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#1
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Insert source texts into multiple files and update automatically
In a document that consists of about 20 chapter files, a number of pieces of
text--such as common procedures and lines of code--each appear in more than one file. What I'd like to do is: o Put all the pieces of text that appear in multiple locations in one repository (such as in their own file, or whatever). o Automatically insert each piece of text into all the locations where it belongs, in various files. o Update a piece of text once, in the central repository, and have the updated version transmitted automatically to each of its locations throughout the document. o Quickly check to see that all instantiations and modifications have been made. I realize that I can use autotext to do part of this, but autotext seems to be limited to inserting and updating instances of a text that reside in one file only. Any suggestions on how I can achieve my goals? Thanks, Rob |
#2
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What you should use are IncludeText fields. Check them out in Help, post
back if necessary. You insert the text that may change as an IncludeText field in multiple documents, then keep the base document updated. You will need to Update Fields in the documents that use these, to see the changes. There is supposedly a setting to "update fields on opening" but I've found it is not always reliable in my version (MacWord 2004). AutoText has nothing to do with "one file only" but will only help you insert static text, not help you update changing text. On 4/18/05 3:35 PM, "robfer" wrote: In a document that consists of about 20 chapter files, a number of pieces of text--such as common procedures and lines of code--each appear in more than one file. What I'd like to do is: o Put all the pieces of text that appear in multiple locations in one repository (such as in their own file, or whatever). o Automatically insert each piece of text into all the locations where it belongs, in various files. o Update a piece of text once, in the central repository, and have the updated version transmitted automatically to each of its locations throughout the document. o Quickly check to see that all instantiations and modifications have been made. I realize that I can use autotext to do part of this, but autotext seems to be limited to inserting and updating instances of a text that reside in one file only. Any suggestions on how I can achieve my goals? Thanks, Rob -- Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/ MacWord Tips: http://www.word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/ What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ |
#3
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I think you've helped me get on the right track. But apparently only by
accident have I succeeded once in using an IncludeText field to include text in one document from a source document. All other attempts have failed. Here's what I've done: 1. In a source document, I typed some text, selected the entire text, and then created a bookmark of the text, calling it textA. 2. In another document, on the Insert menu, I clicked Field, clicked IncludeText, and then clicked OK, which inserted the following field: { INCLUDETEXT \* MERGEFORMAT }. 3. Inside the brackets, I deleted everything after the first space after INCLUDETEXT, typed the path to the bookmark in the source file, and ended up with: { INCLUDETEXT "pathname" textA }. I've inserted several IncludeText fields in a destination document, but only one instance of the field has worked, even though the others are character-for-character and space-for-space identical, gray shading and all. In only the one working instance does the field switch between field codes and the resulting text, textA, when I press SHIFT+F9. In the other instances, the field codes are replaced either by Error! Filename not specified., or absolutely nothing, a blank. I'm flummoxed. I don't know why the one instance works and why the others don't. I don't know why I get different results for the nonworking instances. I don't know what I've done right or wrong. What's the right way to do all this? Details would help, because, with all my printouts of field topics from Word Help, I still don't have all the steps I need to use the IncludeText field properly in this situation. Thanks, Rob "Daiya Mitchell" wrote: What you should use are IncludeText fields. Check them out in Help, post back if necessary. You insert the text that may change as an IncludeText field in multiple documents, then keep the base document updated. You will need to Update Fields in the documents that use these, to see the changes. There is supposedly a setting to "update fields on opening" but I've found it is not always reliable in my version (MacWord 2004). AutoText has nothing to do with "one file only" but will only help you insert static text, not help you update changing text. On 4/18/05 3:35 PM, "robfer" wrote: In a document that consists of about 20 chapter files, a number of pieces of text--such as common procedures and lines of code--each appear in more than one file. What I'd like to do is: o Put all the pieces of text that