Part 2: General information about master documents

This article is part 2 of a two-part series about master documents. Most of the information in this article is included in Microsoft Word Help. That information is compiled in this article as an easy reference tool.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: NOTE: The Outline toolbar and the Master Document toolbar are separate in earlier versions of Microsoft Word but are combined as the Outlining toolbar in Microsoft Word 2000. To access this combined toolbar, click Outline on the View menu.

Make Changes to a Master Document or Subdocument

You can make the following kinds of changes to your master document:

• Rename or change the location of a subdocument
• Rearrange subdocuments within a master document
• Split a subdocument
• Merge subdocuments
• Convert a subdocument into part of the master document
• Remove a subdocument and its contents from a master document

Rename or Change the Location of a Subdocument

If you rename a subdocument or move it to a different disk, directory, or folder, make sure that you first open the subdocument from within its master document. Then use the Save As command on the File menu to rename the subdocument or to save it in a new location. Do not close the master document until you save the subdocument that you renamed or moved.

To rename or change the location of a subdocument, follow these steps:

1. Open your master document.
2. On the View menu, click Outline.
3. To open the subdocument, double-click the subdocument icon, or click the hyperlink to the subdocument.
4. On the File menu, click Save As.
5. Type a new file name or location for the subdocument, and then click Save.
6. Click Close on the File menu to return to your master document.

NOTE: If you no longer need the previous version of a subdocument, you can delete it.

Rearrange Subdocuments Within a Master Document

To rearrange subdocuments within a master document, follow these steps:

1. In outline view, do one of the following:
   • To select an entire subdocument, click the Subdocument icon.
   • To move certain headings within or among subdocuments, select only the headings that you want to move.
2. Drag the Subdocument icon or Heading level symbol (+ or - sign) to the new location.

NOTES

• In this procedure, dragging text removes the text from the subdocument or possibly changes the heading-level format. Make sure you drag the Subdocument icon or Heading level symbol.
• Rearranging subdocuments may cause some problems with section breaks, because the initial top section break for a subdocument is not moved.
• A cautious alternative to this method is to delete the subdocument from the master document and then insert it where you want it.

Split a Subdocument

To split a subdocument into two or more subdocuments, follow these steps:

1. In outline view, select the heading or other location where you want to split the subdocument.
2. On the Outlining toolbar, click Split Subdocument.
3. To save the changes in both the master document and the subdocuments, click Save on the File menu.

Merge Subdocuments

To merge two or more subdocuments, follow these steps:

1. To be merged, the subdocuments first must be consecutive. In outline view, move the subdocuments next to each other in the master document.
2. Click the Subdocument icon to select the first subdocument that you want to merge.
3. To select the next subdocument, hold down SHIFT and click its Subdocument icon.
4. Repeat step 3 for each subdocument that you want to merge.
5. On the Outlining toolbar, click Merge Subdocument.

NOTES

• When you save the master document, Word saves the merged subdocuments with the file name of the first subdocument.
• If you no longer need the previous version of a subdocument, you can delete it.
• All section breaks are retained.

Remove a Subdocument and Retain Its Contents in the Master Document

To remove a subdocument and retain its contents in the master document, follow these steps:

1. In outline view, click the Subdocument icon to select the subdocument that you want to convert into the master document.
2. On the Outlining toolbar, click Remove Subdocument.

Word converts the subdocument into part of the master document and retains the subdocument's contents and all associated section breaks.

Remove a Subdocument and Its Contents from a Master Document

NOTE: Do not just delete a subdocument file from the disk. If you do this, you get an error message the next time you open the master document. After you delete the subdocument from the master document, you can then delete it from the disk.

To remove a subdocument and its contents from a master document, follow these steps:

1. In outline view, click the Subdocument icon to select the subdocument that you want to remove.
2. Press BACKSPACE or DELETE.

Word removes the subdocument from a master document and retains all associated section breaks.

NOTE: When you remove the subdocument from the master document, the subdocument still exists on the hard disk and in the directory where it was stored.

If you want to delete the physical file from the disk, continue with the following steps:

1. Close the subdocument if it is open.
2. On the Windows Start menu, point to Find, and then click Files or Folders.
3. Type the name of the subdocument in the Named box; click Local hard drives in the Look in box, and click Find Now.
4. Click the name of the file once to select it, and then press DELETE.
5. Close the Find dialog box.

Share a Master Document with Others

Word provides a special type of file locking to make it easier for several people to work simultaneously on a master document and its subdocuments.

When you open a master document, Word opens the subdocuments that "belong" to you (for example: you are the Author listed in the Summary tab of File Properties) as read-write files, which you can both view and edit. Word opens the subdocuments that you did not create as read-only files. You can view these locked subdocuments, but you cannot make changes to them until you unlock them. Word determines whether you are the author of a subdocument by checking the Author field in the subdocument's summary information against the name that you supplied when you installed Word. To view this information, click Options on the Tools menu, and then click the User Information tab.

If another user opens a master document or subdocument and makes changes to it, the normal network file-protection system also applies. You cannot open and make changes to a file that another user is working on.

