#1
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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 |
#2
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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. |
#3
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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. |
#4
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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. |
#5
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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? |
#6
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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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