Word 97/2000: Master Documents

Before You Begin

This document and the accompanying class assume you have fairly extensive experience in Word 97 or 2000. You should have the skills taught in Word 97/2000: Introduction, Basic Formatting, and Increasing Efficiency.

A Note About Word 97 and Word 2000

Word 97 and Word 2000 are similar versions of the same program, but have a few important differences.
In this document, information unique to Word 2000 appears in a shaded box.

 

Warning about Master Documents

 
Word's master document feature is a tool for managing and editing long documents. Unfortunately, master documents can be difficult to work with, but more importantly, master documents may suddenly become corrupt. Many people who have tried to work with master documents report that their formatting has changed radically, for example, or that their computers crash when something goes wrong with their master documents. 

Microsoft discusses master documents as well as alternative methods for working with long documents in their article, "WD2000: How to Create a Long Document in Word." 

The article introduces two field codes you can use instead of a master document: the IncludeText and Reference Document (RD) field codes. These codes may take a bit of getting used to, but you will probably be happier with them in the long run. 

You can read tales of woe about master documents, as well as find more ideas and tips about working with your long document from the Word Long Documents news group. To subscribe to this newsgroup, start at the Word for Windows Newsgroup page. Once there, select the link to Word for Windows Formatting Long Documents. (If you prefer to subscribe through your newsreader rather than by going to the Web page, refer to your newsreader's documentation, and subscribe to the newsgroup microsoft.public.word.formatting.longdocs on the msnews.microsoft.com news server.) Be aware when participating in or taking advice from the newsgroup that you are communicating with other Word users, rather than with Microsoft technical support.

If you decide to work with master documents, play it safe: make a copy of each of your documents before you get started, and store them in a separate folder from the original. Create the master document from the copies. This way, if something happens to the documents you use in the master document, the originals will still be usable. 

Using Master Documents to Manage Long Documents

If a Word document is longer than 30-50 pages, it's a good idea to break it into smaller files. Otherwise, you can run into editing problems, and the chances increase that the file will become corrupt. On the other hand, if you break the file up into smaller files, you may have trouble managing them. It may be difficult to keep pages numbered consecutively, for example. Master documents can help you avoid both the problem of having a file that is too large, and of having too many files to manage.

With a master document, you work with smaller documents called subdocuments, which are connected through the master. From the master document you can easily reorganize chapters, for example, or create a table of contents or index for a book, or print all the articles in a journal by opening just one file instead of a dozen.
Warning: As discussed in the previous section, master documents, like very large files, can become corrupt. Proceed with caution. See above for a further discussion and alternative suggestions.

You might consider using either a master document or Word's IncludeText or RT field codes if any one of the following statements is true:


Remember, you will likely have better results if you use the IncludeText or RD field codes rather than master documents to bring your separate documents together.

Planning Your Document

Working with a master document can be easier if you plan your layout and content before beginning.

Before you create the master document, think about page layout, styles, headers, and footers. Using the same template for the master document and the subdocuments can make it easier to work with a master document. (For more information about formatting, refer to Word 97/2000: Basic Formatting and Papers and Reports; for information about styles see Word 97/2000: Tables and Styles. )

Through its use of headings and subdocuments, a master document requires you to highlight main points for your readers. You'll probably find your work goes more smoothly if you consider in advance what main points and subtopics you plan to discuss. Remember, though: you can change your game plan as you work.

Creating a Master Document

The steps for creating a master document are discussed in detail in the following sections. For your convenience, a summary of steps is also included at the end of the two sections, "Starting with a New Document" and "Starting with an Existing Document."

Getting Started: It's All in Your Point of View

The first step for creating a master document is to open a new or existing document. Next, in Word 97, change to the Master Document view by selecting the View menu, and then Master Document.
Word 2000 combines the Master Document and Outline view. Switch to the Outline view by selecting the View menu and then Outline. 
Two special toolbars display in Master Document view: the outline toolbar and the master documents toolbar.

Outline toolbar
Use the outline toolbar (shown above) to change and display different heading styles in the master and subdocuments. Heading styles are the key to master documents, and you'll learn more about them later.

Master documents toolbar The other toolbar, the master document toolbar, is only available in Word 97 in the Master Document view, and in Word 2000 in the Outline view. Use this toolbar to set up or change the relationship between the master and subdocuments.

