How do I make a template? What is a template? What is Normal.dot? 

Templates are a special type of Word document. They hold components for other documents, especially text, Autotext, Macros & Toolbars. They also hold style definitions. When you save a document as a template Word will put attach the three-letter DOS extension of ".dot" to the end of the name instead of ".doc" but it is not the extension that makes it a template and changing the name either way will not change a document into a template or a template into a document.

Creating a document.

When you select New under the File menu, in Word 97-2000, you are shown templates from which you can choose. There are also Tabs of more available selections. (And if there isn't room for all of the tabs, there will be one that simply says "More" and gives you access to the others.) When you pick a template and create a new document based on that template, the template remains "attached" to the document.

In Word 2002 + you are shown the new file task pane when you choose File => New. If you click on General Templates in the task pane, you get to the File => New dialog.

All styles in the template are created in the document and will stay with the document even if the attachment is later broken.

Autotext entries, Macros and Toolbars in the template are available to the document so long as the document remains attached to the template, but are not normally transferred into the document. (Documents cannot hold Autotext entries but can have macros and toolbars.)

If you move the document to a different computer that doesn't have the template, the attachment will be broken. You can change the template attached to a document using Tools => Templates and Add-Ins...

User Templates Folder

User templates are stored in a folder (usually on the user's computer) and normally called "Templates." The default location of this folder differs among the various versions of Word. Both the location and the name can be changed by the user. If you ask Word to save a document as a template, this is the folder you will be taken to for that purpose. You can see (and change) the location by using:

Tools => Options => File Locations (tab)

You can save templates any place you want to, but if you want them to show up in the File => New dialog box they must be in either the User Templates Folder or the . . .

Workgroup Templates Folder

There is no default name or location for the Workgroup Templates Folder. I call mine "Shared Templates" and it is kept on the server in a folder that is mapped as the "G:\" drive by the network. (And at home I use the assign command to map a folder in the same way so that I can transfer work back and forth.) This should be a different folder than the User Templates folder. These two folders (and their subfolders) are the usual location for all templates except for . . .

Global templates

Global templates are one type of "Add-In" for Word. They are normally not "attached" to any document and normally do not contribute text or styles to any document. They are excellent vehicles for holding and sharing Autotext, Macros and Toolbars. You can make any template global with:

Tools => Templates and Add-Ins ... => Add (button)

A file open dialog box will open showing the User Templates folder's contents to choose from. You can, though, add a template that is located elsewhere. Since they don't contribute text and are not used to start new documents, global templates are probably best kept elsewhere (and not in the Workgroup Templates folder either). If you add a template as an Add-In this way, it will remain global until you restart Word. At that time, you could add it again, if you wanted to do so. Or, you could make it load automatically on startup by putting the template or a shortcut to the template in the Word Startup folder. This is not the Startup folder in your Start menu, but rather one specifically for Word. You can find (or change) its name and location with:

If the global template is to be shared, you will probably want to use shortcuts to it in each user's Startup folder. That way, any changes will automatically update everyone's Word. If it is your own and not shared you can either put it in the Startup folder or keep it elsewhere and use the shortcut to load it into Word.

Normal.dot - the granddaddy of global templates

This explanation is incomplete. Sorry, but it is a very big topic. Normal.dot is a special global template created and used by Word and should be in the User Templates folder. Unlike other global templates, it should not be shared. Also unlike other global templates, it shares styles with all open documents.

If Word is unable to find the Normal.dot file when started, it will create one, using its defaults. (In some language editions, Normal.dot will have a slightly different name. Also, at least one virus renames Normal.dot.)

The hierarchy of templates - not all are created equal!

So, we have attached templates, global templates, and normal.dot. What happens if there are conflicts (two Autotext entries or macros with the same name, etc.)? They defer to each other according to rules set by Microsoft (but not very easy to discover). The order is:

	First, look in the document. Any macros or styles in the document will be used in preference to others. Any toolbar modifications stored in the document will trump those elsewhere. (If the document and a template both have toolbars with the same name, though, they will both be available when the document is active.)
	Next, check the attached template. Any macros in the template will take priority over any except those of the same name in the document. Any styles added to the template or changed in the template after the document was created will be available to the document by updating styles.
	Then check Normal.dot. All styles in Normal.dot are available to all documents except those already in the document. (Normal.dot has many more styles than are ever used in one document.)
	Finally, check other global templates and add-ins. Again, these do not contribute styles to documents but all macros, toolbars and Autotext entries are available from a global template. If there is a macro with the same name in Normal.dot, the attached template, or the document, as the name in any other global template, the macro in the global template will not be used (except for an AutoExec macro). If there are multiple global template, they are checked in alphabetical order.

 

 

General Information:

If you ask the Office Assistant about this, you won't get a good answer. The assistant will tell you about changing the header or footer at different places in the document by creating new sections. That will work because the header/footer instructions are stored in the last paragraph marker of the section.

Each section can have up to three different headers and three different footers. Every document has at least one section but can have more. The number of header/footer sets for each section is controlled in 

File è Page Setup è Layout (tab)

by checking either or both of the options:

__ Different odd and even

__ Different first page

in the headers and footers frame. 

