Creating Books (Master Documents)

A master document looks just like any other Writer document. The difference is that a master document is made up of separate Writer files, as shown in Figure 9-14.

Figure 9-14. A master document

When you create a master document, all the files you include are displayed in a single read-only document (meaning you can't edit it directly), as if all of your files were really a single file. The read-only document is composed of links to the individual documents. The master document lets you rearrange the order of files, lets you add a master table of contents and index, and allows cross-referencing between its files.

Note

We like the master document a whole lot better than the master file feature in Word. The master document hasn't reached FrameMaker's book file, but it's an improvement on Word's master file.

Master Document Principles

There are a few principles involved with master documents that will help you plan, work with, and troubleshoot master documents.

• When you add a file to a master document, the master document automatically imports the styles for that file. However, any additions or changes to styles in the master document itself do not affect the source file styles.

  What does this mean? You can create separate styles, such as page styles, to be used for only the master document. However, if you change or add a style to a master document, and you want that change or addition in the source file as well, you have to make the change in both places.

• Often when you work with master documents you'll do a lot of fine-tuning. For example, you may decide to use different fonts or page layouts along the way. Master documents have their own styles that are separate from the styles of the individual documents it contains. So you can fine-tune a master document by modifying its own styles.

  You can then load the styles from the master document into its source documents if you want to update their styles to match the master document. See Loading Styles From Another Document on page 265.

  If you want to keep master document styles different than the styles of the source documents, you can use and maintain different templates for each.

• A Writer file can be used in multiple master documents.

• When put in a master document, source files behave exactly the way you've set them up. For example, if page numbering in your source files is set up to be continuous, page numbering will increment between files in the master document. So if Chapter 1 ends at page 56, Chapter 2 will start numbering at 57 in the master documentunless the page numbering in the Chapter 2 source file is set to restart page numbering.

  Any paragraphs styles with autonumber properties are also incremented in a master document. For example, if you have a "Chapter Number" paragraph style with a numbering format that automatically displays "Chapter #" (where # is an autonumber), outline numbering will be consecutive in the master document (Chapter 1, Chapter 2, and so on), as shown in Figure 9-15.

  Figure 9-15. Autonumbers increment in a master document

  

Creating a Master Document

You can create a master document from an existing file, or you can create one from scratch. The only minor advantage to creating a master document from an existing file is that the file is added to the master document automatically, saving you a step.

Creating a Master Document From Scratch

1. Choose File > New > Master document.

   A blank document appears, along with the Navigator window in master document view. Navigator shows an item called Text.

   

2. Add the files you want to include in the master document. In the Navigator window, click and hold down the Insert button, and choose File.

3. In the Insert window, find and double-click the first file you want to add.

4. Add the rest of the files the same way.

   As you add files, their contents display in the document.

5. Delete the Text item. Select it, right-click, and choose delete.

6. After you add the files, you can rearrange them in the master document by selecting one and clicking the Move Up or Move Down button in Navigator.

   

7. If you want to use all the styles from your documents, load them into the master document. If you need help doing this, see Loading Styles From Another Document on page 265.

8. Save the master document.

Creating a Master Document From an Existing File

1. With a Writer document open that you want to include in the master document, choose File > Send > Create Master Document.

2. In the Name and Path window, navigate to the location where you want to store the master document file, type in a file name , and click Save.

   A blank Writer master document is displayed in the work area, and Navigator opens in master document mode. Navigator displays a new file named after the source file, with a number appended to the end of the name.

3. Follow the steps in the previous procedure for adding and rearranging files in the master document.

4. Delete the blank document that Writer used to start the master document. Select the file in Navigator, right-click, and choose Delete.

Master Document Headers and Footers

While you can't edit the body of the master document, you can edit the headers and footers. This lets you create the custom headers and footers you may need for the master document. Headers and footers are associated with page styles, so changing page styles also changes the headers and footers used.

Using Page Styles in a Master Document

You can create your own styles for a master document to use a different layout for the book than what is used in the source files. the program also comes with a couple of book templates you can borrow page styles from. For more information on templates, see Using Templates on page 262.

If you want to change a page style for a given page, click in the header or footer and apply the page style (you can't click in the body of the master document, because it's read-only). This tip also comes with a warning, because the page style you apply uses its own header and footer settings, as well as its own Next Style for the page style that will follow it. This could cause a chain reaction that requires you to modify a lot of page styles to get the flow you want.

Editing Master Document Source Files

In order to change the content of the master document, you must edit the source files that make up the master document. Edit source files by double-clicking them in the master document Navigator window. You can also open them the way you normally open files.

You have to save the changes you make in the source files for the master document to pick up the changes.

Updating the Master Document

There are different aspects to updating a master document. The main aspect has to do with updating the links to the content of the files so that the most current content is displayed in the master document. The other aspect of updating master documents is updating styles if you change styles in the source files.

The master document has to be updated when its files change. Updating a master document refreshes the links to the source files, displays the files in their current state, and updates generated information (like page numbering, the table of contents, and the index).

Updating Links Automatically

When you open a master document you previously saved, Writer asks you if you want to update all links. Writer is asking you if you want to update the master document to reflect the current state of all its document files. You can set the automatic link update options in Tools > Options > Text document > Other, in the Update Links area. If you select Always, when you open the master document, Writer updates the links to the files without prompting you.

If you select On request, Writer prompts you to update the links whenever you open the master document. If you select Never, Writer opens the master document without updating the links, and you need to update them manually.

Updating Links Manually

With the master document open, you can manually update individual pieces of the master document, or you can update the whole thing. Select a master document file in Navigator, click and hold down the Update button in Navigator, and select one of the following options:

• Selection Updates the selected item, whether it's a file or a section of the table of contents.

• Indexes Updates all generated lists (table of contents, index, list of figures, etc.).

• Links Updates all files without updating indexes.

• All Updates all files and indexes.

Updating Styles

If you edit styles in your source documents, you'll need to reload them into the master document, and vice versa. For information on updating styles in master documents, see Master Document Principles on page 326.