Solved: Custom properties from Normal.dot doesn't reproduce in new documents

This is quite strange. What EXACTLY are you trying to do?????

S[aring the user a few mouse clicks is a fine intention, but what you seem to be trying is beyond that.

Why on earth would you want to force Word into opening without the normal blank document? What is the big deal here? I don't get it.

Why do you want to remove the the New (blank) document button. Yes, you can remove it, absolutely. But it is removed from Normal.dot - if that is what you are working with. YES, you can have it removed from a template. Heck I have a template that has NO format buttons at all. No Font, no Size, no Bold etc etc. Just tabs of the available styles. Yes you can force customization of the oolbars.

However, it takes some code, and more importantly, it takes very thoughtful design. Sparing a few mouse click does not cut it for the work involved.

Just as a further note to Tony. An AutoExec routine in normal.dot DOES fire when Word is loaded. It fires BEFORE the creation of the blank document.

sandam....

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IMHO I dont think whaqt your asking for is possible. Its taking the customization of Word beyond whats meant to be capable of and that is always a tricky one.

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You are incorrect. It is quite possible, and very easy.

You're not wrong - it fires before there is a document - but it gives me an idea.

To suppress (or close) the empty document that Word starts with, one could initialise application events and set a global flag in autoexec - and then check that global flag in the document change event and, if set, close the document and unset the flag - and even disable application events when you're done so there is no ongoing overhead. I suppose one could even then create a new document (based on normal) which would fire document_new.

I might knock up a test of that.

Hi Tony, I just posted a KB Entry on this. It does not use Application events. The code is:

[vba]Sub AutoExec()
Dim response
response = MsgBox("Are you working on the Variable Project?", vbYesNo)
If response = vbYes Then
Documents.Add _
Template:="C:\Documents and Settings\Gerry\Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\my_variable.dot"
End If
End Sub[/vba]

With Word NOT loaded, when Word loads AutoExec fires, asks if you are working on the "Variable Project", and if I answer Yes, then a new document based on the stated template IS the opening document. The normal blank document is NOT created. There is only one document - a new one based on the stated template.

In other words, the regular blank document is supressed - or rather, is replaced.

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Originally Posted by fumei

sandam....


You are incorrect. It is quite possible, and very easy.

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Fair enough. I guess its a case of speaking before knowing :doh:

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Originally Posted by fumei

This is quite strange. What EXACTLY are you trying to do?????

S[aring the user a few mouse clicks is a fine intention, but what you seem to be trying is beyond that.

Why on earth would you want to force Word into opening without the normal blank document? What is the big deal here? I don't get it.

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Ok, lets take it from the top...

I'm creating some templates for my company, and I'm trying to create them as simple as possible. So I took out all the general metadata that would be repeated in all pages (for quality an trackability), i.e. project number, version and date, and created custom properties to contain these data.
This custom properties is the same for all the templates.

For all the other metadata that is just placed in one place I creted macro fields for the user to fill in.

Simpel an nice IMO. :whip


Hmm... then I thought that couldn't I use this metadata in a blank document aswell... then I would still have all the data that our quality system requires... but hidden.... not shown in the document itself but still accessible.

And knowing the typical user, the one that would start creating a document from scratch if we didn't have a specific template for that purpose... this user would use the blank document created when he started Word or pressed the "blank/new document button".
My next step was to create the same custom properties that I use in the other templates in Normal.dot thinking that this template would act in the same way... WTF? it didn't... was I doing something wrong?

So I asked the question in this forum.

When I got the answer that Normal.dot don't act in the same way that other templates I asked some questions trying to find out what could be done about it.

And here we are... :hi:

Does the above explanation clear the questions you have?


At this point I'm inclined to create a specific blank template to use and hope that the users follows the comany guidelines... :eek:
And you all know where that will lead us. ;)

I think Gerry's post actually covers what you want GrodanBoll. If you replace the normal.dot with your "own" blank template and perhaps have a form that appears as well that lets you're user select which document to create then you can:

1) store all the metadata your users need in this "new" normal.dot.
2) by having the form to select which document they want, you are always in control of the creation process and can limit them as much as you want to.
3) and even if you over write the replacement document with the document that is being created - you still have all your metadata stored in those templates as well.

Good stuff, Gerry. I was just thinking as I typed and, of course, I didn't have to make it that complex!

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Originally Posted by fumei

Just as a further note to Tony. An AutoExec routine in normal.dot DOES fire when Word is loaded. It fires BEFORE the creation of the blank document.

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True buddy.

A special note here.

AutoExec only execute the first time you fire up Word!!
If Outlook is running with Word as editor it won't Fire!

If a Word process is already running it Won't fire....

So only the first time you start a Word process it fires.

So yes its a great tool but you need to know about these cave-ats! :yes

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Originally Posted by fumei

sandam....


You are incorrect. It is quite possible, and very easy.

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Agreed as always..but its not sensible.

To the OP:

And the easy method would to disable the button like:[vba]
CommandBars("Standard").Controls("New Blank Document").Enabled = False[/vba]

But it is bad practice to wanna conquer Word cause you have to think about stuff like CTRL+N | File New etc...there are always more ways in Word to execute a command and you have to cover all.

I wouldn't go that way! :whistle:

Hi GrodanBoll, :hi:

Ok I have a suggestion to make to make shure you will always start with the right template. :yes (It's probably not fool proof yet but will get there I think)

For now we need to cover:

• Startup by Word
• Pressing File | New
• Using shortcut CTRL+N
• Pressing New blank document button.
• Things I'm missing right now

I'm asuming this:

• Code will be placed in a Normal code module inserted in Normal.dot!!
• The template to be used is called "test.dot" and it is in the same folder as Normal.dot is!! (Important)

Ok insert the code module in to Normal.dot (Use a fresh Normal to test this properly cause other code could influence the test!!!)