Starting with a New Document

With a new file open in the Master document view, type a simple, overall outline for your long document. The outline should contain your main topics. For example, if you're writing a book, type your planned chapter titles, each on a separate line. The chapter titles will become your subdocuments.

Now use Word's built-in heading styles to set up the master document and subdocuments. Select the main topics (the chapter titles, in this example) and change the heading styles one of the following ways:


You'll learn how to change the format of heading styles later in this document.

You're ready to create the subdocuments. Create Subdocuments buttonWith only the chapter titles selected, click the Create Subdocument button on the Master Documents toolbar. Now each of the chapters is separated by a section break, and a Subdocument icon appears to the left and above the subdocument title, as shown in this picture:

picture of subdocument

 The icon to the left of the title is the subdocument icon. A thin grey line surrounds the subdocument. Anything that appears inside the thin grey line is part of the subdocument. The grey line does not print. The subdocument is set off from the master document by section breaks. Add information to the subdocument before the second section break.

To separate subdocuments by page breaks, you can either insert a page break manually (Ctrl-Enter) or change a "continuous" section break to a "new page" section break. To change the section break type, click in the section after the section break. Select the File menu, then Page Setup, and then the Layout tab. At the top of the tab, find the Section Start option list, and select New Page or another option. Click OK. The section break above the location of your cursor should now be the type you selected. (Note that, if the section break's label has not changed, you can usually make it show up by refreshing your view of the page: select the View menu, and then the view option you are currently using, whether it's Normal, Outline, or Master Document view.)

Save the master document as you would any other document. Word saves the master document and subdocuments in the same folder. Word creates the subdocument file names based on their headings in the master document.
Summary of Steps for Starting with a New File
  1. Open a new file in Master Document view.
  2. Type an outline of your long document.
  3. Format the major topics of the outline using one of Word's built-in heading styles. 
  4. With the headings selected, click on the Create Subdocument button. 

Starting with an Existing Document

Open the existing long file you want to convert to a master document and switch to Master Document view. Find areas in the document where you want to break it up; for example, find areas where you want to create new chapters. Give each of those sections a title, and format each title with one of Word's heading styles (see "Starting with a New Document" for details).

Create Subdocument buttonNext, click the Create Subdocument button on the Master Documents toolbar. The document now shows section breaks, and the subdocument icon appears to the left of each chapter heading. (See the illustration in "Starting with a New Document.") To insert a page break between subdocuments, you can press Ctrl-Enter, or change the section break type as explained in "Starting with a New Document," above.

Save the master document as you do normally. Word names the subdocuments automatically, and saves them in the directory with the master document.
Summary of Steps for Starting with an Existing File
  1. Open the existing file in Master Document view.
  2. If you do not already have major topic headings in the document, create them.
  3. Format the major topics using one of Word's built-in heading styles. 
  4. With the headings selected, click on the Create Subdocument button. 


Please note: You can create a master document by inserting several subdocuments into a new or existing master document. Refer to the section "Inserting an Existing Word Document into a Master Document" later in this handout. 

Heading Styles

When you select a block of text and select the Create New Subdocument button, Word uses the heading style of the first line you select to determine where to create the new subdocument. If the first line is heading 3, for example, then each time Word spots heading 3 text in the selected text block, it creates a subdocument.

Modifying Heading Styles

Although you do have to use Word's built-in heading styles to create subdocuments, you can change the heading styles to fit the design of your document. From the Format menu, select Style. In the Style window, select Modify, and then the Format button. Select the element you want to modify (Font, for example). If you want to use the new heading style in other documents that use the current template, be sure to select Add to Template. Then OK any changes you make. Close the Style window. Any text in that heading style now changes to the new formatting. (For more information about styles, refer to Word 97/2000: Tables and Styles.)

Working with Subdocuments

Inserting an Existing Word Document into a Master Document

You can create or change a master document by inserting existing files into the master. Open the master document in Master Document view. (Remember, the master document can be any new or existing document.) Insert Subdocument buttonMove the insertion point (cursor) where you want to insert the document, and click the Insert Subdocument button. Find the document using the Open window and click OK to insert it. Remember to save the master document after making changes.

Changing the Order of Subdocuments

To move a subdocument, select its icon, and do one of two things:


A horizontal line shows you where the subdocument will move when you release the mouse button.

