This seems like it would be the most fundamental possible functionality above all else, like being able to bold or italicize text. But, MS does something truly bizarre with styles that isolates any styles created in a document to that document only.

Let me ask you something, if you are going to go through the trouble to defining styles, don't you think you're going to want to use those styles for more than just the one singular document that they were defined in? Don't you? Does MS really expect elaborate styles to be redefined each and every time a new document is created? Are they completely insane? Never mind, don't answer that one, I know the answer already.

But, let's assume there is a way. I am working with about 700 existing individual RTF files, which really have to be RTF files because the program that uses and displays them can't use and display Word documents (nor should it be expected to). The font used by all these RTF files is the same. This is easy to accomplish, since it's just a matter of creating a new RTF file from an existing one and editing accordingly.

The trouble comes with defining styles for text that means certain things. One example is of text that is bold green and one font size larger. Another is italicized bold blue. And so on.

I find that I can define styles within one RTF file and then reopen it and have those styles still available. But that style is not available to any other of the 700+ RTF files. In the "Create New Style From Formatting" window, I check the "New documents based on this template" radio button (which I can only assume is the Normal template since it wasn't created from any OTHER template?)

So, what's the deal? Does MS provide a way for doing something this simple within the labyrinthine code of its flagship Word application?

I found a strange sort of way to manage this headache. It seems that MS coded themselves into a corner with all their object oriented precepts and thus found themselves unable to manage even the most basic functionality such as what I've described above in a simple self-managing manner. Despairingly sad, really.

Here's the work-around MS provided once they realized their object oriented code made it impossible to correlate styles between already existing documents based on the same template:

1) Bring up the Styles window using Alt+Cntrl+Shift+S or, if you've keymapped that to something else, by clicking the minuscule icon at the bottom of the Styles pane in the Home menu. (it really used to be simple to provide such instructions).

2) In the Styles window there are three meaningless icons at the bottom left. The third icon shows some tooltip text when you put the mouse over it informing you that it will do something in relation to "Manage Styles" if you click on it. Click on that to bring up the Manage Styles window.

3) At the bottom left of the ensuing window is an Import/Export button (this button actually tells you what it is rather than showing you an utterly meaningless icon). Click on that to bring up yet another window, called the Organizer window.

4) In the ensuing Organizer window, find those styles defined to the Normal template in the right pane that you want to use in the currently open document and select them. Then click the <- Copy button to bring those styles into the document currently open.

I may have to do this 700+ times, but at least there's a way--though massively convoluted--to accomplish what is necessary.

If anyone knows of a better less insane way of accomplishing the same, please give a shout.