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Macros, tips, and
templates for Corel®
WordPerfect® for Windows® |
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updated Jan 19, 2019 | |
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Things you need to know first What are templates and what do they do?
Even new, blank documents are based on a template, the default template. Many users have also created special purpose custom templates. Both of these are explained in detail below. In WordPerfect, the word "template" has a very specific meaning. A
template is a
WordPerfect document -- a file on your disk -- with a special filename
extension, “.wpt,”
where the “t” stands for “template”. This is not the same thing as some
common meanings of the word might imply. It is
important to understand that this is a very
different type of file -- in terms of its purpose and operation
-- compared to the one some people refer to when
they use the word "template."
In the latter case, some people create and save an ordinary WordPerfect document (.wpd) to use as a so-called "template" or "model" by continually opening it, changing something in it, printing it, re-saving it, etc. -- again and again. This is NOT a template as far as the program is concerned. And it is not what this article is about. It is not a good idea to do it, anyway, since using an ordinary document (.wpd) this way invites document corruption. (But let's not get ahead of the story.) Templates define formatting and program options for a document. These items include a default font, margin and tab settings, etc., as well as Heading styles, Outline styles, etc. They also enable various default and custom options for menus, toolbars, and shortcut/hot-key assignments (a/k/a keyboard definitions). These items are stored inside the default template (or custom template, if used), though they can be changed or augmented in the resulting document (see next point below). In essence, templates provide you with a "skeleton" structure or "shell" that you can use to start a new document. Once
created, a template document is used to automatically
create a copy of itself in a new WordPerfect document window. Until it is deliberately saved, it exists only in your computer’s temporary memory. [Tip: There is a user option you can set to make a temporary timed backup of the current document to help protect against an abnormal termination of the program such as a power failure; see here.]
Until it is saved it will have a generic name such as Document1, which is visible at the very top of the program's window. Major benefit: The template itself is out of harm’s way for the casual user, making it more difficult to accidentally modify or delete. The "spawned" document can then be edited, re-formatted, printed, and saved without impacting the template itself. This might be particularly beneficial in many office environments. Another
potential benefit:
Templates can be automated: You can insert prompts,
bookmarks, and template macros in them to save many keystrokes and
reduce the chance of input error. (For more on automating templates see
here.) There
are several types of WordPerfect template.
• Default
template:
Even new, empty documents with names like Document1
(in the title bar at the top of the WordPerfect window) are based on a
special,
version-specific template, called the default
template (discussed below). When you open WordPerfect for the
first time, the blank document you see on screen awaiting your input
was created ("spawned") by the default template, which sets the default
margins, font, and so forth. (These can be changed to suit your needs,
as explained below.)
Notes ¤ You can't avoid having a default
template. When you install
WordPerfect on a computer, it will create the default
template automatically if it does not already exist -- and
even if you delete it (i.e., the currently active
version of it) or otherwise make it unavailable, the
program will automatically create a brand new, virgin copy of it the
next
time WordPerfect is loaded. Basically, each computer must
have
its own copy of this special file for WordPerfect to function.
¤ There can be only one currently
active default template
for your system. To locate it, see below. ¤ If
you install another version of WordPerfect, it is NOT
a
good idea
to simply copy the existing default template file into the other
version of WordPerfect, and
then rename it with the same name as the new version's template, in
order to preserve any
customizations stored in it. WordPerfect default templates are
version-specific. (See the next note below about migrating
customizations.) Exception:
If the other version is exactly
the same -- i.e., the same default name and created by the same major
version of WordPerfect -- you probably can just make a copy of it,
as discussed here. ¤ You can
easily migrate any customizations you made in one WordPerfect program to another WordPerfect program,
using the methods discussed on
the main Tips
page, Section 7, here.
• Custom
templates (discussed
in a separate section below): Unlike the typical default template,
these user-created templates usually also include text, such as the
“From:” and “To:” headings in a memo, or the logo and company name in a
letter. They can be based on another template such as the default
template, or they can be created from scratch, or they can even be
based on a normal (.wpd) document. Custom templates can be created any
time you need a specially formatted document that you might want to use
again. They can also be automated with prompts, bookmarks, and macros
to get information, insert it, modify it, and so on.
