Word 2003, Windows XP

We have some large technical documents that had previously been created
and/or edited by a combination of people who sortof knew what they were
doing, and people who didnt (hopefully Im in the former group), so there
are numerous Styles with odd names, and LOTS of manual formatting. Im in
the process of developing and implementing a set of consistent Styles to use
on the documents.

Im importing and applying the new Styles, wiping out the manual formatting,
and deleting the old, oddball styles. Im using Table Styles to do things
like set the internal and external borders, setting the spacing between
cells, and centering/not centering the whole table.

As Im cleaning things up, I apply the Table Styles to the table, and
font/paragraph Styles to the text within. Ill go along to later parts of
the document, and when I finally wipe out all instances of an oddball Style,
I delete it using the €œStyles and Formatting€� pane. Later Im looking
through the document and notice that the tables now have applied as a Table
Style, a style that isnt necessarily a Table Style, and typically has no
relation to the Styles Ive applied to the text.

What am I doing wrong?
--
Loretta

Hi Loretta,

I think you've run into a bug that I encountered, too. And I avoid table =
styles for professional work because of this bug.

The only thing I've figured out is that the table style is messed up the =
moment I deleted some other, totally unrelated (paragraph) style. And =
the problem seems to be related to "link styles".

I've had to reformat dozens of tables by hand last time it happened.=20

Since then, I double-check if the tables are still ok each time after I =
delete some style, and use "undo" (Ctrl+Z) immediately if the tables are =
messed up.

If it's too late and the tables are already messed up, and if you're =
lucky, you can perhaps fix the damage -- although I haven't had much =
luck yet:
In the VBA editor (Alt+F11), immediate window (Ctrl+G), find the link =
styles for your table style and the style that's suddenly applied:
? ActiveDocument.Styles("your_Table_Style").LinkStyl e
(type or paste this line, insert the name of your table style, and hit =
the Return key at the end of the line)

You should get the answer "Normal" both times.=20

If it turns out that the table style and the new, wrong style are =
linked, try to get rid of the link between the styles:
ActiveDocument.Styles("wrong_style").LinkStyle=3DA ctiveDocument.Styles(wd=
StyleNormal)
or
ActiveDocument.Styles("your_Table_Style").LinkStyl e=3DActiveDocument.Styl=
es(wdStyleNormal)

One of those two lines might fix the problem.

It's a very slim chance that this might work... Probably you'll have to =
reformat :-(

Regards,
Klaus



"Loretta" wrote:
Word 2003, Windows XP
=20
We have some large technical documents that had previously been =
created=20
and/or edited by a combination of people who sortof knew what they =
were=20
doing, and people who didn=E2=80=99t (hopefully I=E2=80=99m in the =
former group), so there=20
are numerous Styles with odd names, and LOTS of manual formatting. =
I=E2=80=99m in=20
the process of developing and implementing a set of consistent Styles =
to use=20
on the documents.
=20
I=E2=80=99m importing and applying the new Styles, wiping out the =
manual formatting,=20
and deleting the old, oddball styles. I=E2=80=99m using Table Styles =
to do things=20
like set the internal and external borders, setting the spacing =
between=20
cells, and centering/not centering the whole table.
=20
As I=E2=80=99m cleaning things up, I apply the Table Styles to the =
table, and=20
font/paragraph Styles to the text within. I=E2=80=99ll go along to =
later parts of=20
the document, and when I finally wipe out all instances of an oddball =
Style,=20
I delete it using the =E2=80=9CStyles and Formatting=E2=80=9D pane. =
Later I=E2=80=99m looking=20
through the document and notice that the tables now have applied as a =
Table=20
Style, a style that isn=E2=80=99t necessarily a Table Style, and =
typically has no=20
relation to the Styles I=E2=80=99ve applied to the text.
=20
What am I doing wrong?
--
Loretta

Don't ya just love them bugs? G

I'll have to try your suggestions. I have noticed that if I reapply the
proper table style to the table, everything goes back to what it was
_supposed_ to look like.
--
Loretta

"Klaus Linke" wrote:

Hi Loretta,

I think you've run into a bug that I encountered, too.