If you have already set a header or footer and then check "Different first page" the header/footer you set previously will become the header/footer for second and subsequent pages. If you check different odd and even, you can set yet another header/footer for the odd pages that follow page two.

Many experts believe that using headers and footers is the best way to construct a letterhead template, with the letterhead itself in a header with headers/footers set for "Different first page."  (Something similar is done when setting up for preprinted letterhead as well. Even if you will be using preprinted letterhead, follow along, then take a look at the Letterhead Textboxes and Styles Tutorial.)

Step-by-Step Instructions

If your template is only one page but the document based on it can be multiple pages, you will want to set up the header/footer for all pages or for the second and subsequent pages before setting a different header/footer combination for the first page. (The header/footer for all pages becomes the header/footer for second and subsequent pages when you select the option for a different first page.)

To do this, first (with your template being only one page), . . .

Switch to the Header/Footer View pane.

View è Header and Footer

 

The Header and Footer toolbar will pop up and your insertion point (cursor) should be in a box with a dashed border that says "Header." (If it says "First Page Header" don't worry, we'll get to that in a bit. Keep reading.)  If you are in "Normal" or "Web" view when you tell Word that you want to view Headers and Footers, you will be switched to Page Layout (Print Layout) view and any text on your regular page will either turn gray or disappear. When you close the Header and Footer toolbar, you'll be switched back to the view you started from.

Create the Header for All Pages or for Second and Subsequent Pages

If you want anything to appear in the header for all pages or for the second and subsequent pages, put it in here (in the window designated "Header"). 

Create the Footer for All Pages or for Second and Subsequent Pages

If you want something in the footer for all pages or for the second and subsequent pages, click on the "Switch Between Header and Footer" button on the Header and Footer toolbar.

This will take you to a box at the bottom of the page that says "Footer."

Create a Different (or No) Header / Footer For the First Page

Click on Page Setup on the toolbar. 

This will display the Page Layout Dialog Box. 

Check the box for "Different first page" and then click on OK to close that dialog. Now the header box will say "First Page Header" and anything you typed in the " Header" box before will be gone! 

Type what you want to go in the header on the first page of your document, then click on the Switch button and type in anything you want in the first page footer.

Save your template. When your template is used to create a document, if the document extends onto a second page, the headers / footers you originally typed will appear on the second and subsequent pages.

What If It Says "First Page Header" When I Said It Would Say "Header?" in the Box's Border?

Then type in the material for the header / footer to go on the first page. Click the "Close" button on the Header and Footer Toolbar and insert a manual page break. That will move your insertion point into Page 2. 

If you now use

View è Header and Footer

the same toolbar will pop up but this time the caption in the dashed border of the box will be "Header." Type what you want for your second and subsequent page header here, switch to the footer and type that for the second and subsequent page.

Click Close on the Header/Footer Toolbar and use backspace to delete your page break. 

Save your template.

More on headers - footers:

	See Letterhead Textboxes and Styles Tutorial - two-page template download that demonstrates use of  Textboxes in headers and footers to reserve space for preprinted letterhead Styles that are based on each other and use the style for following paragraph feature Use of the StyleRef field to insert information from the body of a letter into the continuation page headers automatically Insertion of a date automatically that will not change when you open the document at a later date The AutoText list restricted by styles for the salutation and closing. Insertion of the typist's name as signer automatically by accessing the Author document property.
	The way to disable Same as Previous is to click the button in the Headers/ Footers toolbar to turn it off. --And you have to do it in the section following the one where you want to make a change.
	Moreover, it is independent for each header and footer you have (so you have to do it separately for the odd and even headers).
	Also, if you need a header that begins on the second page of a section, use "Different first page" as well as "Different odd and even," then omit the text in the First Page Header.
	Fields in headers and footers get updated on a different schedule than do fields in the regular document. See the Microsoft Knowledge Base article Q89953 for more on this.
	The styles in headers and footers are named (coincidentally) "header" and "footer." If you want to change the formatting of your headers and footers, start by modifying these styles. Since I usually use the same fonts and margins in the footer as in the header, I generally have a "header" style based on [ no style ] that has a negative indent of .5 left and right and is in a font that is two points smaller than body text. I then modify the "footer" style to be based on the "header" style.
	If the AutoText bar on your Header / Footer toolbar doesn't have any contents (or doesn't have the entries that you are expecting), the first thing to look at is the style of your paragraph. If it isn't "header" or "footer" your expected entries won't be there because this control is set to work with these styles. This control is essentially an AutoTextList field and works the same way.

How to Control Page Numbering in a Word Document

Using Date Fields in Microsoft Word

More on Headers and Footers

Letterhead System for Microsoft Word

Much more on headers and footers - Microsoft Word Legal Users' Guide Chapter
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide

 

 

That's right. It isn't just you. See the following links.

http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/AppErrors/PageXofY.htm and http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Numbering/PageNumbering.htm

For more on Word 2000, see http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q234/2/87.asp

For more on Word 97, see: http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q159/6/78.ASP

Background: This is a long-standing and still-existing bug in Word. There are work- arounds. Exactly how it works and what the work-arounds are varies depending on the version (and update) of Word that you are using. See the above pages and the following discussions.

