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Subject:RE: Using Word as an Authoring System From:Slager Timothy J <Timothy -dot- Slager -at- dematic -dot- com> To:"'TechWhirl (techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com)'" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>, "Cardimon, Craig" <ccardimon -at- M-S-G -dot- com> Date:Wed, 29 Nov 2017 07:53:48 +0000
Agreed. Lock down the template.
If you have resources, beef up the template with a ribbon tab for your styles only. We have buttons for all paragraph styles and buttons that insert tables and graphics with captions and apply the approved styles. You can also program Word to intercept buttons on the Home tab and apply your styles for bullets, numbering, and the like. Another button links to our style guide and help for using the template.
We added a dialog box that serves as an input form for header and footer data. Menu items insert our standard cover, copyright information, and other front matter. Since we are international, we also have a toggle function that changes between A4 and Letter page formats without affecting pagination, so you don't have to update TOC, etc. when you switch between the two.
Don't underestimate Word. But also don't underestimate the potential frustration with it.
tims
PS: I think I am permanently banned from posting to TechWhirl, so this won't go to the group. Feel free to pass on..
-----Original Message-----
From: techwr-l-bounces+timothy -dot- slager=dematic -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com [mailto:techwr-l-bounces+timothy -dot- slager=dematic -dot- com -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com] On Behalf Of Gene Kim-Eng
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 11:26 PM
To: Paul Hanson; 'TechWhirl (techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com)'
Subject: Re: Using Word as an Authoring System
The biggest potential landmine with Word is what can happen if multiple users with different default Word templates open, edit and save documents (an untrained or a trained but careless user with a nonconforming template clicks "Yes" when Word detects differences between an existing DOC files styles and same-named styles in the local user's template and asks if it should update the styles in the DOC). In all the environments I've ever worked in, the only time I managed to avoid this happening was in a tiny startup where I managed to get control of /every/ Word seat in the company and set them all up with the same set of password-locked, read-only DOTs.
Gene Kim-Eng
On 11/28/2017 12:05 PM, Cardimon, Craig wrote:
> At my company, we are drifting away from our old authoring system and moving toward using Microsoft Word.
>
> Do you knowledgeable folks have any advice, suggestions, tips, or tricks for me about using Word for product documentation?
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