[Robert M. Franz [RMF]]

Hello Dan

Dan wrote:
I am a three year new member of a training dept where I am both a tech writer
& instructor. I write new manuals and update existing manuals; and there in
lies the problem. I know about using INSERT/REF/CAPTION to get my FIGURES to
auto update. The three things I am trying to figure out:
1) how to get the embedded references to the FIGURE to auto update

you don't. Word doesn't update fields in the normal bodytext layer by
itself. [It probably wouldn't be a good idea performance-wise, if it did.]

But you can update the fields, either manually (one by one) or globally
(CTRL-A, followed by F9).


2) is there an easy way to change the older manuals over to the same
functionality of the INSERT/REF/CAPTION or do I have to manually
INSERT/REF/CAPTION every FIGURE instance?

Hard to say without knowing the structure of the older manuals (what
defines a "figure" in there, do figures already have something like a
caption, etc.). An algorithmic approach might be possible, and then
Search/Replace and/or a VBA macro should be possible.


3) I also created a new label so that 'Figure' is 'FIGURE #-' where #= the
section number. I end up with an extra space between the - and the auto
assigned number; is there a way to eliminate the extra space without every
time back spacing?

[Not (really) going into (non-)sense of numbering figures by chapter ...
:-)]

Are you sure there isn't a space in the caption definition already? If
you don't find one there, and every insertion of a new caption leaves
you with a superfluous space, I'd try to redefine the caption's
numbering structure.

HTH
Robert
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