August 2000 update (Word 97)

Apparently the "leap year update (a/k/a SR-3) fixes the printing problems with Page X of Y especially for PAGE of SECTIONPAGES.

 http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q265/3/74.ASP

September 2000 addition

It appears as though the group is getting tired of "Page x of y" questions so I hope this is an easy one...

Everyone seems to have trouble with printing and not viewing. My problem is with viewing. When I open my document in Page Layout mode, the page numbers are not correct in the header.  Knowing that changing the views updates the fields, I've tried switching to another view and back in an AutoOpen macro but this isn't working. The strange thing is that when Word is done loading and control is returned to the user, I can rerun the exact same AutoOpen macro and the page numbers will correct themselves.

Could it be that the first time it is getting called the document is not completely loaded?? If so, how can I get Word to call it later in the load sequence (..couldn't find the AutoReallyOpen event!!).

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance...

Tim

Is this the code you're using?  It works when I try it:-

'________________
Sub AutoOpen()
    ActiveDocument.Windows(1).View = wdNormalView
    ActiveDocument.Windows(1).View = wdPageView
End Sub

'________________

If you can't get that to work then use Application.Ontime:-

'________________

Sub AutoOpen()
        Application.OnTime When:=Now, Name:="UpdatePageNos"
End Sub

'________________

Sub UpdatePageNos()
    ActiveDocument.Windows(1).View = wdNormalView
    ActiveDocument.Windows(1).View = wdPageView
End Sub

'________________

Regards

Dave Rado, MVP

More on Page Numbering:

You can use an { IF } field to do conditional page numbering. 

Examples:

Print only on the last page:

{ IF { PAGE } = { NUMPAGES } "I want this material on the last page." "I want this material on every page except the last page." }

Print only on Page 5:

{ IF { PAGE } = 5 "I want this material on 5." "I want this material on every page except page 5." }

Note that the { } characters are inserted into a document using Word's Insert Field Codes command (Ctrl-F9) or one of the other field-insertion commands, not by typing. Charaters that look like this which are typed using the keyboard don't work.

 

Page numbering is best inserted with the header and footer toolbar in a header or footer rather than by using the Insert => Page Number... command.

More on fields

 

  

The easy (but probably wrong) way to put a date in your document is Insert --> Date and Time.

If you don't check "Update Automatically" it is the same as typing the date yourself (except harder). If you do check "Update Automatically" it will update when you print (if you have the setting under printer options as "Update Fields" which is the default). You can manually force an update by putting your insertion point in the date and pressing the [F9] key.

If you want to put a date in a template that updates to the current date when a document is created based on the template, or want to change the format or do other things with the date field, you want to use Insert --> Field --> Date and Time instead. Using the options here, you can either pick a format or type your own characters (called a picture) for the format. The options for the type of date include:

{ DATE } - The date you are looking at the document. Always today (although it may not show on screen as today until you update the field).

{ CREATEDATE } - The date the document was created (or saved using Save As).

{ PRINTDATE } - The date the document was last printed.

{ SAVEDATE } - The date the document was last saved.

The above are the field codes that will be inserted for you using Insert è Field è Date and Time without using any options. If you choose options, they can include the following pictures:

Picture	Displayed Date
\@ "MMMM d, yyyy"	August 1, 2001
\@ "MMM dd, yyyy"	Aug 01, 2001
\@ "MM/dd/yy"	08/01/01
\@ "dddd, MMMM d"	Tuesday, August 1
\@ "ddd, MMM. d, yyyy"	Tue., Aug. 1, 2001
\@ "MM/dd/yy hh:mm:ss am/pm"	08/01/01 10:36:12 PM
\@ "d" \* ordinal	1st

example: { CREATEDATE \@ "MMM dd, yyyy" } = Aug 01, 2001

If you don't like the pictures you are offered, pick the one that is closest to what you want and then modify it in the Insert Field dialog box (or in the codes themselves using Toggle Field Codes).

You can also break a date into multiple fields. This can be done to use special formatting or if you use the F11 key (next field) for manually editing. Example of the former reason:

{ CREATEDATE \@ "dddd" }, the { CREATEDATE \@ "d" \*ordinal } day of { CREATEDATE \@ "MMMM" } in the year { CREATEDATE \@ "yyyy" } = Tuesday, the 1st day of August in the year 2001.

Remember that fields in headers and footers don't get updated quite as predictably. They work fine with CREATEDATE but can have the same problem as page numbers (see that topic) with DATE. 

 For more on "pictures" and formatting dates see: Fields Switches.

 

If you want a menu that gives you different kinds of date fields that can be inserted into documents, download the LegalToolbars from http://www.addbalance.com/word/download/. This is a self-documenting global template and includes the following fields in different formats on a menu that can be used without the rest of the legal toolbar: 

	Create Date (probably the one you will want to use in most forms)
	Saved / Modified Date
	Date Printed
	Always today (changes whenever document is opened / printed)

 

Calculated Dates in Word (i.e. today + 14 days)

Date Calculations in VBA