Workgroup templates

[Nicky at Meridian]

I have created several documents in a folder for use as templates on a
network with the workgroup templates folder on each users machine pointing to
this folder. I have not yet saved them all as "Document Templates", they are
just "Word Docs" at the moment. Can someone tell me if these actually need
to saved as templates and the Word Docs deleted? I have had a trial run and
cannot see any difference between to the two. The whole idea is to be able
to open a document to edit without accidentally saving over it and both seem
to do this.

 

[Cindy M.]

Hi Nicky,

I have created several documents in a folder for use as templates on a
network with the workgroup templates folder on each users machine pointing to
this folder. I have not yet saved them all as "Document Templates", they are
just "Word Docs" at the moment. Can someone tell me if these actually need
to saved as templates and the Word Docs deleted? I have had a trial run and
cannot see any difference between to the two. The whole idea is to be able
to open a document to edit without accidentally saving over it and both seem
to do this.

Which version of Office is involved? How are these files being used (double-
clicking in Windows Explorer, using File/New in Word, something else)?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
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[Nicky at Meridian]

Hi - I am using 2003 and would use File/New. Hope this helps.

 

[Cindy M.]

Hi Nicky,

I am using 2003 and would use File/New. Hope this helps.

I would not have expected to see the "Word docs" (*.doc) in the File/New dialog box,
which is why I asked the question. If they're showing up in the dialog box and
working correctly I suppose you're alright leaving them.

Coming from very early versions of Word, where this would not have worked, my gut
reaction would have been to say: "Save them as templates". And then I would have
gone on to mention that only then would you have access to AutoText; and toolbar,
keyboard and macros would not be saved in the document, only the template.

But on further thinking, I decided that NOT being linked to a particular template
could also be an advantage. So I guess it depends on the "extension" of what these
files contain and how they'll be used once they've been created. For example, if
they contain macros and the macros are in the new documents: if the documents are
sent out-of-house they could cause problems with macro security.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in
the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Nicky at Meridian]

Hi Cindy

I was under the impression that templates could only be opened by File/New
and did not realise they can also be opened via Explorer and Word. My
concern here is that when you open a template via Explorer and File/New a new
document is created based upon the template whereas opening the same in Word
actually opens the template and could easily be written over. Is there
anyway of making this foolproof?

You help is appreciated - thanks in anticipation.

 

[Cindy M.]

Hi Nicky,

I was under the impression that templates could only be opened by File/New
and did not realise they can also be opened via Explorer and Word. My
concern here is that when you open a template via Explorer and File/New a new
document is created based upon the template whereas opening the same in Word
actually opens the template and could easily be written over. Is there
anyway of making this foolproof?

Mmm, I think we first need to settle on our terminology... When I talk Word
"Open" means to open a file and change it. "New" (or create) means to create a
copy of an original file that will not affect the original file. (An exception,
in the case of Word, being that AutoText, macros, toolbars, etc. could be
created or changed in the original file.)

So, if you use File/New with a template a new document is created (a copy of the
template). Same if a template file is double-clicked in the Windows Explorer,
assuming the installation defaults are in force.

If you right-click a template in Windows Explorer or use File/Open in Word then
you're actually opening the original file - the template - and changing it.

I think the best way to protect the templates against being changed (opened) is
to restrict permissions on the folder. If you make it read-only for your users,
for example, if they accidentally open the template they won't be able to save
it back to the Workgroup folder.

Anything beyond that would require, at the very least, some kind of macro or
add-in program. For example, you could have an AutoOpen macro that would display
a message and close the file. (But holding down the Shift key would prevent it
from running at all.) An Add-in could monitor the DocumentOpen event and, if a
file is opened from a particular folder, ask for a password.

Those are just some ideas, it depends on how "secure" you need things to be.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Nicky at Meridian]

Hi Cindy

Thank you for explaining things. For now I have saved all the documents as
templates and have also made the folder "read only" to ensure the files are
not overwritten whichever way they are accessed.

Thank you for your help.