Paste this code in the module:[vba]
Option Explicit

'***AUTOMACRO***
' Executes when Word is started for the FIRST TIME!
Sub AutoExec()
Call MyFileNew
End Sub

'***WORD COMMANDS***
'Executes when you press the New Blank Document button
Sub FileNewDefault()
Call MyFileNew
End Sub

'Executes when you choose File | New or CTRL+N
Sub FileNew()
Call MyFileNew
End Sub

'***SUPPORT***
'Sub to create a new document based on test.dot
'which is in the same directory as the file you execute
'this code from (Normal.dot or any global template will do)
Sub MyFileNew()
Documents.Add ThisDocument.Path & "\test.dot"
End Sub
[/vba]

Now when you close Word and reopen it your test.dot template is loaded. Also when you choose File | New , Ctrl+n and New blank document button.

Things to cover (have to do other stuff first):
When Word is already open the AutoExec is not fired so when someone opens a new instance of Word via a shortcut to start WinWord.exe for the second time...it's NOT fired!! (Should not happen a lot but it must be foorseen!)

Try it out and let me know if it works for you. (Whit this method you can use a template of your choise with the custom properties in them!)

HTH, :whistle:

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Originally Posted by MOS MASTER

True buddy.

A special note here.

AutoExec only execute the first time you fire up Word!!
If Outlook is running with Word as editor it won't Fire!

If a Word process is already running it Won't fire....

So only the first time you start a Word process it fires.

So yes its a great tool but you need to know about these cave-ats! :yes

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Good point, Joost.

AutoExec fires once per instance of Word when it starts, and I suppose I hadn't thought about it properly but, yes, if Word is running in Outlook, a new instance is not created.

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Originally Posted by TonyJollans

Good point, Joost.

AutoExec fires once per instance of Word when it starts, and I suppose I hadn't thought about it properly but, yes, if Word is running in Outlook, a new instance is not created.

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Yes its one of the frustrations of my live dealing with Word and Outlook together so yes I found out the hard way.

Another way to make sure Word starts with the right template is to add a commandline switch to the shortcut you execute Word with (I think switch /t (Have to look it up) to start a template of your choise every time you startup Word)

Later buddy. :whistle:

Ps Tony did you try out my code sollution?

Do you see anymore caveat's on the way? :yes

Interesting.

I put your code in a new module in one of my global templates - and forgot I already had an AutoExec in Normal (don't know why I forgot - I have a MsgBox in it :)).

The AutoExec in Normal ran, and the message box displayed before a document was created, as expected. Then the AutoExec in my global template ran (I put a msgbox as the first statement in it) and the msgbox displayed AFTER Word had created a blank document based on normal. Your code ran and created a new document based on test BUT it was Document2 and I still had Document1 (based on normal) open (i.e two documents).

I'm off to bed now but I will play a bit more tomorrow.

Ok Tony welterusten! :yes

Like I said we have to test first in a clean environment without other code bugging it. (We can get those problems out later by using flags)

I'll await your results and perhaps a nights rest will give me more thoughts about this too. :whistle:

This is fascinating! Word 2003.

It appears that AutoExec macros can be run from global templates - I currently have four different ones running and they all run after blank document initialisation. It would appear that Word loads Normal and runs Auto Macros in Normal, then creates a blank document (I haven't yet tried experimenting with opening existing docs), then loads global templates and runs auto macros in global templates.

BUT .. I have had to do some messing about to get them all to run consistently and I can't pin down exactly what it takes at the moment.

As far as I knew before today there was no way to run any auto macro on or after initialisation of a default blank document. Now I know better, I shall try hard to pin down exact details and report back. Meanwhile I have to mow the lawn.

Look, the original comment was that loading Word from scratch does not fire Document_New.

AutoExec solves that - it replaces the normal blank doc with a blank doc from the template of choice.

To replace the new blank doc produced with a new blank document from the tyemplate of choice, you use the same code using Document_New.

that way regardless of whether you are starting Word for the first time, OR clicking the New button, you get the same blank document from the specified template.

As far Word as Outlook editor....someone else solve that....I would never do that. IMHO using Word as email editor is ....insert typical Gerry rant here....

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Originally Posted by fumei

Look, the original comment was that loading Word from scratch does not fire Document_New.

AutoExec solves that - it replaces the normal blank doc with a blank doc from the template of choice.

To replace the new blank doc produced with a new blank document from the tyemplate of choice, you use the same code using Document_New.

that way regardless of whether you are starting Word for the first time, OR clicking the New button, you get the same blank document from the specified template.

As far Word as Outlook editor....someone else solve that....I would never do that. IMHO using Word as email editor is ....insert typical Gerry rant here....

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It is certainly true that the thread has wandered but the original question was actually about why properties of the Normal template are not copied to new documents. It was not about events or auto macros - if I recall, it was you, Gerry, who introduced them into the discussion.

The initial question raised an issue I didn't know about, and out of the discussion has come something I find interesting - if you don't, then you don't have to participate further :). But, perhaps you are right, I should start a new thread.

As far as using Word in Outlook is concerned it makes no sense for me to do it but I can see that others in other situations might want to and I can imagine some corporate users not even knowing they have a choice (it is the default on Outlook 2003 install). It seems sensible to sound a note of caution that some aspects of Word's behaviour outside of Outlook (in particular those discussed here) are affected by the use of Word within Outlook.

I'll look up the rant - I'm sure I have a copy http://vbaexpress.com/forum/images/smilies/082.gif