Master Documents and Sub Documents

[debful]

Can anyone tell me anything about how master documents and sub documents work?

Cheers
Debful

 

[strongm]

They don't. Try to avoid. You'll only regret it otherwise.

 

[BlueHorizon]

Hi,
If you have an extremely large document, you can separate it into several smaller documents. Then you can create a Master document to "house" them all.

What is actually contained in the Master are shortcuts to the Subdocuments. These Subdocuments can be "expanded" in the Master for the user to view the contents of all the files housed within the Master, but each file is separate for greater control.

There is a Master Document toolbar with all the tools needed to create, expand and collapse the Subs.
HTH,



Best,
Blue Horizon

 

[tf1]

Unless you are a really advanced Word user, are self-disciplined in using styles, avoid direct formatting, never insert blank paragraphs to make spaces and regularly save whilst you work, I would not recommend MasterDocs.

MaterDocs work great when everything is right, but make an error it can become a nightmare on elm street.


Regards: tf1

 

[xwb]

As strongm said - they don't work. They've been around since the early 90s and have never worked properly. Both printing and editing are extremely tedious and painful and often littered with Word crashing out and restarting itself. You'll have to wait ages whenever it attempts recovery after restarting (and it doesn't matter how fast your machine is or how much memory it has).

The way around it is to change your document hierarchy: don't stick everything in one gigantic document. The documents refer to each other.

All of a sudden, no more crashes and lots of people can work on different documents simultaneously!

 

[fumei]

I am with tf1 - unless you are very disciplined in using styles (NEVER using "empty" paragraphs, NO direct formatting), Master/Subs are to be avoided. For the reason stated by xwb...they do not work. Oh, they pretend to work, and if you are VERY good with Word, and VERY careful...yes, they can - some times - work.

I have tried them since the early 90's, and I have never seen them work well. By well, I mean that sure, if everything is going tickety-boo....fine. However, the instant something goes wonky, then it goes REALLY wonky.

Unless there is a seriously compelling reason to do so, don't use Master/Subs. Good idea - never fully, or robustly, implemented.

faq219-2884

Gerry
My paintings and sculpture