Word 2007 keyboard shortcuts and templates

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I have created a template containing a set of styles and an associated set of keyboard shortcuts for the styles; i.e., both the styles and the shortcuts are saved in the same template (Custom.dotx). When I attach the template to a document, the styles are available as expected, but the shortcuts do not work; however, the shortcuts do work if I save them in the global template (Normal.dotm). Is there a way to save styles and associated shortcuts in the same template so that both will work when the template is attached?

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I wonder whether keyboard shortcuts require a .dotm extension — indicating macro-enabled — rather than a .dotx extension? I’d need to experiment or research that, but it is one distinction between an ordinary document template and the Normal template.

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Thanks for your reply. I tried both .dotx and .dotm templates but neither worked.

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There’s also something about attaching a template’s “style gallery” to the document, isn’t there, to get keystrokes to work? I figured this out years ago when building some templates, but don’t remember how it works anymore, sorry.

Judy

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Not sure if it makes any difference (as you may simply have uncovered a Word 2007 bug) but: what is the origin of the documents to which you are attaching the template? Are they .docx documents, created from a .dotx or .dotm template? Or are they .doc documents, either created in Word 2007 and saved down as .docs, or created as .docs in an earlier version of Word?

Also, if you create a new (.docx) document from Custom.dotx, are the key shortcuts available to that new document?

Gary

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I have discovered that keyboard shortcuts saved in a .dotm template do work when the template is attached to a document. My problem occurred because I use a macro to attach the template and update existing styles, then detach the template (after which the shortcuts are no longer available). Therefore, it seems that I need to save my keyboard shortcuts in the global template so that they are available when the custom template is no longer attached.

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Glad you were able to track down the cause.

Why do you need to detach the template – wouldn’t it be better/simpler to leave the template attached at that point?

Gary

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I need to detach the template because it is not available on my clients’ computers. Using a macro to attach it, update the styles and then detach it ensures that I don’t inadvertently leave the template attached when I send a document to a client.

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Why would the fact that your client doesn’t have your template installed on their computers, preclude you from sending your documents to them as-is?

At least based on my own experience working at large firms, we sent out hundreds of documents to clients every day, without ever needing to detach the template beforehand (and probably received hundreds of documents every day from clients, the same way).

Were any problems being reported to you by clients, due to your sending documents to them with your template still attached?

By detaching your own templates from your documents while still working on them in-house, you’re taking away the benefits that having the templates attached would confer.

Gary

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In my case, the documents do not have my template attached when I receive them from clients and should not have it attached when I return them. However, as noted, leaving a template attached to a document does not seem to cause any technical problems when opening the document on another computer that does not have the template, and I could leave my template attached while working on the documents and detach it before returning them.

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Oh, OK – I didn’t grasp that these documents originated from an outside source – in which case you’re right, you shouldn’t necessarily return it with your template attached. But as you say, you could have a routine that detaches your template, just prior to sending it back, so that you have the advantage of your attached template, while you’re working on the document yourself.

Gary

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