reference sought: Safe use of styles with Word 2000
John Faughnan
implementation in Symantec's MORE 3.1 (best I've every seen anywhere)
and I'm quite comfortable with web CSS.
I am utterly flummoxed, frustrated, defeated and dejected by Word 97 -
2000's implementation of style sheets, templates/styles,
outlining/styles and in general anything to do with styles in
Microsoft Word.
I am convinced that there is a rational and effective way to use them,
and I believe that somewhere some developer had a model in mind about
how they ought to work. I think that model has become obscured by the
staggering complexity and layers of software that is the current
version of Word.
I am seeking a reference that would give me a sense of how styles were
INTENDED to work in Word, and how they were intended to be safely used
across templates, documents, outlines, master documents, etc.
A paper book or a web reference would be fine. I've tried searching on
my own to no avail.
thanks,
john faughnan
jfau...@spamcop.net
www.faughnan.com
[meta: jfaughnan, jgfaughnan, word, style sheets, format, formatting,
templates, .dot, inheritance, management, design, philosophy]
Terry Farrell
Go to the site in my signature block and look at the Formatting and Styles
section where you will pick up some ideas on Styles.
--
Terry Farrell - MSWord MVP
See FAQs at http://www.mvps.org/word/index.html
"John Faughnan" <jfau...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:5c0dbfb4.02021...@posting.google.com...
: I am a longtime user of styles and style sheets. I loved the
Suzanne S. Barnhill
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm
--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
"John Faughnan" <jfau...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:5c0dbfb4.02021...@posting.google.com...
Charles Kenyon
Styles in Word are different than in other products. When you add in
numbering and outlining you are approaching the breaking point of the
product. For styles that do not involve numbering and outlining, take a look
at <URL: http://addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm>. For a glimpse behind
the looking glass at numbering take a look at <URL: <URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Numbering/WordsNumberingExplained.htm>
The "How to Create a Template" reference that Suzanne gave you is probably
the best step-by-step tutorial on putting styles to use.
You may also want to look at <URL:
http://www.addbalance.com/word/wordperfect.htm>
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WordVsWordPerfect.htm>
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/TipsAndGotchas.htm>
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm>
While these articles are aimed at Word Perfect users, they do a good job of
explaining or poking holes in the Word model of what a document is.
--
Charles Kenyon
Word New User FAQ & Web Directory:
<URL: http://addbalance.com/word/index.htm>
Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide)
<URL: http://addbalance.com/usersguide/index.htm>
See also the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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"John Faughnan" <jfau...@spamcop.net> wrote in message
news:5c0dbfb4.02021...@posting.google.com...
John Faughnan
> I am another admirer of More and miss it greatly here in Wintel land.
> Styles in Word are different than in other products. When you add in
> product
Thank you Charles, Terry and Suzanne. You have provided me with some
very good starting points which I'll spend time exploring. Charles
comment on what happens when one combines outlining and numbering with
styles was validating.
I would be quite interested were Microsoft ever to decide to produce a
NEW word processing product that used an XML based file format, but
had a completely clean implementation of outlining, style sheets,
templates, etc. It could leverage a lot of the non-format related
parts of Word (such as grammar/spellchecking, etc). Of course it would
need to import and export DOC files, but one could not expect perfect
fidelity since the styles implementation would be very different. It
would not be part of Office, but would have its own separate revenue
stream. Dream on! :-)
Interestingly I'm told that at one time Microsoft attempted a complete
rewrite of Word (the Word source code must be mind-boggling), but that
product was an attempt to completely replicate Word's look, feel,
functionality and behavior. A brave but doomed effort.
Alas, I doubt there's much of a market beyond a few persons like
myself, and I long ago learned that I'm not a representative user.
(Note I don't mention any other company producing such a product;
no-one would be foolish enough to create a serious Word replacement
for the Windows platform -- only Microsoft can do that.)
Klaus Linke
> Alas, I doubt there's much of a market beyond a few persons like
> myself, and I long ago learned that I'm not a representative user.
Hope very much that your dream comes true!
I don't know the program "More" that Charles Kenyon mentioned; some
points from my own wish-list are in the thread "Overlapping Character
Styles Possible?"
Regards, Klaus