Variable auto-text entries in templates

[Glenn]

I am using a third-party application that has been written
by developers who clearly have no understanding of MS
WOrd. One of the many flaws of the software is that it
won't open a word document for mail-merging with its data-
source unless the document to be merged is specified as
a .dot file (it won't open .doc files).

I have an auto-text entry for the letterhead on all these
word templates BUT I need the auto-text entry to vary
according to how it is defined in the indivual user's PC
because we have 2 offices with 2 different letterheads,
but one set of letters (and these letters can only be
in .dot form becuase of the shortcoming of the
application).

However if a user in one office uses a template with an
auto-text entry with the same name but calling a different
letterhead graphic (because the auto-text entry is defined
differently on their PC) to a user in the other office one
of them always gets the error 'auto-text entry not
defined'. I presume this is because for .dot files the
auto-text entry is tied up with the .dot file in some way.
But why? I don't have any of the .dot files for the mail-
merge in the startup folder so why is Word fussy about how
the auto-text entry is defined on the user's PC?

Can anyone help me with finding a solution to his problem -
that is keeping my auto-text entries the same but getting
rid of the 'not-defined' errors.

Any help enormously appreciated!

Glenn.

 

[Cindy Meister -WordMVP-]

Hi Glenn,

I have an auto-text entry for the letterhead on all these
word templates BUT I need the auto-text entry to vary
according to how it is defined in the indivual user's PC
because we have 2 offices with 2 different letterheads,
but one set of letters (and these letters can only be
in .dot form becuase of the shortcoming of the
application).

Which version of Word is involved? Please explain how the
AutoText entries are stored on the PCs. Are they in the mail
merge templates? In the users' Normal.dot templates? Some
where else?

When a mail merge is EXECUTED, the result is a DOC file,
which will be linked to the template of the main merge file.
But once this result document is mailed off as an attachment,
it may not be able to find that attached template in another
location. Does everyone have the exact same path to the
templates? Note that this would also happen if you send the
letters out-of-house...

However if a user in one office uses a template with an
auto-text entry with the same name but calling a different
letterhead graphic (because the auto-text entry is defined
differently on their PC) to a user in the other office one
of them always gets the error 'auto-text entry not
defined'. I presume this is because for .dot files the
auto-text entry is tied up with the .dot file in some way.
But why? I don't have any of the .dot files for the mail-
merge in the startup folder so why is Word fussy about how
the auto-text entry is defined on the user's PC?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jan
24 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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