appear in multiple locations in one repository (such as in their own file, or whatever). o Automatically insert each piece of text into all the locations where it belongs, in various files. o Update a piece of text once, in the central repository, and have the updated version transmitted automatically to each of its locations throughout the document. o Quickly check to see that all instantiations and modifications have been made. I realize that I can use autotext to do part of this, but autotext seems to be limited to inserting and updating instances of a text that reside in one file only. Any suggestions on how I can achieve my goals? Thanks, Rob -- Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/ MacWord Tips: http://www.word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/ What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ |
#4
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I fixed my own problem. The solution is to update a field immediately after
inserting it, by clicking in the field and then pressing F9. After I did this to each of the fields that wasn't working before, they all worked. That is, clicking in a field and pressing SHIFT+F9 toggled between the field codes and the inserted text. Of course, each time you change the source text or the path to it, you'll need to update the destination fields again. What's more, I discovered that the way you create an IncludeText field is irrelevant, as long as the result is a proper field (with the correct syntax and path). Whether I started a field by pressing CTRL+F9 (to create a blank field with brackets) and then typing in the rest, or inserted an IncludeText field from the Insert menu, or typed or copied the path between the field brackets { }, the resulting field always worked, as long as I updated it right after creating it. Again, thanks. Now I really think this will work. Rob "robfer" wrote: I think you've helped me get on the right track. But apparently only by accident have I succeeded once in using an IncludeText field to include text in one document from a source document. All other attempts have failed. Here's what I've done: 1. In a source document, I typed some text, selected the entire text, and then created a bookmark of the text, calling it textA. 2. In another document, on the Insert menu, I clicked Field, clicked IncludeText, and then clicked OK, which inserted the following field: { INCLUDETEXT \* MERGEFORMAT }. 3. Inside the brackets, I deleted everything after the first space after INCLUDETEXT, typed the path to the bookmark in the source file, and ended up with: { INCLUDETEXT "pathname" textA }. I've inserted several IncludeText fields in a destination document, but only one instance of the field has worked, even though the others are character-for-character and space-for-space identical, gray shading and all. In only the one working instance does the field switch between field codes and the resulting text, textA, when I press SHIFT+F9. In the other instances, the field codes are replaced either by Error! Filename not specified., or absolutely nothing, a blank. I'm flummoxed. I don't know why the one instance works and why the others don't. I don't know why I get different results for the nonworking instances. I don't know what I've done right or wrong. What's the right way to do all this? Details would help, because, with all my printouts of field topics from Word Help, I still don't have all the steps I need to use the IncludeText field properly in this situation. Thanks, Rob "Daiya Mitchell" wrote: What you should use are IncludeText fields. Check them out in Help, post back if necessary. You insert the text that may change as an IncludeText field in multiple documents, then keep the base document updated. You will need to Update Fields in the documents that use these, to see the changes. There is supposedly a setting to "update fields on opening" but I've found it is not always reliable in my version (MacWord 2004). AutoText has nothing to do with "one file only" but will only help you insert static text, not help you update changing text. On 4/18/05 3:35 PM, "robfer" wrote: In a document that consists of about 20 chapter files, a number of pieces of text--such as common procedures and lines of code--each appear in more than one file. What I'd like to do is: o Put all the pieces of text that appear in multiple locations in one repository (such as in their own file, or whatever). o Automatically insert each piece of text into all the locations where it belongs, in various files. o Update a piece of text once, in the central repository, and have the updated version transmitted automatically to each of its locations throughout the document. o Quickly check to see that all instantiations and modifications have been made. I realize that I can use autotext to do part of this, but autotext seems to be limited to inserting and updating instances of a text that reside in one file only. Any suggestions on how I can achieve my goals? Thanks, Rob -- Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/ MacWord Tips: http://www.word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/ What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ |
#5
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Glad you fixed it.
