Hi Pat:
I think you should have offered your advice to "keep the master as a
disposable item" as your first point
However, I am not sure that the original poster even NEEDS a master
document. His complete document is only around 1,500 pages: easily within
the capabilities of Word for a single document (Word 2003 will handle around
five thousand pages in a single document without too much trouble). And he
will find that all the numbering and cross-referencing functions are much
easier to manage in a single document.
So what I would do is make up a series of subdocuments, one for each subject
matter expert or contributing author. I would create them all from the same
template and send them out to the individual authors who will create the
text. I would then simply paste them all together into a single document at
the end for proofing and printing.
In addition to what you and Cindy said, I would offer the following for a
long and (relatively) happy life using Master Documents:
1) The master document itself should be constructed purely as a shell to
hold the subdocuments. Do not put any text in it at all other than text
that is automatically generated, so you can throw away the master at any
time. As soon as you make the master, make a backup copy and store it
someplace safe so you can instantly switch without losing anything.
2) As Cindy says, never move a subdocument within the master. Delete it
and re-add it where you want it.
3) The other thing I believe is a key component is never edit a subdocument
while the master is open. Open the subdocuments individually to edit them:
if the master is open at the time you are never sure which version will
ultimately be saved.
4) Ensure the master and all the subs are created from the same template.
5) Ensure the list and numbering parts of Tools>Autocorrect are OFF.
6) Ensure that "Automatically update styles on open" is switched off for
the template, and that "Automatically Update" is switched off for all of the
styles.
While I am with Pat, I have been using master documents for years without
too much trouble, nearly every master document I see used by normal
corporate users is corrupted, and many are so bad they lose bits of text.
A master document is a complex and fragile tool: like any other complex
tool, it rewards careful and precise usage. I have 30 years practice in
long document authoring: I do this stuff automatically by habit, but if you
have not grown up that way, master documents won't last. I regard them as a
good tool for professional wordsmiths, but not so good for normal corporate
users.
Hope this helps
Hi Cindy,
You make a very good point.
For me, a Master Document is a means to an end - a
convenient framework for linking the parts and itself
containing nothing except Cover/Title pages, a TOC
and, occasionally, an Index.
I maintain the sub-docs quite separately. The Master,
to me, is a disposable item that can be re-created if
necessary (rather than moving content around).
I need to remember that not everyone necessarily
follows that route.
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John McGhie <
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Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410