• Additional
Objects template (discussed in a
separate section below): This
template can be specified in the program as a repository of additional
customized menus, toolbars, styles, and the like. It is a sort of
"secondary default template" which mostly is used on networks to
provide a common source of such default "objects" (e.g., a customized
toolbar) for all users on the network so their own WordPerfect default
templates can be updated
easily by an administrator. • QuickWords
template (discussed on a separate page):
QuickWords are abbreviations of words or strings of text that you
insert into a document. When you type the abbreviation in a document,
QuickWords automatically expands it. The QuickWord template is used
only to store the abbreviations and expansions.
[This template -- named QWnnxx.wpt, where "nn"=program version and "xx"=language -- is
always located in the same folder as your currently active default
template. If WordPerfect cannot find it there, it will create a new,
factory fresh copy of that file.]
• Shipping templates: Additionally, Corel creates some custom templates for inclusion in some editions of the program. These specialized factory templates are often called "shipping" templates, since they ship with those programs. Shipping templates fall into two general sub-groups: (1) predefined static
templates, such as a simple, pre-formatted “To Do” list; and
(2) dynamic, automated Projects that you can use to create personalized letters, memos, faxes, résumés, and so forth, with little thought or effort. These are further grouped into categories, which are accessible from a drop list when you click File, New from Project (or File, New in WordPerfect 8). [Tip: While many of these predefined templates are installed during a Typical WordPerfect installation, more may be available using a Custom installation.]
Styles are design elements -- like bold, italics, font type, font size, color, or line spacing -- that can be applied to text. In WordPerfect, styles consist of specialized codes (visible when the Reveal Codes window is open) containing computer instructions about the formatting to apply to the document. Some styles can even act as "containers" to hold one or more of these design elements (format instructions), and some of them can even hold text, graphical items, tables, watermarks, and even other ("nested") styles. They are easy to use since many of them are available on a menu, toolbar or property bar. You can also create your own custom styles if you wish. Additionally, WordPerfect will apply certain styles automatically, such as a document's initial Open Style: Templates
set up a special, initial style code
that passes such design elements "downstream" to new documents when
they are created. Incidentally, WordPerfect has many features such as headers, footers, footnotes, endnotes, outlines, and graphic boxes that are actually built-in styles. Understanding the WordPerfect "stream". The main thing to keep in mind here is that unlike some other word processors, WordPerfect is a "stream oriented" program, where format codes take effect until they are either discontinued (i.e., stopped or suppressed by user intervention) or replaced by another code of the same type (e.g., a new text color). Hence, new formatting applied in the document can be downstream from previous formatting and upstream from other (actual or potential changes in) formatting. This is similar to the way we type (or dictate, or assemble) material into a document: There is a stream of information with a beginning, middle, and end, where occasionally we give the computer an "in-line" instruction to change the appearance of something in the stream -- like hitting the Caps Lock key to emphasize letters as we type them. WordPerfect format codes do the same thing. Note especially that single format codes can be inserted into the stream of text and they will affect subsequent, downstream text; or, if you select text first, they will bracket the selection with a pair of codes -- one to start the formatting and one to stop it -- and the formatting will apply to just that selection. This simple "stream" metaphor can help you produce complex or creative formatting -- sometimes with things beyond what other word processors allow -- but it can also help solve many format problems, too. A bit of "trivia": Web
pages using
HTML formatting are stream-oriented, too, since they have beginning and
ending codes (or "tags") for fonts, paragraphs, and so forth. So stream
formatting
is not unusual, though it might be unfamiliar at first. [For a little
more on this topic as it relates to WordPerfect, see "Streaming code
architecture" on the WordPerfect Wikipedia page.] On the other
hand, Microsoft Word is "object oriented," where formatted items --
letters, words, paragraphs, sections or the entire document -- are
"containerized" into "objects." Containers within containers within
containers ... this can sometimes create puzzling format issues for
Word users.