Editing a Subdocument

You can make changes to subdocuments either from within the master document or by opening the subdocument as a separate file. To edit the entire master document including subdocuments, simply open the master document and work in a view that is convenient for the task. Save the master document after you make changes; Word then automatically saves all the subdocument files.

You can also edit a subdocument in a separate window. To eliminate problems searching for the correct files, open the subdocument from within the master document by double-clicking on the subdocument icon. A window opens for the subdocument. The subdocument automatically includes one section break. To avoid difficulties, insert information in the subdocument above this break.
Lock iconIf you switch from the subdocument window back to the master document window, you see a lock icon next to the subdocument icon. The lock tells you that you can now make changes to the subdocument only from the open subdocument window. When you save and close the subdocument window, the lock disappears. You can now make changes to the subdocument from within the master document.

You can also open a subdocument just as you do any other document. For more details about opening documents, refer to Word 97/2000: Introduction.

Splitting Up Subdocuments

If a subdocument gets too long or you want two different people to work on it, you may want to split it by following these steps:


The subdocument splits in two. If you want a page break to separate the two documents, insert one (Ctrl-Enter does the trick, or change the section break type as explained earlier in "Starting with a New Document.")
To split more than one section, create headings in different locations of the subdocument. Select a block of text that contains all the new headings, and then split the subdocument. Word creates the subdocuments based on the heading style of the first line you select. Save the master document, and Word saves all the associated subdocuments.

When One Plus One Equals One: Merging Subdocuments

You may need to merge subdocuments if, for example, you decide that one chapter is too small and needs to be part of another chapter. Follow these steps:
     
  1. In master document view, make sure the two subdocuments are next to each other; remember, you can simply drag and drop the headings.
  2. Select the subdocument icon for the first subdocument you want to move.
  3. Shift-click on the second subdocument icon.
  4. Merge Subdocument buttonClick the Merge Subdocument button on the master document toolbar.


The two subdocuments become one, with the first subdocument containing the second. Save the master. If you no longer need the second subdocument, delete it using My Computer or Explorer.

Removing a Subdocument from the Master Document

So, your chapter doesn't work in this book, but you want to save it for your next one? You can remove a subdocument from your master document. With the master document open in Master Document view, select the icon for the subdocument you want to remove. Remove Subdocument buttonClick the Remove Subdocument button on the Master Document toolbar. In Word 97, the subdocument text is removed, as is the master document's connection to the subdocument file.
Word 2000: the subdocument text remains in your document, but the connection between the master and subdocument files no longer exists. You can delete the old text in the master document as necessary.

If you also no longer need the subdocument file, delete it using My Computer or Windows Explorer.

Renaming or Moving a Subdocument to a New Directory

If you want to keep the connection between a master and subdocument, do not use My Computer or Explorer to rename or move the subdocument to a new directory. Instead, open the master document in Master Document view. Then double-click on the subdocument icon to open the subdocument file. Choose Save As from the File menu to save the subdocument with the new name and location. Close the subdocument, and then save the master document.

Formatting the Master Document and Subdocuments

Format characters and paragraphs in master and subdocuments the same way you do in any other Word document. For more information, refer to Word 97/2000: Basic Formatting and Papers and Reports.
You can make changes to the page setup for each subdocument, or for the entire master document. Remember: page formatting can be tricky. Be sure to preview your document before printing it.

Subdocument Page Setup

To use page setup options in a subdocument that are different from the master document's settings, open the subdocument as a separate file. Click in the subdocument, and then make changes to the page setup, headers, footers, and page numbering as necessary.
Tip: When you open a subdocument in a separate window, the subdocument automatically has one section break. Below this section break, the subdocument follows the page setup options established in the master document, not those you create in the subdocument. To avoid problems with page formatting, add text before this section break. 

Page Setup for the Entire Document

To change the page setup for the entire document, open the master document and change its page setup. You can also make changes to specific sections of the master document. Add a section break if necessary, position the insertion point, and make your changes.
Tip: If the master document overrides your subdocument formatting, open the subdocument, position your cursor after everything else in it, and add a section break. The section break probably will fix the problem, but preview the master document again before printing it. 

Cross-References

With cross references, you refer the reader to additional information in your document; for example, you might advise your reader to "Refer to Chapter 1, page 5 for more information." You can create cross-references within a single file, but to create cross-references between files, you have to use a master document or Word's RD fields or IncludeText fields. (See the earlier section, "Warning about Master Documents," for a reference to a Web site where you can learn about the RD and IncludeText fields.)

