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Subject:Re: Automating Your Work in Word 6.0 From:Marcia Coulter <notjust -at- IX -dot- NETCOM -dot- COM> Date:Thu, 16 Feb 1995 19:59:22 -0800
>Nick Vitale /Sunquest, Tucson, AZ / >njv -at- alpha -dot- sunquest -dot- com wrote:
>I'm new to MSWord 6.0 and would be interested in whatever info you have
>time to forward re: the macros you've written to speed your work in
>this program. Thanks.
Please forgive me if this is somewhat stodgy and disorganized sounding.
I'm just trying to write off the top of my head so I can get back to
making a living. ;)
Oh well, here goes.
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The two Word for Windows functions that I most often use to speed my
work are: AutoText and the macro-recording function.
To get the most out of these tools, I try to:
* Notice what I'm doing
* Think small and build big
* Set standards
NOTICE WHAT I (YOU) DO
I'm constantly looking over my own shoulder, trying to discern the
patterns in my work. Whenever I find a pattern -- even a small one, I
do something about it. Because I work as a consultant, some of these
patterns are specific to a project. Others I use on many projects.
One Small Example: (Keep in mind, I do the same for larger processes.)
I'm currently working on a product for Arthur Andersen where I find
myself using such terms as "investment in U.S. property" and "earnings
and profits". I use AutoText for both. It's certainly faster to type
"iup" (for "investment in U.S. property" or "eap" (for "earnings and
profits") and hit F3 than to type the complete phrase over and over.
And if I wanted to make it even faster, I could use AutoCorrect intstead
of AutoText -- that way I can skip the F3 function key altogether.
And I make sure to give my AutoText entries names that are quick and
easy to type!
THINK SMALL AND BUILD BIG
One of the nice things about creating macros -- even recorded ones -- in
Word is that you don't have to do it all at once. Often I think of
something, record it and then later think of something else that I could
add to it.
No problem. I just record the second piece in a macro named temp and
then copy the recorded intstructions into the body of the original
macro.
This process works well for planned macros too! ;) Just build more
complex processes one step at a time.
SET STANDARDS
Nothing makes automation easier (ooooooo this is scary to say out loud),
than setting standards. If all your glossaries must be formatted in the
same way and begin with the same words, you're halfway home.
************************************************************************
Well, I hope this was of some use. Good luck. And if you have any
specific questions, feel free to contact me.
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Marcia Coulter "I said it was simple,
notjust -at- ix -dot- netcom -dot- com I didn't say it was easy."
T.E. Taylor
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