[Page top]
The Default template
The default template's file name • The actual Corel standard ("factory-shipped") default template file on your computer -- the one that was created and used by WordPerfect when it is first installed -- is named something like WPnnxx.WPT, where nn=version (e.g., 8, 11, 16, etc.) and xx=language (e.g., US, UK, CE, etc.). Examples of some default template names:
wp8us.wpt [U.S. language version of WordPerfect Suite 8, released in 1997] wp10uk.wpt [United Kingdom version of WordPerfect 10, released in 2002] wp18us.wpt [U.S. version of WordPerfect X8, released in 2016] [Note that WordPerfect X3 = version 13, WordPerfect X4 = 14, etc.]
• Each installation
must have (and use) this template on the computer. And, as noted elsewhere,
even if you delete it (i.e., the currently active version of it)
WordPerfect will create a new, factory fresh, "virgin" copy of it
the next time the program loads. (Network administrators who wish to
provide a common "default template" for all users should see the
Additional Objects template section below.) Note:
The filename on disk and the display name that is listed in File, New from Project (or New in WP8) are different things. The former is the Windows name; the latter is the "Project" name given to the template in the Project category list, and which can be used to edit the default (or other) template directly from within WordPerfect. See "How to modify your template [Method 2]" below for more on this topic. Caution: If you install another version of WordPerfect it is almost never a good idea to simply copy the existing default template into the other version, then rename it, in order to preserve any customizations stored in it. (Exception: If the other version is exactly the same -- i.e., the same default name and created by the same major version of WordPerfect -- you probably can make a copy of it, as discussed here.) A better method is to recover ("migrate") customizations from the existing default template (and from some other customized areas) to another WordPerfect program by using the methods discussed on the main Tips page, Section 7, here. Standard location on disk (WP9 and later versions) [Note
that this might not be the actual location of the currently active
version of the template on your particular system;
see "Actual location" below.]
For standard locations see the Corel article Where are the WordPerfect® default templates? here (on the main Corel Support site). The article lists the Corel "standard" installation locations for default templates for WordPerfect 9 and later versions, as well as for relatively newer Windows versions (e.g., WPX7/WPX8 are similar to WPX6). Tip: If you still cannot find this file, try using Windows to search for the exact name (see the previous section).
The reason why both the standard and actual locations are described here (and below) is that some users might want to know where Corel puts this file during a normal (i.e., not custom) installation. In newer versions of WordPerfect if you change the default location for the default template in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab), the actual location -- i.e., the currently active location -- on your disk might change, too. See the next section below. Actual location on disk of the currently active default template ![]() The location of your currently active default template can be found in the Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab), "Default template folder" dialog field. This is where WordPerfect looks for this important file.
The filename is shown in the next field, "Default template." This is the file WordPerfect will use to create new blank documents. For most users these items will be the same as the standard location and filename described above -- but it is a good idea to verify them (and jot them down for future reference) before proceeding with the next sections. Still can't find it? If after examining the information currently entered in the Tools, Settings, Files, Template fields in the dialog above (i.e., NOT the folder tree using the clickable folder buttons next to those fields) you can't find the default template file (or any other template file) using Windows Explorer (File Explorer in Windows 10), My Computer, or similar program, see the next section ("Using Windows Explorer, File Explorer, or My Computer to find your default template"). Want to change the location? This author has moved his own default template file (using Windows Explorer) to a sub-folder in the computer's My Documents folder; he can then be sure to back it up periodically along with other data files. After that was done, and back in WordPerfect, the path (only) to the default template folder that was originally specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template was changed in that dialog's first field ("Default template folder"), using the adjacent clickable folder button to insert the new path and folder, so as to reflect the new location. This needed to be done so that WordPerfect can locate the correct default template. Then the program was closed and reopened so that it would register and use the new location. Note: This is why the phrase currently active default template
was used above: The location can be changed in the Tools, Settings,
Files, Template dialog by the user to "point" to the actual default
template that WordPerfect should use when the program is opened --
i.e., the currently active version of the template. But note that
other, inactive, copies may also exist on your system which were
created during program insallation (or by users). Thus you should
always refer to the Tools, Settings, Files, Template to locate the
currently active file if you need to search for it on disk.