You can also use Insert | File and check the box to "link", just by the way. If you have bookmarks set up, they should appear at the bottom of the dialog, to be selected for an IncludeText field that doesn't include the whole file. (at least in MacWord 2004). That puts the path in automatically. I think I'm saving your messages as reminder notes for a possible how-to on includetext fields, if you don't mind. DM On 4/19/05 4:05 PM, "robfer" wrote: I fixed my own problem. The solution is to update a field immediately after inserting it, by clicking in the field and then pressing F9. After I did this to each of the fields that wasn't working before, they all worked. That is, clicking in a field and pressing SHIFT+F9 toggled between the field codes and the inserted text. Of course, each time you change the source text or the path to it, you'll need to update the destination fields again. What's more, I discovered that the way you create an IncludeText field is irrelevant, as long as the result is a proper field (with the correct syntax and path). Whether I started a field by pressing CTRL+F9 (to create a blank field with brackets) and then typing in the rest, or inserted an IncludeText field from the Insert menu, or typed or copied the path between the field brackets { }, the resulting field always worked, as long as I updated it right after creating it. Again, thanks. Now I really think this will work. Rob |
#6
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Another way to do this is to use Insert | File and choose Insert as Link,
which creates an IncludeText field. If you want to include only specific bookmarked text in that document, you can enter the bookmark as the Range. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "robfer" wrote in message ... I fixed my own problem. The solution is to update a field immediately after inserting it, by clicking in the field and then pressing F9. After I did this to each of the fields that wasn't working before, they all worked. That is, clicking in a field and pressing SHIFT+F9 toggled between the field codes and the inserted text. Of course, each time you change the source text or the path to it, you'll need to update the destination fields again. What's more, I discovered that the way you create an IncludeText field is irrelevant, as long as the result is a proper field (with the correct syntax and path). Whether I started a field by pressing CTRL+F9 (to create a blank field with brackets) and then typing in the rest, or inserted an IncludeText field from the Insert menu, or typed or copied the path between the field brackets { }, the resulting field always worked, as long as I updated it right after creating it. Again, thanks. Now I really think this will work. Rob "robfer" wrote: I think you've helped me get on the right track. But apparently only by accident have I succeeded once in using an IncludeText field to include text in one document from a source document. All other attempts have failed. Here's what I've done: 1. In a source document, I typed some text, selected the entire text, and then created a bookmark of the text, calling it textA. 2. In another document, on the Insert menu, I clicked Field, clicked IncludeText, and then clicked OK, which inserted the following field: { INCLUDETEXT \* MERGEFORMAT }. 3. Inside the brackets, I deleted everything after the first space after INCLUDETEXT, typed the path to the bookmark in the source file, and ended up with: { INCLUDETEXT "pathname" textA }. I've inserted several IncludeText fields in a destination document, but only one instance of the field has worked, even though the others are character-for-character and space-for-space identical, gray shading and all. In only the one working instance does the field switch between field codes and the resulting text, textA, when I press SHIFT+F9. In the other instances, the field codes are replaced either by Error! Filename not specified., or absolutely nothing, a blank. I'm flummoxed. I don't know why the one instance works and why the others don't. I don't know why I get different results for the nonworking instances. I don't know what I've done right or wrong. What's the right way to do all this? Details would help, because, with all my printouts of field topics from Word Help, I still don't have all the steps I need to use the IncludeText field properly in this situation. Thanks, Rob "Daiya Mitchell" wrote: What you should use are IncludeText fields. Check them out in Help, post back if necessary. You insert the text that may change as an IncludeText field in multiple documents, then keep the base document updated. You will need to Update Fields in the documents that use these, to see the changes. There is supposedly a setting to "update fields on opening" but I've found it is not always reliable in my version (MacWord 2004). AutoText has nothing to do with "one file only" but will only help you insert static text, not help you update changing text. On 4/18/05 3:35 PM, "robfer" wrote: In a document that consists of about 20 chapter files, a number of pieces of text--such as common procedures and lines of code--each appear in more than one file. What I'd like to do is: o Put all the pieces of text that appear in multiple locations in one repository (such as in their own file, or whatever). o Automatically insert each piece of text into all the locations where it belongs, in various files. o Update a piece of text once, in the central repository, and have the updated version transmitted automatically to each of its locations throughout the document. o Quickly check to see that all instantiations and modifications have been made. I realize that I can use autotext to do part of this, but autotext seems to be limited to inserting and updating instances of a text that reside in one file only. Any suggestions on how I can achieve my goals? Thanks, Rob -- Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/ MacWord Tips: http://www.word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/ What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ |
