Sharing a Long Document Question

[gi]

I inherited the job of managing a large handbook in MS Word that
consists of 12 chapters plus six appendices. Most chapters have
multiple authors and reviewers. The handbook is not set up as a master
document. We're using Word 2003.

1. How can I separate the chapters to distribute to individual
reviewers while preserving the original formatting including paragraph
numbering? I've tried just cutting the text into a new document but
that eliminates the headers and footers and usually changes the styles
and paragraph numbering starts over from 1.0. (I.e., if I cut and
paste section 5.0 for example, the first heading in the pasted text
becomes 1.0. The same thing happened when I tried turning it into a
master document. The first heading in each subdocument became 1.0.)

2. I will soon be creating a similar document for another program. The
plan is to use ClearCase to manage it. (I have no choice in this).
Since I will be starting from scratch, what's the best way to set up
the document so I can have separate files for individual chapters and
then be able to assemble the whole thing with continuous paragraph
numbering and page numbering and a single TOC?

Thanks,
gi

 

[Charles Kenyon]

For cutting up current document, use Save As and trim unwanted parts.

For new document, start with a common template that has your numbering and
other styles already set up.

See: How to create numbered headings or outline numbering in your Word
document
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html. (For
bullets see http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/bullets/controlbullets.html, the
subject is related.)

How to Create a Template, Part II
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm

--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


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[Jonathan West]

I inherited the job of managing a large handbook in MS Word that
consists of 12 chapters plus six appendices. Most chapters have
multiple authors and reviewers. The handbook is not set up as a master
document.

Ouch! That's problem #1. Your first job may well be to ensure that there are
no hidden corruptions in the document. Take a look at these articles.

Why Master Documents corrupt
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/WhyMasterDocsCorrupt.htm

We're using Word 2003.

1. How can I separate the chapters to distribute to individual
reviewers while preserving the original formatting including paragraph
numbering? I've tried just cutting the text into a new document but
that eliminates the headers and footers and usually changes the styles
and paragraph numbering starts over from 1.0. (I.e., if I cut and
paste section 5.0 for example, the first heading in the pasted text
becomes 1.0. The same thing happened when I tried turning it into a
master document. The first heading in each subdocument became 1.0.)

This article gives you a step-by-step process for cleanly separating out a
master document into its compnent parts

How to recover a Master Document
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/General/RecoverMasterDocs.htm

2. I will soon be creating a similar document for another program. The
plan is to use ClearCase to manage it. (I have no choice in this).
Since I will be starting from scratch, what's the best way to set up
the document so I can have separate files for individual chapters and
then be able to assemble the whole thing with continuous paragraph
numbering and page numbering and a single TOC?

These articles will help.

Creating a Template - The Basics (Part I)
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm

Creating a Template (Part II)
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm

Creating Custom Toolbars for Templates
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=262

Methods for restarting list numbering
http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/Numbering/ListRestartMethods.htm

Creating a Table of Contents Spanning Multiple Documents
http://pubs.logicalexpressions.com/Pub0009/LPMArticle.asp?ID=148

The key points are as follows

1. You create a stable template with defined styles etc which can be used to
ensure consistency throughout the document

2. You use style-based numbering and choose a particular mechanism which
will be consistently applied for restarting numbering, with the aim of
avoiding the common problem of "spaghetti numbering" in Word.

3. You use toolbars etc (and probably training) for the other authors to
make it easy for them to use the features of your templates. The aim is to
make it easier for them to do it right than to do it wrong.

4. You avoid master documents because of the corruption problems, and
instead use RD fields to manage the consolidated index and ToC


--
Regards
Jonathan West - Word MVP
www.intelligentdocuments.co.uk
Please reply to the newsgroup
Keep your VBA code safe, sign the ClassicVB petition www.classicvb.org

 

[Charles Kenyon]

I hadn't noticed that you tried converting to a master document. Oops!

Do read the article that Jonathan referred you to, now.
--
Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide


--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Jonathan West]

I inherited the job of managing a large handbook in MS Word that
consists of 12 chapters plus six appendices. Most chapters have
multiple authors and reviewers. The handbook is not set up as a master
document. We're using Word 2003.

I missed the "not" when composing my earlier reply. Ignore what I said about
that being Problem #1. Just make sure it doesn't *become* problem #1 by
attempting to use a master document for this!

The rest of my answer still applies.


--
Regards
Jonathan West - Word MVP
www.intelligentdocuments.co.uk
Please reply to the newsgroup
Keep your VBA code safe, sign the ClassicVB petition www.classicvb.org