epuglise
asked on
Seems Easy, Attach a Template, but...
Ok, I've slogging through all the entries out there on templates and I can't find one precisely like the problem I'm having...
There are a bunch of documents in a directory that need to use the same code.
I have a template in the SAME directory as all of these documents.
I want that when a document in that directory opens, it attaches the template to itself.
Sounds easy, but...
This directory is being delivered electronically to lots of different people who will put that directory wherever the heck they want to. I have no idea if they use local templates or templates on their server, and do not want to have to care where they keep their templates.
So how do I get it to attach the "MyTemplate.dot" file that's in the same folder as the document itself.
I tried the following code:
Private Sub Document_Open()
With ActiveDocument
.UpdateStylesOnOpen = True
Debug.Print ActiveDocument.Path & "\DEP.dot"
.AttachedTemplate = ActiveDocument.Path & "\DEP.dot"
End With
End Sub
and get the following error when I open the document:
Microsoft Visual Basic
Run-time error '5947'
Could not change document template.
What am I doing wrong?
250 'cause it's difficult to me!
There are a bunch of documents in a directory that need to use the same code.
I have a template in the SAME directory as all of these documents.
I want that when a document in that directory opens, it attaches the template to itself.
Sounds easy, but...
This directory is being delivered electronically to lots of different people who will put that directory wherever the heck they want to. I have no idea if they use local templates or templates on their server, and do not want to have to care where they keep their templates.
So how do I get it to attach the "MyTemplate.dot" file that's in the same folder as the document itself.
I tried the following code:
Private Sub Document_Open()
With ActiveDocument
.UpdateStylesOnOpen = True
Debug.Print ActiveDocument.Path & "\DEP.dot"
.AttachedTemplate = ActiveDocument.Path & "\DEP.dot"
End With
End Sub
and get the following error when I open the document:
Microsoft Visual Basic
Run-time error '5947'
Could not change document template.
What am I doing wrong?
250 'cause it's difficult to me!
You will need to write the profile string to the registry. Then you can call it via VBA. That way, wherever their default template directory is set, it will point to that. Does that work for you?
ASKER
uh... huh? duh... duhm word user here...
I've never written "the profile string to the registry"... does this mean I have to also automatically save the template there?
What I'm trying to do is give users a folder of stuff they can use without having to move files around. Probably 3/4s of the users will not know a thing about templates and the 1/4 that do will not want me monkeying with whatever they _are_ doing with them. I was hoping just to have the template in the same directory and then my code would just be in one place and the users wouldn't have to do anything.
I thought about attaching the code directly to each document (there are 31)... then realized what a mistake that was the first time I changed the code LOL!! (duhm user again!)
so I guess I don't know till you explain the registry thing to me :)
I've never written "the profile string to the registry"... does this mean I have to also automatically save the template there?
What I'm trying to do is give users a folder of stuff they can use without having to move files around. Probably 3/4s of the users will not know a thing about templates and the 1/4 that do will not want me monkeying with whatever they _are_ doing with them. I was hoping just to have the template in the same directory and then my code would just be in one place and the users wouldn't have to do anything.
I thought about attaching the code directly to each document (there are 31)... then realized what a mistake that was the first time I changed the code LOL!! (duhm user again!)
so I guess I don't know till you explain the registry thing to me :)
If the template is in the same directory as the files, then are they stored to the master template directory? I certainly meant no insult Elizabeth.
What happens is that in VBA, you find out where the user's default template directory is and then you call a template from that location. You write the path, etc. to the registry. Then you can call that path whenever you need it. Something like this:
'write value to registry
System.PrivateProfileStrin
'call template from that directory
Documents.Add Template:=Options.DefaultF
I could be totally offbase, but I'm pretty sure it would work.
What happens is that in VBA, you find out where the user's default template directory is and then you call a template from that location. You write the path, etc. to the registry. Then you can call that path whenever you need it. Something like this:
'write value to registry
System.PrivateProfileStrin
'call template from that directory
Documents.Add Template:=Options.DefaultF
I could be totally offbase, but I'm pretty sure it would work.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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If you are the one sending the documents to everyone, I assume the template is already attached to all those documents. You could put a line in of code in an AutoOpen or AutoNew macro in each document such as Graham suggested, although I think the code you had was already almost there. Perhaps you were just struggling with the location of the template:
Option Explicit
Dim SDir As String
Sub AutoOpen()
sDir = ActiveDocument.Path
With ActiveDocument
.UpdateStylesOnOpen = True
.AttachedTemplate = SDir & "\dep.dot"
'I always turn this off because it will cause problems with styles - this is a matter of preference
.UpdateStylesOnOpen = False
End With
End Sub
You would do the same for AutoNew. This works at my PC. Hope it's not too burdensome to put the code in each document.....
Option Explicit
Dim SDir As String
Sub AutoOpen()
sDir = ActiveDocument.Path
With ActiveDocument
.UpdateStylesOnOpen = True
.AttachedTemplate = SDir & "\dep.dot"
'I always turn this off because it will cause problems with styles - this is a matter of preference
.UpdateStylesOnOpen = False
End With
End Sub
You would do the same for AutoNew. This works at my PC. Hope it's not too burdensome to put the code in each document.....
ASKER
Jo: there was never any offense... I just wanted you to know that you are dealing with a very novice user and what you suggested to me (messing with the registry!!) sounded really scary...
Graham: Just to be clear.
1. I have already attached the DEP template to each of the documents.
2. If I have all of the documents and the DEP template in the same folder I distribute to folks (and they don't move anything out of the folder)... then is it true that
3. I do not need any code and Word will automatically look for the template (after looking other places)... in the same directory from which the document was opened??
I would LOVE a solution that requires zero code in the documents themselves...
Graham: Just to be clear.
1. I have already attached the DEP template to each of the documents.
2. If I have all of the documents and the DEP template in the same folder I distribute to folks (and they don't move anything out of the folder)... then is it true that
3. I do not need any code and Word will automatically look for the template (after looking other places)... in the same directory from which the document was opened??
I would LOVE a solution that requires zero code in the documents themselves...
ASKER
I think I was trying too hard... I didn't realize word would look for the template automatically in the same place as the document... learn something new every day, I guess!
ASKER