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Subject:Re: Simultaneous Author Access to files From:"John Fleming" <johnf -at- ecn -dot- ab -dot- ca> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 23 Oct 2000 22:54:21 -0600
Maggie,
I guess I'm one of these people who has used master documents with a
fair amount of success.
I have encountered some problems with format--where it's important to
know how Word sorts out style definitions where, for example, header 1
is defined as Times New Roman 12 point in the subdocument and Arial 12
point in the master document. But I've never encountered missing
sections.
For one recent project, it was a godsend. The end product was a
graphics heavy, 300 odd page manual. Being able to work on it one
section at a time took a big burden off the system resources.
Oddly enough, the final document was printed on subdocument at a time
without opening the master document. One, the document was too big
for a PC with only 32 MB of RAM. Two, the other people in the office
would have killed me for tying up our only printer for such a long
time without interruption.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Maggie Secara" <MSecara -at- bizbuyer -dot- com>
To: "'John Fleming'" <johnf -at- ecn -dot- ab -dot- ca>; "TECHWR-L"
<techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Cc: <jgarison -at- ide -dot- com>
Sent: October 23, 2000 12:07 PM
Subject: RE: Simultaneous Author Access to files
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: John Fleming [mailto:johnf -at- ecn -dot- ab -dot- ca]
> Sent: Saturday, October 21, 2000 5:14 PM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Cc: jgarison -at- ide -dot- com
> Subject: Re: Simultaneous Author Access to files
>
>
>
> As a possible workaround, have you explored Word's Master Document
> feature?
>
>
> The trouble is, the Master Document is a time bomb. I understand
some
> people have used it without trouble, but that's not the general
case. It's
> very easy to separate a book into separate files for chapters, then
put them
> together using RD fields for Table of Contents and Index. Master
Document
> is a disaster waiting to happen, in which whole sections can
disappear,
> graphics and all, without a trace. It's EVIL. Don't go there.
>
>
> Maggie Secara
> Technical Writer
>
> BizBuyer.com
> (310) 883-6446
--
John Fleming
Edmonton, Alberta
email: johnf -at- ecn -dot- ab -dot- ca
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