Important: If you set this default template's location to some other location in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (e.g., a different path and/or folder), a brand new QuickWords template will be created at the new location, too. This can give the impression that your QuickWords have vanished. However, you can migrate an existing QuickWords template to that location to make your QuickWords available again (see here). Want to rename it? Generally, there is little reason to rename the default template file on your disk using Windows Explorer or similar program (and then also "point" to the renamed file in Tools, Settings, Files, Template tab) if you customize it, since the small advantage of seeing a custom name (e.g., Barry.wpt) can be outweighed by possible confusion if you need to troubleshoot the program using the automatic default template generation technique below. (Templates can become corrupted like any other file.) Networks: While it is possible to relocate the default template to a different network location, this can present problems since that location might not always be available. In such a scenario and if the default template's location is unavailable, when the local program is opened it will immediately create a new, factory fresh default template (and a new QuickWords template, too) in a new folder location on the local computer; any customizations stored in the default template (and perhaps other settings) will not be available until the original network location's connection is re-established and WordPerfect is reloaded with its Settings set to "read" that location and template. Note also that WordPerfect provides a way to update the local default templates on multiple networked computers with the Additional Objects template. This is a better method than setting up a common default template on a network share for all network users, since each user will always have a local copy of the default template available, and it can be updated as needed from the Additional Objects template. Access to network printers can become problematic, too -- especially since WordPerfect makes much greater use of the printer than other programs to provide true WYSIWYG on your screen. It tries to connect to the current printer as soon as you start the program, and can "hang" if it cannot locate the printer. Solution: Create different Windows User Profile to use when you are, or are not, connected to the network and printer. Using Windows Explorer, File Explorer, or My Computer to find your default template Normally you will see this important file
in the folder specified above.
If you still can't find the default template file (or QuickWords template file or QuickCorrect file) on disk with Windows Explorer or My Computer, it might be because of a default setting (thanks to Microsoft) in Windows itself that prevents you from seeing certain files. For example, in Windows 7/8/10: Click
the Windows
Start button to open the Windows Start menu. In the Search field,
search for "Folder Options" (in Windows 10, use "File Explorer
Options"). On the Folder Options (or File Explorer Options) dialog, click the View tab. Then uncheck (clear) the box that says "Hide extensions for known file types"; click OK. You should now be able to find the file. Tip:
If
you are new to computers or to folder and file navigation using Windows
Explorer (which is installed on all Windows PCs), see Footnote 7 for an easy way to navigate
to your currently active default template file on disk so that you can
rename it (if necessary).
Arcane tip: To find out which template (default or custom) the currently open document is based on, click on Tools, Template Macro, Edit. You can see the template's filename in that dialog, or you can see it if you click the Location button in that dialog. [Macro writers can use a single macro command to find the name of the template the current document is based on: Messagebox(;;?CurrentTemplate).] Automatic generation of the factory-shipped default template WordPerfect can sometimes fix itself with a little help.
• After closing WordPerfect, if the Corel standard-named currently active default template file (see here for location) is moved, deleted, or -- better yet -- renamed to something else, a new factory fresh copy will be automatically created the next time WordPerfect is opened. [But see the IMPORTANT NOTES below.] • Since there can be more than one copy of the default template file in different folders, see the above sections for the name and actual location of the currently active default template file on your disk. [If you can't still find it using Windows, see "Using Windows Explorer ... to find your default template."] • Closing WordPerfect, then renaming the currently active default template file on disk, and then reloading WordPerfect is a standard trouble-shooting technique. This works by
temporarily backing up -- and "hiding" from the program -- the existing
(and possibly) modified or damaged template. This forces the
program to automatically generate a
brand
new factory fresh version as soon as the program is restarted.
The new version will not have any user customizations or corruption in it. If this solves the problem at hand, the customizations stored in the backed up template can be restored (copied) to the new template (see here). For more on the topic of fixing a damaged or corrupted default template and restoring such customizations, see the 3-step method under "Fixing the default template by restoring it" here. • The best method to rename the default template file: Simply add to, or change, the "root" part of the filename on disk. For
WordPerfect X6, for example, you could rename it from wp16US.wpt to wp16USbackup.wpt.
(Other versions and language editions [UK, CE, etc.] will have
different names as discussed above.)
Modifying the root part of the filename, rather than the filename's
extension (.wpt), will make it easier to locate
it if you need to copy (transfer) certain customizations from it, since
WordPerfect will always "see" the filename extension (.wpt).
