Why don't cross-references update automatically?

[Daniel Pflughoeft]

Is there a reason cross-references aren't updated automatically? Currently,
a user has to hit ctrl+a, f9 to update all cross-references (and do it again
for the header/footer, since ctrl+a does not highlight them) in the document.
This makes cross-references unusable for large documents edited by many
people, some of whom don't know that the cross-references need to be manually
updated (or don't know how).

I can't imagine why this wouldn't be done automatically on save - perhaps
that can be added as a feature to Office 2010 SP1?

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[Stefan Blom]

Switching to Print Preview and then back to your favorite view works.

Also, you can set the option to update fields before printing: In Word 2007,
click the Office button, and then click Word Options. In the Display
category, select "Update fields before printing."

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I suspect that switching to Print Preview wouldn't work (except for fields
that update at print time anyway) if you didn't have "Update fields" enabled
in the Print Options.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Graham Mayor]

Most fields don't update automatically. You need to force an update. The
example macro code at http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm will do so
for all but the most difficult circumstances (and they can be addressed when
identified) including text boxes and header/footers. Add the macro to a
toolbar button.

For a specific document you could modify the FileSave and FileSaveAs
functions, using the macro to incorporate the update in the saving process,
by saving the following in the document's template

Sub FileSave()
Dim oStory As Range
For Each oStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
oStory.Fields.Update
If oStory.StoryType <> wdMainTextStory Then
While Not (oStory.NextStoryRange Is Nothing)
Set oStory = oStory.NextStoryRange
oStory.Fields.Update
Wend
End If
Next oStory
Set oStory = Nothing
On Error Resume Next
ActiveDocument.Save
ActiveWindow.Caption = ActiveDocument.FullName
End Sub

Sub FileSaveAs()
Dim oStory As Range
For Each oStory In ActiveDocument.StoryRanges
oStory.Fields.Update
If oStory.StoryType <> wdMainTextStory Then
While Not (oStory.NextStoryRange Is Nothing)
Set oStory = oStory.NextStoryRange
oStory.Fields.Update
Wend
End If
Next oStory
Set oStory = Nothing
On Error Resume Next
Dialogs(wdDialogFileSaveAs).Show
ActiveWindow.Caption = ActiveDocument.FullName
End Sub

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Stefan Blom]

Print Preview does work for REF fields even if you don't select the option
to update fields at print.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Okay, thanks. Odd that REF is not mentioned in
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/211629, "Which fields are updated when you
open, repaginate, or print document." PAGEREF is mentioned.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Stefan Blom]

But the REF field is listed in this KB article:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/212054/ ("Some fields are updated while
other fields are not"). I believe Microsoft needs to review all of those
articles on field updating. <sigh>

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I agree. I'll add that article to my list.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org