Quick Parts

[Vicky]

Can someone point me in the direction of a good explaination of Building
Blocks/Quick Parts? I would like to understand when I need to change a
gallery and a category

In other words, If I am selecting text that I would like to reuse frequently
(Auto text from prior versions) does it matter that I save it to the Quick
Parts gallery or the AutoText gallery?

Is there a way to quickly access these building blocks? I've added my Quick
Parts button to the Quick Access toolbar but I am wondering what will happen
why I have many entries in my Quick Parts.

Thanks!

 

[Aeneas]

Here's a rather lengthy explanation, which I hope is helpful.

*Galleries*
Building blocks are organized into galleries such as AutoText, Quick Parts
and Page Numbers; there are 35 built-in galleries; you cannot create new
galleries (15 built-in, 15 more with “custom†preceding name of each built-in
gallery (for example, Custom AutoText) and 5 named Custom 1 to Custom 5)

*Categories*
Galleries in turn can be organized into categories; by default the only
category is General; you can add as many categories to a given gallery as
you'd like

*Quick Parts Gallery and Categories*
When you click Quick Parts on the Insert tab, in the Text group, you will
see the building blocks in the Quick Parts gallery organized alphabetically
by category and within categories alphabetically

If you organize AutoText entries into categories, I would think it would be
easier to find them in the Quick Parts gallery so long as you do not have
many other building blocks that you have classified as Quick Parts. I do not
use this approach.

*AutoText Gallery and Categories*
Personally I prefer to classify AutoText entries in the AutoText gallery and
create categories within the AutoText gallery; the advantage of this approach
is that the Quick Parts gallery is reserved for commonly-used building
blocks other than AutoText. But how do you display them quickly? You need to
add the AutoText button to the Quick Access Toolbar.

*Adding the AutoText button to the Quick Access Toolbar*
Either click Customize Quick Access Toolbar triangle on the right end of the
Quick Access Toolbar to display the Quick Access Toolbar Customize menu and
click More Commands to display the customization options (the "command well")
-or-
Click the Microsoft Office Button to display the Office menu and click Word
Options to display the Word Options dialog box; click Customize to display
the customization options

Then:
In the Choose commands from drop-down list box, select All commands
Scroll down and select the desired command (AutoText)
Choose where the customization is saved (by default in Building Blocks.dotx)
Click Add
Click OK

When you click the AutoText button, you’ll see AutoText entries in the
AutoText gallery organized by category; the categories are in alphabetical
order and the AutoText entries in each category are sorted alphabetically by
name; no other building blocks are displayed

*Naming AutoText entries and using the stripped down AutoComplete feature*
Even though the AutoComplete feature has been severely limited as a result
of integrating AutoText entries into building blocks, it is still very
useful. But to be able to use the AutoComplete feature efficiently, the
AutoText entries must be named with unique names (preferably combining
letters and at least one number in the 1st 4 characters of the name). As soon
as the characters you enter are unique, you press F3 and the AutoText entry
is inserted. The uniqueness of the name has to apply to all building blocks,
not just those within a given gallery or category with a gallery. Unless you
have hundreds of AutoText entries, I find this is by far the easiest way to
insert AutoText entries.

 

[Vicky]

Thank you. THis clarifies much of my confusion. One more question. do when
do I save it to Building Blocks v. Current Doc v. Normal? I think I
understand what Current doc is - what is building blocks?

 

[Aeneas]

From the drop-down list in the Create New Building Block dialog box, you can
only save building blocks in building blocks.dotx (the default), the Normal
template (always loaded as a global template and by default attached as the
document template) or to the attached document template, if you have attached
a template to the document other than the Normal template. You can also open
a template and create the building blocks within that template. The following
discussion -- again somewhat lengthy -- should address your question.

*Where to store building blocks*
Building blocks are stored in template files (*.dotx)
Built-in building blocks (US English) are stored in building blocks.dotx at:
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name \Application Data\Microsoft\Document
Building Blocks\1033\ (Windows XP)
C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Document Building Blocks\1033\
(Vista)
This is a copy, created automatically when you install Word, of the original
file, which you should not delete!
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office12\Document Parts\1033\(Windows XP
or Vista)

User-created building blocks are stored at:
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name \Application Data\Microsoft\Document
Building Blocks\1033\Building Blocks.dotx (Windows XP)
C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Document Building
Blocks\1033\Building Blocks.dotx (Vista)

User-created templates and the Normal template are stored at:
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\
(Windows XP)
C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\ (Vista)

*Alternatives to storing building blocks in the default building blocks.dotx
file*
Building blocks are stored by default in building blocks.dotx. This file can
become corrupt and you might lose your custom building blocks. They can be
stored in the Normal template (not recommended) or in the attached document
template.

You might find it advisable to store building blocks suited to a specific
type of document in a document template you have created for the express
purpose of creating that type of document

You can also create a new template(s) and store the building blocks there by
simply opening the template and creating the building blocks; this template
that can be loaded for (1) the current session only or (2)all Word sessions.

*Loading a global template for the current session only
You must first add the Developer tab 1st
Click the Microsoft Office Button to display the Office menu, click Word
Options to display the Word Options dialog box and click Personalize
Check the Show Developer tab in the Ribbon check box and click OK

Then on the Developer tab, in the Templates group, click Document templates
and select the Templates tab of the Templates and Add-ins dialog box. Click
Add, select the template containing the building blocks that you want to load
for the current session and click OK. This only stays active for the current
session; if you want to use it in future session you'll need to make sure the
check box for the template is checked or save the template in Word's startup
folder.

The startup folder is located at:
C:\Documents and Settings\User Name\Application
Data\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\(Windows XP)
C:\Users\User Name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Word\STARTUP\ (Vista)

Let me know if I have left anything unanswered. Good luck!