atw: Re: Office 2007 - Master documents - Faustian evil but useable...

Warren:

Tch!   Tch!   Tch!

Naughty!  Naughty !  Naughty!     This is virtually guaranteed NOT to work, 
Warren, 
because Word KNOWS there's no copy, and therefore punishes
you by scattering pointers to the 4 winds. 

Steps 1 to N in any process using Master document mode should have a 
prefix after each step: 

Copy all your files someplace safe.

Without this ritual, nothing.

On Mon, 26 Mar 2007 14:28:42 +1100,  you wrote:
> Right, just to step out of the 'they don't work' mire. Steve Hudson, God
> rest his souls, is a good mate of mine.
>
> Okay, Word master sub documents were pretty solid from Word 2000 on. Word
> has stabilised remarkably in the last few years since real RAM has become
> available. As you will see below, you need patience, time and very good
> humour to get it to work. solid Word skills are ESSENTIAL. Sorry but this
> document is madly rushed.
>
> I haven't seen Office 2007 (mine is coming).
>
> My recommendations start with ensuring the style naming conventions you have
> applied to each document are all the same. In fact take that as essential...
> To create a Master sub-document system you should really start with a
> template that all documents are made from or one that is attached to all
> relevant documents. It is not critical, but it removes an irritant level
> step or in the WORST case, an absolute nightmare! And there are so many
> pests (equivalent to your beloved sandflies on the south Island) that any
> you can remove is good.
>
> Each sub-document should be contained in one bookmark (from beginning to
> end), labelled for example "Section_##". Master Document TOC's work best
> using bookmark references, linked back to each sub-document. So add a
> discrete name for each sub-document that is independent (I use
> "Section_##"), then each Master Document TOC field (one for each sub-
> document) looks like: {TOC \b "Section_##" [switches] }. Otherwise
> diagnosing the sometimes psychotic standard TOC results can be a nightmare.
>
> To guarantee a nice consecutive numbering of the sections, go to each sub-
> document, navigate to the styles controlling the heading numbering. Stand on
> your head, count to ten. In the Bullets and Numbering dialog, select the 
> Outline numbered tab and click Customize. Change the 'Start at' number to
> the relevant section number. Click OK to confirm it all. Hope. Update your
> fields. Save. Do a rap dance ... (swearing creatively helps). If this step
> is not done, remember that editing the individual sub-documents will not
> reflect the heading numbers that Word distributes in the Master document. 
>
> NEVER DELETE SECTION BREAKS WITHOUT FOREVER CURSING YOUR GRANDMOTHER'S
> MEMORY IN A MASTER DOCUMENT.
>
> This description below is how it used to all work (as at word 2003 anyway).
>
>
> 1. Put all your documents into one directory location. Start with the Master
> document and leave the sub-documents in a folder under it. Prevent the
> directory/folder tree from being tampered with. Ever. Threaten being eaten
> by Maori's if they do... don't ever change a file name in here again.
>
> 2. To set up the master document, Start with a nice front matter section.
> This will become the master document.
>
> 3. Tools > Options > View. Turn viewing everything on, section breaks,
> styles, fields. The whole caboose. Click Ok and get used to the view,
> especially in View > Normal. You'll need it. Believe me.
>
> 4. Now, View > Outline. The view changes again. Get used to this view, you
> will need it more. This is where you could get into trouble, however all
> your documents are going already. So it is easier.
>
> 4a. Make sure the cursor is not inside a bookmark, or a section break you
> have created in the master document.
> 4b. In the Outlining toolbar, click the Insert sub-document button. 4c.
> Browse to and select the document you want to add. Click open. Click OK, Yes
> or No on any messages (read them all, they mean something) you may get.
> 4d. Breathe once, select all, update fields and save.
>
> Now that is how it used to work. Don't' forget to swear and curse on the
> Wallabies bad name and evilly glare at Word numerous times during the
> process. It does the same to you and the All-Blacks...
>
> Finally. BE WARNED. Master-sub document help was scanty, but it may be
> absent because the system doesn't work properly any more... MS developers do
> that sort of thing. then again, it might work even better, it was just the
> developer responsible didn't want the user monkeys utilising it...
> Warren.
> From: austechwriter-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:austechwriter-
> bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Carin van Bolderen
> Sent: Monday, 26 March 2007 12:51
> To: austechwriter@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: atw: Office 2007 - Master documents
>
>
> Hi everyone
>
>
> I?ve just joined this list and am based in New Zealand working as a
> technical writer for a software company. I?m currently producing a large
> manual in WORD (using Office 2007), and wonder if anyone has any pointers
> about creating Master documents. I?ve worked in FrameMaker for many years,
> so I?m finding WORD a bit of a grind.
>
>
> I basically have a dozen or so chapters ( approx 30-40 pages in each one)
> and want to be able to create a TOC that has consecutive numbers across the
> whole manual?is there any other way of achieving this apart from creating a
> Master document with sub-documents (the chapters)? I can?t find anything
> about Master documents in the WORD help file???
>
>
> Look forward to your response J
>
> Kindest regards
>
> Carin
>
>
> Carin van Bolderen                                  
>
> Documentation Analyst                     
> Ph: +64 3 365 3200
>
> Carin@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
>
> Hindin Communications Ltd
>
> P.O. Box 1181
>
> Christchurch
>
> New Zealand                                 
> www.knowledgebase.co.nz
>
>
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-Peter M
 
There's really no point in listening to other people. They're either going to be
agreeing with you or saying stupid stuff  -- Dogbert via Dilbert and (c)Scott 
Adams
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