#7
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Thanks, Daiya and Suzanne, for your great suggestion for inserting
IncludeText fields. This method is much faster than my stumbled-upon method, and it doesn't require me to update a field immediately after creating it; IncludeText fields inserted this way work properly from the get-go. I still have two issues, though, and maybe you can help me out once more. Issue 1: What's the best way to maintain the link between the included text in a destination document and the source document? I've noticed that if I move the source document to a different folder after I insert an IncludeText field, the field can't find the source document; links aren't dynamically maintained. Must the source document remain in its original location? If I move it, must I also manually change the path in each affected field? In short, how must I manage source and destination files to maintain links? Issue 2: The paragraphs in each included text must have specific formats. For example, if the source text consists of an introductory paragraph and five paragraphs of numbered steps, then the included text in each destination file must also consist of an introductory paragraph and five numbered paragraphs, with each paragraph being indented and numbered correctly. I assume this means that the source text needs to be fully formatted (with all paragraph marks as well as text selected at the time I create a bookmark for the source text), and that the same template that's applied to the destination file needs to be applied to the source file as well. Is this true? Or is there a simpler, cleaner way of doing this? Thanks again, Rob "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: Another way to do this is to use Insert | File and choose Insert as Link, which creates an IncludeText field. If you want to include only specific bookmarked text in that document, you can enter the bookmark as the Range. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "robfer" wrote in message ... I fixed my own problem. The solution is to update a field immediately after inserting it, by clicking in the field and then pressing F9. After I did this to each of the fields that wasn't working before, they all worked. That is, clicking in a field and pressing SHIFT+F9 toggled between the field codes and the inserted text. Of course, each time you change the source text or the path to it, you'll need to update the destination fields again. What's more, I discovered that the way you create an IncludeText field is irrelevant, as long as the result is a proper field (with the correct syntax and path). Whether I started a field by pressing CTRL+F9 (to create a blank field with brackets) and then typing in the rest, or inserted an IncludeText field from the Insert menu, or typed or copied the path between the field brackets { }, the resulting field always worked, as long as I updated it right after creating it. Again, thanks. Now I really think this will work. Rob "robfer" wrote: I think you've helped me get on the right track. But apparently only by accident have I succeeded once in using an IncludeText field to include text in one document from a source document. All other attempts have failed. Here's what I've done: 1. In a source document, I typed some text, selected the entire text, and then created a bookmark of the text, calling it textA. 2. In another document, on the Insert menu, I clicked Field, clicked IncludeText, and then clicked OK, which inserted the following field: { INCLUDETEXT \* MERGEFORMAT }. 3. Inside the brackets, I deleted everything after the first space after INCLUDETEXT, typed the path to the bookmark in the source file, and ended up with: { INCLUDETEXT "pathname" textA }. I've inserted several IncludeText fields in a destination document, but only one instance of the field has worked, even though the others are character-for-character and space-for-space identical, gray shading and all. In only the one working instance does the field switch between field codes and the resulting text, textA, when I press SHIFT+F9. In the other instances, the field codes are replaced either by Error! Filename not specified., or absolutely nothing, a blank. I'm flummoxed. I don't know why the one instance works and why the others don't. I don't know why I get different results for the nonworking instances. I don't know what I've done right or wrong. What's the right way to do all this? Details would help, because, with all my printouts of field topics from Word Help, I still don't have all the steps I need to use the IncludeText field properly in this situation. Thanks, Rob "Daiya Mitchell" wrote: What you should use are IncludeText fields. Check them out in Help, post back if necessary. You insert the text that may change as an IncludeText field in multiple documents, then keep the base document updated. You will need to Update Fields in the documents that use these, to see the changes. There is supposedly a setting to "update fields on opening" but I've found it is not always reliable in my version (MacWord 2004). AutoText has nothing to do with "one file only" but will only help you insert static text, not help you update changing text. On 4/18/05 3:35 PM, "robfer" wrote: