Dear All,



I was wondering if I can get your expertise on an issue that I have
I’ve got a gigantic Word document that I use as a source of info to create reports. This document contains paragraphs that are organise in Headings 2, and every now and then I create reports from individual users by copying specific headings (and its paragraphs contents) that are relevant to them into a new document that I submit to the users

For example, user 1 may need only 50 sections of the main document, while another user may need 30, and another user only 80. At the moment, what I do is to copy and paste from the gigantic main document into a new document those sections that are relevant to the user, and my question whether there will be a better way of doing this?

Perhaps a macro that, upon calling it, will present me all the heading so that I can select the relevant ones and paste them (together with the paragraphs contents of the headings) into a new word document? Or perhaps using something new all together? Like having the main Word document into Excel or MS Database, from where I program can present me via checkboxes which sections I want to extract into a new document?

Any help or advice you can give me to develop this will be much appreciated!
Thank you

Have you tried saving as AutoText/Building Blocks?

• AutoText
• Saving AutoText and Other Building Blocks
• Where can Building Blocks be stored?
• Building Blocks Gallery Content Control
• Build & Deploy Custom Building Block Galleries by Greg Maxey

Charles, I just cannot believe this, you have opened a new Universe to me, thank you very much for your kind post and the links!! This is exactly what a needed. I've already added a couple of dozens building blocks paragraphs on the "Normal.dotm" template, and I can see it is slightly increasing in data

Have moved the template too, to a different computer, and the Quick Parts are there and insert without issue, it is amazing how easy it was after sooo many hours/days I've spent on this

My only question is that I've got about 2,000 blocks to instert, and when I select "Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery" for each of the independent paragraphs, would it better to save them in "Normal.dotm" or in "Builing Blocks.dotx"? which of the two will handle better that amout of data? I've read on your links that the only limitation is the actual storage of the computer, but on your experience what would be best? I dont' want to reach the insertion number 1,587 and then find out that Word crashed on me and the the .dotm file is no longer workeable I guess we have all been burned before!

Thanks again for your great help!!

Best wishes,
Manu

As far as I know, there is no practical limit to the number or size of building blocks.

In my opinion you should be storing these in a .dotx or .dotm template that you use to create the docuuments or in a Global Template. If they are in a Global template, they can be used in any document. I recommend against storing in either the Normal template or the Building Blocks.dotx template. Neither of these is designed for sharing and both seem more prone than most templates to bad things happening to them.


A major disadvantage of storage in the Building Blocks.dotx template is that you do not have access to the AutoComplete feature which lets you simply insert any building block stored in a global template by typing the first part of the name.

For this to be useful, it is important that you give some thought to the names. They should not be something ordinarily typed and the start of each one must be unique.

Here is a way to regularly backup your Normal template. Backup Normal.dotm template using a macro

Here is a utility you could use to mass-load your building blocks in any gallery you choose, including a custom one, in any template you choose. Building Blocks & AutoText by Greg Maxey

Here are some more resources:

• Easily access Quick Parts without going to Insert > Quick Parts
• Using the Building Blocks Gallery Dropdown Content Control
• Quick Parts vs AutoText: When is one a better choice?
• How Styles, Templates and Building Blocks Relate to One Another in Microsoft Word

By the way, you've cross-posted this, at least at Microsoft Answers forum.
Please read A Message to Forum Cross-Posters.

I would recommend you consider some other options besides building blocks if you have such an enormous number of sections. I don't think putting 2000 building blocks into a list is going to be a sensible workflow. The heading hierarchy is a key consideration if you are assembling docs from many parts.

Either of these two options might be a better match for your workflow and maintenance requirements.

1. Keep the content in a single template and create new docs by making a duplicate and going to outline view and selecting chunks for REMOVAL. This appears to me to be a more logical workflow if you start at outline level 1, then expand to level 2, 3 etc.
2. You could also create a macro to display the template headings in a Tree View where you can select elements for inclusion (which automatically selects all child elements) and unselect unwanted parts.

__________________
Andrew Lockton
Chrysalis Design, Melbourne Australia

Andrew, you are correct if each choice is to be from 2000 possible items. On the other hand, if the database is 2000 potential snippets that are organized into categories so that each choice is from 2 to 20 possible items, the Building Block Gallery Content Control is just what is needed.