Master Sub Documents (Thesis writing with Word)

Hi Shauna,

All right, here is the what the thesis should be composed of:

- title page (1)

- signature page (2)
- abstract (2)
- table of contents (2)
- list of figures/tables (2)

- body of thesis (3)
- references/bibliography (3)

(1) ... special layout, to be numbered with i (not appearing)
(2) ... to be numbered continuously with ii... (appearing), similar layout,
special case TOC, List of Figured
(3) ... to be numbered continuously with 1 ..., same layout (special case:
references)

I think that I will make a template only for (3). But the "body" will
actually be composed of several chapters (= several files), and I plan to
put them together at the final stage, incl. references.

Would you suggest I write all these things in separate files and put them
together at the very end in one large file or in a Master Document?

On Wed, 7 Feb 2007 22:43:23 +1100, Shauna Kelly wrote:

A regular .doc file isn't a template. Only a .dot file is a template. Well,
actually Word is smarter than that. It recognizes the file structure, not
the extension. If you take a document and re-name it as a .dot, it's still a
document. You can create a new, clean template at File New and choose to
create a template. Or save an existing document as a template.

I know that. If I create a proper template with the method described by
you, how do I base my new document on that template? Whenever I start Word,
all my documents are based on the Normal.dot file.

Since I want to write up the body of the thesis in different files, should
I include page numbering in the template? Will that create a problem when I
merge the chapter-files in one large "body" file?

Also, I think it would be better to leave the numbering of the headlines
for the end.
That's OK. But I would recommend that you plan early for everything related
to headings (not "headlines", by the way), and that includes: page
numbering, caption numbering for tables and figures, cross-references to
tables and figures, the table of contents, table of figures, appendix
numbering, and numbering pages figures tables etc within appendixes etc.

I just created a template (.dot-file) and realized that I would like to
change something. Can I open the .dot-file, make changes, and save it?

A final question: Where can I define a special format for footnotes and
captions?

BTW, I just made a test.
Document 1 based on template
Document 2 based on template

New document based on template into which I copied Doc 1 & Doc 2 (chapter
headlines are already formatted with numbering) and add a header with page
numbers. Worked like a charm. Yippie!!

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word

Good website. Lots of useful information. *thumbs-up*

--
Nick H.
niko25at "at" yahoo "dot" de

On Feb 8, 11:09 am, "Nick H." niko25at@NOSPAM (at) yahoo.de wrote:

I just created a template (.dot-file) and realized that I would like to
change something. Can I open the .dot-file, make changes, and save it?


well, one brute-force method is to double-click on the .dot file...

For each of the files, make sure that your own template is attached to
the file as the Document Template,
not as a "global template /add-in.

Use each style consistently in each of your documents.
Save changes in styles back to template.

(plus all the info in those other links)
cheers
Jay