The special file-locking feature for master documents and subdocuments is not designed to protect documents from changes. It is just a way to give users easy access to the subdocuments that they created and are most likely to work on. Any user can unlock any subdocument by clicking the Lock Document button on the Outlining toolbar.

To lock or unlock a subdocument, follow these steps:

1. Open the master document.
2. In outline view, click Expand Subdocument on the Outlining toolbar.
3. Place the insertion point in the subdocument that you want to lock or unlock.
4. On the Outlining toolbar, click Lock Document.

NOTE: When a document is locked, Word displays a padlock symbol below the Subdocument icon. The locked subdocument cannot be edited. When the document is unlocked, no padlock symbol is displayed, and the subdocument can be edited.

Reserve Read-Write Privileges

When another user opens a master document or subdocument, even as a read-only file, normally you cannot open that document as a read-write file. However, you can reserve read-write privileges by setting options on the Save tab of the Options dialog box.

To reserve read-write privileges for a master document or a subdocument, follow these steps:

1. Open the document for which you want to reserve read-write privileges.
2. On the File menu, click Save As, click the Tools list, and then click General Options.
3. On the Save tab, do one of the following:
   • Type a password in the Password to modify box.
   • Click to select the Read-Only Recommended check box.
4. Click OK. In the Save As dialog box, click Save.

When you select either of these options, other users can open the document as a read-only file, but you can still open the document as a read-write file. Other users can open a copy of the document as a read-write file if they know the password to modify or if they choose the No button when prompted to open the document as Read-only.

Format a Master Document

You can format a master document just as you format any other Word document. You can also create a template for a master document, define styles for it, and apply formatting to any part of the master document or its subdocuments.

Because each subdocument is a section of the master document, you can change section formatting such as headers, page numbers, margins, and column layout at the beginning of each subdocument. You can also insert additional section breaks within a subdocument to control formatting within that subdocument.

When you format a master document, keep the following basic rules in mind:

• Apply formats or choose settings for the entire document in the master document, not in a subdocument.
• Apply formats or choose settings for an individual subdocument in that subdocument only.

For example, you can set the header with a document title and page number in the master document. If you do not set headers for any of the subdocuments, the master document header appears on every page. If you want a different header for each subdocument, set up the headers in the individual subdocuments.

If you insert documents and make them part of a master document, each document retains its original section formatting. You may have to change the section formatting in the subdocuments if you want them to share the same headers, footers, page number format, and so on.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Use Templates with Master Documents

When you work with subdocuments from within a master document, the style definitions in the master document's template override the style definitions in a subdocument's template. However, the column layout, margins, special page number settings, and other section formatting in each subdocument remain in effect.

Conversely, if you open a subdocument outside of a master document, the subdocument's original formatting and settings apply. The association between the subdocument and its template is not broken.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Tables of Contents, Cross-References, and Indexes

Using a master document to create a long document simplifies the creation of cross-references, indexes, tables of contents, tables of figures, tables of authorities, and other lists.

You can make a table of contents and index part of the master document, or you can make them into subdocuments. It is important, however, to update a table of contents, an index, or cross-references from within the master document. If you update any of these items outside of the master document, they do not reflect the entire master document, and you see error messages in the subdocuments instead of the appropriate numbers of cross-references.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Create a Table of Contents

To create a table of contents for a long document, open the master document and switch to outline view. Position the insertion point where you want to insert the table of contents, and then use the Index and Tables command on the Insert menu to compile the table of contents. To update a table of contents, open the master document, switch to print layout view, position the insertion point anywhere in the table of contents, and then press F9.

For more information, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Create Cross-References

Using a master document is the only way to create cross-references that point to items in different documents. Just open a master document, switch to normal view, and then use the procedures for creating cross-references as if you are working on a single large document. In effect, when you use a master document, you can ignore the "boundaries" between subdocuments.

NOTE: When you open the individual subdocuments, you cannot create or update cross-references to other subdocuments. You must work on the master document to do this.

For more information about cross-references, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type adding cross-references in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Create an Index

Creating an index for a master document is easier than compiling an index for a series of individual Word documents. Just add index entries in the usual way as you work on subdocuments.

When you are ready to compile the index, open the master document, and then position the insertion point where you want to include the index. To update the index, open the master document, position the insertion point anywhere in the index, and then press F9.

For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information about creating an index, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type create index in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Print a Master Document

You can print master documents in different ways.

To print the entire master document, expand the subdocuments in outline view and then print it. Or switch to normal view or print layout view and print it.

To print specific levels of your master document, expand to show the specific heading level you want to show, and then print your document. For example, you can choose to print only the top two heading levels.

If you want to print the contents of a particular subdocument, you can open that subdocument and then print it in the normal way. If the subdocument contains cross-references to other subdocuments, you must print the master document (not the individual subdocument) so that the cross-references are updated properly.

In summary, to print a master document, follow these steps:

1. Do one of the following:
   • To control the amount of detail that you want printed, display the master document in outline view (on the View menu, click Outline). Expand or collapse headings to display as much of the document as you want to print.
   • To print the entire document, display the master document in normal view or print layout view.
2. On the File menu, click Print.
3. Select the printing options that you want, and then click OK.

For more information about master documents, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type master documents overview in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.