Word template text changes
August 22, 2015 4:49 PM Subscribe
Using Word 2013, can I make changes to a template's text automatically affect existing documents already using that template? If so, how?
I have recently learned the basics of creating and updating Word 2013 templates. I know that changes to the template regarding styles can be set to automatically apply to existing documents of that template, but I haven't figured out how to make text content changes made in the template also apply to existing documents of that template. So far when I change a template's text and save it, only new documents will feature the modified text. Unfortunately I'm skeptical that this is possible with Word, but it's worth a try!
Of course, I wouldn't want the modified template to entirely override the existing document. I just want it to take what is newly added and what is newly removed from the template and effect those same changes to the existing document of the same template. I've been using text boxes to try to isolate what text was changed.
The reason I am persistent in pursuing this is that it would be useful for the design of a creative fantasy world. For example, I will create a faction template listing various faction characteristics, which I will use it for a series of documents each dedicated to a specific faction. However, it's highly likely that I will refine this template as I work on the different factions and happen upon new characteristics. It would be far more convenient to add a simple pair of text boxes to the template, one listing the new characteristic and the other being a blank answer box, and have it automatically applied to all the existing documents of the template, than to manually add in the change to each and every document of the series.
I am also familiar with Apache OpenOffice, so that's an alternate possibility if this goal is impossible in Word 2013. I'd prefer to make this work in Word since creating automatically updatable+hyperlinked table of contents in it is easy and a highly convenient benefit, but I don't think it's possible to do in Apache OpenOffice.
Even if this template text changing function isn't possible in Word or OpenOffice, are there any other word processor programs you know of which might be able to support this function? It's so important to me that I think it would be worth learning the basics of a new word processor and using it just for these template-based documents.
Thanks for your time. Hopefully there's a solution to this, because it would be a huge help to me!
I have recently learned the basics of creating and updating Word 2013 templates. I know that changes to the template regarding styles can be set to automatically apply to existing documents of that template, but I haven't figured out how to make text content changes made in the template also apply to existing documents of that template. So far when I change a template's text and save it, only new documents will feature the modified text. Unfortunately I'm skeptical that this is possible with Word, but it's worth a try!
Of course, I wouldn't want the modified template to entirely override the existing document. I just want it to take what is newly added and what is newly removed from the template and effect those same changes to the existing document of the same template. I've been using text boxes to try to isolate what text was changed.
The reason I am persistent in pursuing this is that it would be useful for the design of a creative fantasy world. For example, I will create a faction template listing various faction characteristics, which I will use it for a series of documents each dedicated to a specific faction. However, it's highly likely that I will refine this template as I work on the different factions and happen upon new characteristics. It would be far more convenient to add a simple pair of text boxes to the template, one listing the new characteristic and the other being a blank answer box, and have it automatically applied to all the existing documents of the template, than to manually add in the change to each and every document of the series.
I am also familiar with Apache OpenOffice, so that's an alternate possibility if this goal is impossible in Word 2013. I'd prefer to make this work in Word since creating automatically updatable+hyperlinked table of contents in it is easy and a highly convenient benefit, but I don't think it's possible to do in Apache OpenOffice.
Even if this template text changing function isn't possible in Word or OpenOffice, are there any other word processor programs you know of which might be able to support this function? It's so important to me that I think it would be worth learning the basics of a new word processor and using it just for these template-based documents.
Thanks for your time. Hopefully there's a solution to this, because it would be a huge help to me!
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posted by megatherium at 5:24 AM on August 23, 2015 [1 favorite]