Step 1: Mark the Target of the Reference

The first step in creating a cross-reference is to mark the target of the reference, that is, the spot in your document to which you want your reader to refer. The target can be a bookmark, footnote, endnote, equation, figure, table, numbered item, or heading formatted with one of Word's built-in heading styles. You can add the targets to your subdocuments as you edit them, or add them to the master document.

Step 2: Create the Cross-Reference

With your target established, you are ready to create the cross-reference. Work in the master document window.
  1. Click in one of the subdocument sections. Begin a note referring your reader to the target of the cross reference; your note might read "See ".
  2. Next, from the Insert menu, select Cross-reference.
  3. In the Cross-reference window, select the Reference Type. From the Insert Reference To list, select the type of information you want to appear in your note to the reader. With a bookmark, for example, you can use the text of the bookmark, the page number on which the bookmark appears, or, if your bookmark is for an item in a numbered list, the paragraph number of that list item.
  4. Click the Insert button to complete the process. Your sample cross-reference appears at the insertion point. You can format the text of the cross-reference just as you do any other text. You can also type in the document window with the Cross-reference window open.

Updating Cross-References

Word automatically updates cross-references when you print a document. You can also update cross-references before printing. To update all your cross-references (and other field codes), select the entire document, and press the F9 key.

Field Codes, or Why Do I See {REF}?

Cross references are actually field codes, not just simple text, and sometimes you see the field code displayed. The field code for a cross-reference, for example, is {REF}. Field codes tell Word to make calculations, for example, to re-calculate the page on which a reference appears when the page number changes.

Normally you want to see the result of the field code, that is, the page number or text that the code represents. You can turn the field codes off and on by selecting the Tools menu, Options, the View tab, and then turning the Field Codes on or off as appropriate. To delete a field code or its result, select it first and then delete or backspace over it. A table of contents or index also uses field codes.

For Your Reference: Creating a Table of Contents

The Master Documents class usually does not allow time to go over tables of contents, but the information is here for your reference.

When you need to create a table of contents for your master document, the work you did with heading styles bears additional fruit. Word can use the heading styles to create the table of contents automatically; just follow these steps:

     
  1. Open the master document in Master Document view.
  2. Put the insertion point where you want to create the table of contents.
  3. Select Index and Tables from the Insert menu, and click on the Table of Contents tab.
  4. Make any changes to the format that you like, and select OK.


Word inserts the table of contents based on the heading styles you indicated.

To update an existing table of contents, open the master document. Position the insertion point anywhere in the table of contents and press F9. The existing table of contents is updated automatically.

Creating an Index

 
To the right is an example of an index for types of pasta. The steps for creating a table are discussed next and refer to this example. Example of an Index entry for

Step 1: Mark the Index Entries

The first step in creating an index is to mark the places in your document to which you want to refer your reader. Your "index entry" can be a block of text you've selected, a range of pages you've bookmarked, or just the current position of your cursor. For the example shown at right, we went to the pages on which the topics listed in the index are discussed, and then marked our index entries. To mark an index entry, press <Alt>Shift-x. The Mark Index Entry window appears.

Mark Index Entry windowIn the Main Entry field, type the main heading you want in your index ("Pasta" in the example). If you have selected a block of text, it appears in this field automatically. In the Subentry field, type the text you want to appear below or beside the main entry in your index. ("Fettuccine," for example.) To create a level below the subentry, type the subentry, a colon (:), and then the second level entry. For the example, we typed "Stuffed:Manicotti" in the Subentry field.

You have three options for the references to your reader:


After making your selections, click on the Mark button. Word records the index entry. You can continue marking entries as necessary. When you finish, Close the Mark Index Entry window.

Step 2: Create the Index

    When you want to compile the index, follow these steps:
    1. Open the master document in Master Document view.
    2. Position the insertion point where you want to insert the index.
    3. Select Index and Tables from the Insert menu and click on the Index tab.
    4. Select the format and any additional options, and then click on the OK button.


    Word automatically generates the index, and includes any entries in the subdocuments. To update an existing index, position the insertion point anywhere in the index and press F9.

Printing a Master Document

If you have never printed a master document before, it can be a bit confusing. You can print either the entire master document, only the master document headings, or individual subdocuments.


Master documents are long, and can have complex formatting, so be sure to preview your master document before printing it.