Chapter 16: Formatting Documents Using Templates, Wizards, Add-Ins, and XML Schemas

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Overview

Computers are powerful, but they still need to be told what to do-no matter how automated a task might seem. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that whenever you create a new document in Word, your document is based on a template that provides default document creation settings. Templates are available locally on your computer as well as online, and they serve as patterns for documents: they define styles, AutoText entries, toolbars, standard (or boilerplate) text, placeholder text, and so forth. You can control how documents and templates interact in a number of ways. For example, you can base documents on existing templates, create custom templates for new and existing documents, attach templates to documents, load global templates, and edit templates.

In addition to controlling documents using templates, you can use interactive wizards to create documents styled in particular ways. Word provides a set of wizards and you can access additional wizards at Microsoft Office Online. Each wizard presents a series of dialog boxes that walk you through the construction of a particular type of document. For instance, you can use wizards to create memos, calendars, Web pages, résumés, letters, and other common documents.

You can also control your Word environment by adding custom commands and features with add-ins. Add-ins are supplemental programs that add specific capabilities to Word. For example, some add-ins install Microsoft Office updates, proofreading tools, helper applications (such as Stamps.com, ScanSoft PDF converter, MSN Stock Quotes, and ActiveDocs), troubleshooting tools, sound files, graphics filters, and additional templates and wizards.

Finally, using the stand-alone edition of Word 2003 or the version of Word 2003 in Microsoft Office Professional Edition, you can create XML documents and attach XML schemas. By default, Word uses an XML schema named WordML when you save a Word document as an XML document. If you have another XML schema that you'd like to attach to a document, you can do so in much the same way that you attach a template to a document.

In this chapter, you'll learn how to add, use, and control templates, wizards, add-ins, and XML schemas to enhance and automate document creation, editing, and formatting.

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