In a document that consists of about 20 chapter files, a number of pieces of text--such as common procedures and lines of code--each appear in more than one file. What I'd like to do is: o Put all the pieces of text that appear in multiple locations in one repository (such as in their own file, or whatever). o Automatically insert each piece of text into all the locations where it belongs, in various files. o Update a piece of text once, in the central repository, and have the updated version transmitted automatically to each of its locations throughout the document. o Quickly check to see that all instantiations and modifications have been made. I realize that I can use autotext to do part of this, but autotext seems to be limited to inserting and updating instances of a text that reside in one file only. Any suggestions on how I can achieve my goals? Thanks, Rob -- Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/ MacWord Tips: http://www.word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/ What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/ |
#8
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Thanks, Daiya, for your great suggestion for inserting
IncludeText fields. This method is much faster than my stumbled-upon method, and it doesn't require me to update a field immediately after creating it; IncludeText fields inserted this way work properly from the get-go. I still have two issues, though, and maybe you can help me out once more. Issue 1: What's the best way to maintain the link between the included text in a destination document and the source document? I've noticed that if I move the source document to a different folder after I insert an IncludeText field, the field can't find the source document; links aren't dynamically maintained. Must the source document remain in its original location? If I move it, must I also manually change the path in each affected field? In short, how must I manage source and destination files to maintain links? Issue 2: The paragraphs in each included text must have specific formats. For example, if the source text consists of an introductory paragraph and five paragraphs of numbered steps, then the included text in each destination file must also consist of an introductory paragraph and five numbered paragraphs, with each paragraph being indented and numbered correctly. I assume this means that the source text needs to be fully formatted (with all paragraph marks as well as text selected at the time I create a bookmark for the source text), and that the same template that's applied to the destination file needs to be applied to the source file as well. Is this true? Or is there a simpler, cleaner way of doing this? Thanks again, Rob "Daiya Mitchell" wrote: Glad you fixed it. You can also use Insert | File and check the box to "link", just by the way. If you have bookmarks set up, they should appear at the bottom of the dialog, to be selected for an IncludeText field that doesn't include the whole file. (at least in MacWord 2004). That puts the path in automatically. I think I'm saving your messages as reminder notes for a possible how-to on includetext fields, if you don't mind. DM On 4/19/05 4:05 PM, "robfer" wrote: I fixed my own problem. The solution is to update a field immediately after inserting it, by clicking in the field and then pressing F9. After I did this to each of the fields that wasn't working before, they all worked. That is, clicking in a field and pressing SHIFT+F9 toggled between the field codes and the inserted text. Of course, each time you change the source text or the path to it, you'll need to update the destination fields again. What's more, I discovered that the way you create an IncludeText field is irrelevant, as long as the result is a proper field (with the correct syntax and path). Whether I started a field by pressing CTRL+F9 (to create a blank field with brackets) and then typing in the rest, or inserted an IncludeText field from the Insert menu, or typed or copied the path between the field brackets { }, the resulting field always worked, as long as I updated it right after creating it. Again, thanks. Now I really think this will work. Rob |
#10
Posted to microsoft.public.word.docmanagement
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Insert source texts into multiple files and update automatical
I am not sure if anyone is still watching this post, but I believe my issue
is related so I will try. I am using Word 2007 and am inserting text from files as links. Michael, I also had an issue with cross references. Mine give the Error!Reference Not Found error. I have avoided this issue by using bookmarks and links instead of cross references. The issue I have not overcome yet is numbering. When I insert a linked file, the numbered lists in the inserted file do not retain their numbering. Ex: There is a source files with 3 lists numbered 1 to 10. When it is inserted a linked files the lists are numbered from 1 to 30 (1 to 10, 11 to 20, and 21 to 30) instead of 1 to 10, 1 to 10, and 1 to 10. I can fix this by going to the start of each list and restarting the numbering, but every time I update the linked file, the list goes back to the continuous numbering. Is there a solution to this? Also, Rob, I am not sure that I understand your 2nd issue totally, but I have found that if I have styles with the same name in my source & destination documents, when I change the style format in the destination document, the linked text reflects the format of the destination document. (While the format in the source document remains the same.) |
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