Re: Number of Styles in Templates

["D. Margulis" <ampersandvirgule -at- WORLDNET -dot- ATT -dot- NET>]

Kevin,

As with all else, it depends . . .

If the templates are for use by production pros (one or more) formatting
complex documents for publication, then the more styles the merrier. Suppose,
to take a common example, that you want an extra six points of space above and
below numbered lists but only an extra two points between list items. Further,
you want to be sure that you never have just a single numbered item at the top
or bottom of a page (analogous to a widows/orphans rule, but not enforced by
the same mechanism).

In this case, you could have a single style for a numbered item and then
manually configure the space above the first one, the space below the last one
and the break-after/break-before criteria. Or, alternatively, you could have a
numbered_item_first style, a numbered_item_mid style, and a numbered_item_last
style. Three styles instead of one, but for people creating numbered lists all
day long a great convenience.

On the other hand, if you are creating a template for use by the company's hoi
polloi for everyday reports, letters, proposals, or memos, you are not dealing
with publishing pros. In that case, you want to have the fewest number of
styles that can possibly get the job done.

HTH,

Dick

Kevin Feeman wrote:

> All:
> Has there been any studies done regarding the number of styles within a
> template? Is there a general number that are manageable, say 15 styles to a
> template is good, but having 35 or above is way to unmanageable? I always
> thought to keep the numbers of styles within templates to about 20, but in
> the last several places that I worked, it seemed that people like to have a
> gazillion tags within templates. Is this normal? Any enlightment would be
> appreciated.

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