Then restarting WordPerfect will immediately create a factory fresh version of the default template file in the same folder as the renamed version. (Newbies can find more help with finding and renaming this important file in Footnote 7.) IMPORTANT NOTES: ¤ File names matter: As mentioned,
whenever the program opens and then it cannot find the
currently
active default template file (with a file name pattern of WPnnxx.WPT) in the folder shown in your
Tools, Settings, Files, Template dialog, it will
automatically create a new factory fresh copy of it.
But this will only happen
if the deleted or renamed file on your disk
has the same standard filename (with the
pattern WPnnxx.WPT) shown in the Tools, Settings, Files,
Template (tab) dialog.
If some other existing file (e.g., MyNewTemplate.wpt) is named in that dialog -- perhaps as the result of a past attempt to create a "custom" version of the default template file -- then deleting/renaming the standard, factory shipped default template file on your disk (as often recommended by experts while troubleshooting) will not cause the program to create a new factory fresh copy of it. This is because the program will not know that the standard default template file is now "missing" and it will simply assume you wish to continue using the file with your customized filename -- and therefore it will not replace that file. Remember: The program always looks in Tools, Settings, Files, Template for the current name and location of the default template. You should have fewer difficulties if you keep the same factory installed, version specific name for the file on disk and for the file shown in that dialog. ¤ What about other user-created templates? Unlike with the standard factory default template (WPnnxx.WPT), it is not possible to automatically regenerate a custom template by deleting/renaming the existing custom template. (This is a good reason to keep backups of all custom template files.) ¤ What about other program-created templates? As with the standard factory default template (WPnnxx.WPT), if you delete the QuickWords template (which has a name pattern of QWnnxx.WPT), the program will automatically regenerate a new, virgin copy of it in the same folder as the currently specified WordPerfect default template. Both of these template files will be located in the folder which is specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template tab. ¤ If you are on a network: Automatic creation of a factory fresh Corel standard default template file can also happen if the file specifically named in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab) points to a network location that is not currently available. If it can't find the default template, it will create a new one. (See Networks above.)
How to modify your default template with new default settings Before
you begin
modifying your default template,
especially with
major modifications, you should make a copy of it
in another folder to serve as a backup. You can find your currently active default template (there can be more than one default template on some systems) using the methods above.
Renaming the currently active default template (WPnnxx.WPT) after closing WordPerfect is one way to make a "backup" of this important file, since (as mentioned above) a new, factory fresh, default template will be recreated automatically the next time WordPerfect loads. WordPerfect does this whenever it cannot "see" WPnnxx.WPT in the expected location, which is specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template (tab). Later, you can always copy (migrate) any customizations such as personalized toolbars from the renamed version. (For more on this topic see "Migrating customizations" here.) Alternative: With renaming you would have both the old (and possibly customized) version and the unaltered factory fresh version -- the latter becoming the new, probably stripped-down default. Hence, instead of renaming the file you might wish to make a simple backup copy of it, so that you can modify your current working copy with new features, building on what you might have already done to it. Caution: If you also decide to relocate this customized default template to another Windows folder, be sure to immediately specify any change you might have made to the new template's location in Tools, Settings, Files, Template so that WordPerfect can find it and use it instead of the usual shipping default template. (Reload WordPerfect so it can "see" the new location.) Then refresh your Projects list with File, New from Project, Options, Refresh Projects. (If you have multiple versions of WordPerfect installed on the same computer, see some tips in Footnote 1.) Method 1:
This method is best (quicker, easier) for relatively minor changes to the
default template, such as changing the default font or page margins.
It makes all modifications inside the initial style code you see at the top of a new blank document (i.e., the [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code). For more extensive changes see Method 2. Also see "Before you begin..." above. Either use a comprehensive step-by-step guide with screen images
- or -
Use the following abbreviated instructions: On a <WordPerfect> menu, click on File, Document, Current Document Style -- or simply double-click on the [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code in Reveal Codes at the very top of the document. This opens the Styles Editor dialog. Here you can make changes to the current document -- and also save them to the default template that is currently specified in Tools, Settings, Files, Template. For example: You might want to change the current font, font size, or page
margins and make them the default for all new documents, too.
