Understanding How Templates Work

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As mentioned, every Word document is based on a template. A template is a .dot file (or group of related files) that contains the structure and tools for shaping the style and page layout of finished files. Templates can contain settings for fonts, styles, page layout parameters, toolbars, macros, AutoText entries, key assignments, menus, and special formatting. By default, Word bases new blank documents on the Normal template (discussed in more detail in the section, "Getting the Scoop on Word's Normal Template").

The main purpose of templates is to make formatting and inserting information into documents as efficient and automatic as possible. The fewer formatting and typing tasks you have to perform, the better. In addition to speeding document creation, templates enable you to provide custom editing environments for particular projects and clients because templates can include interface tools (such as toolbars, macros, and menus) as well as formatting and layout settings. To clarify, templates can assist in document creation tasks in the following ways:

  • Provide all relevant styles for a particular document. As described in Chapter 10, "Using Styles to Increase Your Formatting Power," you can create and use a series of styles to generate a particular look for a document. By creating a template that contains a set of styles, you can easily access and consistently apply the styles throughout similar and related documents.
  • Include boilerplate text, AutoText entries, and placeholder text. Templates can save you from repeatedly typing information that recurs in related documents by enabling you to create new documents that automatically contain default text, include relevant custom AutoText entries (such as company names and contract text), and display placeholder text. For more information about AutoText entries, see Chapter 6, "Putting Text Tools to Work."
  • Display necessary and customized toolbars and menus. If a particular type of document always uses specific Word tools, you can create a template that displays a Word interface that caters to the tasks associated with the document type. To learn about customizing toolbars and menus, see Chapter 38, "Customizing Word and Maximizing Accessibility."
  • Include specialized macros for a particular document type. To help streamline tasks in certain types of documents, you can include macros in a template. Macros are routines that are created to perform a task or set of tasks, and are assigned to a toolbar button or keyboard shortcut. For more information about macros, see Chapter 40, "Creating and Working with VBA Macros."

Regardless of the information included in templates, you can use two main types of templates as you work in Word: global templates and document templates. Global templates (most notably the Normal template) contain settings that are available to all documents. In contrast, document templates, such as memo and Web page templates, contain settings that are available only to documents based on that template. When a document is based on a template, the template is attached to the document. (For more information about attaching templates, see the section "Attaching Templates to Documents.") If this difference between global and document templates seems a little cloudy at the moment, don't despair. Once you review the information in this chapter and experiment with templates for a while, you'll quickly see the value of knowing how to use and customize global and document templates as you work.



Microsoft Word Version 2002 Inside Out
Microsoft Word Version 2002 Inside Out (Inside Out (Microsoft))
ISBN: 0735612781
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2005
Pages: 337

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