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Old 08-27-2014, 02:47 PM
inq80 inq80 is offline Auto updating database? Windows Vista Auto updating database? Office 2003
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Default Auto updating database?

Hi,

I need some help or at least someone to point me in the right direction?



I trying to create a type of letter library. The letters inside it could eventually reach the hundreds so it would be really nice if a could link certain aspects of those letters to a master document will would allow me to only need to change the master when alterations are needed.

For example, the telephone number for a third of the letters will be "A", another third would be "B" and the rest "C". I would ideally like to have A, B and C typed out in a master document which all the other letters would read from when opened; that way if a telephone number changes, all i would have to do is change the master rather than every letter individually.

Is this possible? I would like to learn how to do this ideally if it is, but I cannot even thing of what the search term for such a process would be, hence the odd thread title.

If someone could point me in the right direction, it would be much appreciated

I work with word 2010 but ideally need a solution that works with 2003 please?

Last edited by inq80; 08-27-2014 at 02:48 PM. Reason: important info
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  #2  
Old 08-27-2014, 08:04 PM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline Auto updating database? Windows 7 64bit Auto updating database? Office 2010 32bit
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Look up AutoText (Building Blocks) and the AutoText field.
Automated Boilerplate Using Microsoft Word

You would store the AutoText in one or more Global Templates.
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Old 08-28-2014, 06:03 AM
inq80 inq80 is offline Auto updating database? Windows Vista Auto updating database? Office 2003
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Hi Charles,

Thanks for the reply.

I've just been looking at the advice you gave and i now know a lot more about text fields and boilerplates than i knew (which wasn't hard considering i knew nothing to start with )

I think i get the concept but don't think this will help me with what I need? I've created a masterTemplate with all the alterable information added as autoText.

I can then create new documents from this template and all the autoText fields are present so, i could use them and save the document under a new header.

Problem is that when i alter the autoText in the Master template, the original text remains in all the documents that are created from it.

I would need them to auto update to the new information. Am i doing this wrong or is it even possible?

Any advice would be appreciated.
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Old 08-28-2014, 10:34 AM
Charles Kenyon Charles Kenyon is offline Auto updating database? Windows 7 64bit Auto updating database? Office 2010 32bit
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The key is:
Use an AutoText field rather than inserting the AutoText.
Update the fields when needed.

Consider storing the AutoText in a Global Template so that it is available to all of your documents rather than just those based on the template.

You can have a macro in your document templates, if you want, that updates all AutoText fields every time a document based on the template is opened. Note, though, that this updating will not work when the document is on a system that does not have the global or document template.
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Old 08-31-2014, 01:29 PM
inq80 inq80 is offline Auto updating database? Windows Vista Auto updating database? Office 2003
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Hi Charles,

Thanks again for the advice. It's been difficult to follow but I think Im getting somewhere; Microsoft help files really do seem to insist on a certain level of knowledge to begin with which is above my level at present...

So far I started with opening a new document and saved it as a new .dotm template called "Master" - infuriatingly little help comes up when typing in "how to create a new global template in word" into google, so the less said about how long it took me just to get to this stage the better (still not sure this is a global template either).

Never the less, I created a new autoText in this Master and saved it, then created a new document using the Master template. The autoText was there available; so far so good.

I created an autoText Field and selected the appropriate item to display and up it popped - again with the rubbish answers on google results when asking how to create an autoText field

All seems to be doing what i want it to do apart from one thing. I saved the new doc then closed it. Then I updated the info in the master and saved that. I then re-opened the new one and it still displays the old information. You have to select it and press F9 to get it to update.

Apparently i need a Marco to do that?

is this right?
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Old 09-01-2014, 06:48 AM
inq80 inq80 is offline Auto updating database? Windows Vista Auto updating database? Office 2003
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I Think i got it!

took your advice Charles so thank you -

Master document saved as a template which contains all the AutoText i need.

All other documents then created from this template and the appropriate text added via a textField.

The auto update on open seems to have been resolved by the addition of a Marco code which changes all the fields as appropriate when opened.

all seems to work fine.

my only concern is that i didn't write the text for the marco myself and just copied it from another site offering help on the same subject, so not sure if it's the most efficiently written piece - Does this look okay?

Sub AutoOpen()
'
' AutoOpen Macro
'
With Options
.UpdateFieldsAtPrint = True
.UpdateLinksAtPrint = True
End With
ActiveDocument.Fields.Update
End Sub
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