To do this, make the changes in the Styles Editor dialog using the Editor's menu and/or property bar (at the top of that dialog), then be sure to enable (i.e., tick) the checkbox at the bottom of the dialog, "Use as default," and click OK, then answer 'Yes' to the confirmation dialog that pops up. The changes will affect both the current document and the default template. Tips and notes • After
you test your changes in a brand new document, you should disable
(un-tick) that checkbox to prevent unwanted changes to the default
template if you later modify the initial code with new formatting
intended for just the current document.
• To set decimal or fractional font sizes, see the main Tips page here. • Important note about using certain menu options to set preferred fonts and/or font sizes: I do not recommend using either File, Document, Default Font -or- Format, Font to change your preferred default font or font size. [In WordPerfect 8: Format, Font, Default Font.] See Footnote 3 and Footnote 9 below for more information.
This
method can be used for any changes to the default template, including
moderate to extensive changes. For minor changes you can just use Method 1.
Briefly: You simply modify (edit) the default template directly to customize it, by opening it for editing. This is often done to delete previous customizations, or to add more complex formatting codes, or to copy certain customized "objects" (keyboards, toolbars, etc.) from other templates. (For the latter, see Footnote 2.) [Note
If you need to set up a specialized template -- e.g., a letterhead with text, graphics, or format codes in the body text area ("display area") of the document -- you should create a separate custom template. The default template discussed here is used to create new blank (empty) documents -- i.e., new documents that have nothing in the body text area. Placing any format items in the body text area of the default template is not by itself problematic in terms of general program operation. But if you do so, you might find the program will unexpectedly produce an "extra" blank document (Document1) on screen when you open an existing document, as noted in this WordPerfect Universe thread as well as this more recent one. (This is most often noticed by users when they double-click on a WordPerfect file's name in Windows Explorer: They get two documents when the program opens, the clicked one and an "empty" one.) In such a case the program "knows" the default template's automatically generated blank document is not truly blank, so it opens it and keeps it on screen. This is another reason for the recommendation about using custom templates.] Here's how to do it. • Click
File, New from
Project (or just File, New in WP8).
• Under the Create New tab, in the upper drop list, choose "Custom WP Templates." • In the lower drop list, choose "Create a blank document." This (oddly named) choice is the default template shipped with WordPerfect. [For
those who have multiple versions of WordPerfect installed on the same
computer, see Footnote 1.
For those with multiple installations of WordPerfect on a network,
see the Additional Objects template section below.]
• Right-click this name to Edit the template (or click the Options button, then choose "Edit WP Template"). [For
those with more than one version of WordPerfect installed on a single
computer: Be sure to take note of the full path and filename at the top
of the WordPerfect program window when it loads the template, to verify
this is the
template you want to modify (i.e., the one that is currently specified
in Tools, Settings, Files, Template). Multiple installed versions of
WordPerfect create multiple copies of this file -- but the same name is
used for all of them in the File, New from Project (or just New in WP8)
list.]
• You can make most formatting changes inside the template's own initial style (e.g., font or page margin changes) by double-clicking the [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code in Reveal Codes; then use the Styles Editor's Format menu to make font changes. (See Method 1 for the general process and some tips.) The changes will be stored "inside" all new (blank) documents' initial style codes (which codes they inherit from the default template), and thus be less likely to be deleted accidentally. Cautions:
[1] If you wish to modify the default font, see the cautionary note under Method 1 above. [2] Some format codes can't be created (and some can't be edited) inside another style such as the initial document style. Such "nested" styles can cause the program to freeze when you try to edit or create them in the Styles Editor. Solutions:
☼ To create a complex format code inside the initial (or any other) style, such as a [Delay] code (which is itself a style containing other codes!): Set up the delay (Format, Page, Delay Codes) and any related delayed formatting in a new document and test it there. Then carefully copy the [Delay] code from Reveal Codes in the new document and paste it back into the Styles Editor in the original document. ☼ To edit a format code that already exists inside a style: Cut the style (Ctrl+x) from the Styles Editor and paste it (Ctrl+v) into a new blank document, where it can be edited and tested. Then cut (or copy) the edited version from Reveal Codes in the new document and paste it back into the Styles Editor in the original document. • When finished, click either File, Save or Save As. Tips ☼ You can also copy some customizations from another template into the default template, such as customized toolbars and keyboards. See the main Tips page, Section 7, under "Migrating customizations." ☼ You can, of course, make changes directly in the body text area of the template, such as specifying line spacing, etc. Whatever you add will be inherited by new, blank documents. But it probably is better to edit the DocumentStyle (see previous paragraphs) so the changes are tucked inside that initial style and they will be less prone to accidental deletion in new documents spawned by the template. (You could even add text, date codes, tabs, etc., to the body text area -- but this is best done by creating a custom template for such purposes, not by modifying the default template in this way. You probably want all new, blank documents to be truly blank.) ☼ Since the label "Create a blank document" is not very useful in indicating the fact that it is your default template -- especially if you have several versions of WordPerfect on your computer and use a common folder for all of their default templates -- you can easily change the displayed name in the Project list to reflect the actual filename(s) of the default template(s). See Footnote 1. How to fix a damaged or corrupted default (or custom) template There are two ways to do this.
