an autotext field for this. eg {
INCLUDETEXT "d:\\My Documents\\lhead.doc" bnfthead \*charformat }

It should also be possible to use http://www.gmayor.com/batch_replace.htm to
replace the text with the new text in your letter templates if you change
the line

myFile = Dir$(PathToUse & "*.doc")
to
myFile = Dir$(PathToUse & "*.dot")

If you copy the field to the clipboard you can use the macro to replace the
unwanted text with ^c (clipboard content).

also as you are using Word 2000, you will need to use the alternative folder
selection routine also listed in the macro.

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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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