(1) You can force WordPerfect to create a new factory fresh version of the default template (but NOT a custom template; for that, see #2), as discussed in the "Automatic generation of the default template" section above. [For a little more detail and a 3-step method see "Fixing the default template".] Then you can transfer (a.k.a. "restore" or "migrate") various customizations to that new template as discussed in the "How to transfer..." section below.
- or -
(2) You can try repairing the damaged template file itself with some simple methods: see Repairing WordPerfect documents and templates. The methods there can often fix a damaged default template or custom template, particularly by using Corel's free WPLOOK file repair utility. How to transfer (restore, or migrate) your default template's customizations - to
a newer WordPerfect version, or
- to a different computer, or - from a backed-up copy of a template to a new template See the main Tips
page, Section 7, under "Migrating customizations." [See also the following paragraphs in that section for saving and recovering other
customizations such as QuickWords, QuickCorrect, custom styles, etc.]
Note
Some customizations are stored in the Windows Registry (such as the display settings for toolbars, and custom page size definitions), not in the template itself. These generally will have to be restored by manually re-creating them. Tips See Related pages and tips below. The 'Additional Objects' template This is another
"default" template that users can specify in Tools, Settings, Files,
Template. It supplements the
user's default template, it does not replace it.
Tips
☼ From Using WordPerfect X3, by Laura Acklen and Read Gilgen: "In a networked environment, a system
administrator can implement company standards by customizing an
additional objects template and keeping it on a networked drive. Each
user has his or her own default template on the local drive [N.B.: a
local default template is required for their WordPerfect program to
function], so each is free to customize WordPerfect. As an added
precaution, the additional objects template can be set up as read-only
to prevent accidental modification."
☼ In addition to the
network deployment discussed above, the Additional Objects template
might also be used to store special custom menus, keyboards, etc., that
you might wish to give to another user (via physical copy of the
additional objects file) or to use with your other WordPerfect versions
(by copying it to the appropriate template folder for each version). It
offers a means to keep these items separate from your default template
but still have them available in all new, blank documents.
☼ Another way to include custom toolbars, macros, etc. -- a.k.a. "objects" -- in a user's template is to copy them directly into the template from another template (a "source file"). This can be done manually as discussed on the custom toolbar page here, or it can be done with a simple macro using the TemplateCopyObject() command to specify the path+filename of the source file, the type of the object (e.g., ButtonBar! [i.e., toolbar], macro, keyboard, etc.), and the name of the object (e.g., "My New Toolbar"). [Page top]
Custom templates
How to create, use, modify, fix, or delete your own custom templates □ To create a custom template: [Tip for
intermediate/advanced users: You can simply rename a
standard document with a .WPT
file name extension; this creates a simple template from the
document. Moreover, the template can be located anywhere you
wish.
This has the advantage of simplicity -- but it also has a
few disadvantages (discussed
in Footnote 5) over
the traditional 3-step method described next.]
Step 1. • Click File, New from Project (or just File, New in WordPerfect 8). The PerfectExpert dialog opens. (In WP8 this dialog is named New.) • Under the "Create New" tab, select "Custom WP Templates" or any other preferred group from the top drop list. This group is where you want to see the new template's name appear in the Project category list when you have finished creating it. • Click the Options button, then click "Create WP Template" on the drop list that appears. Note
¤ The "Add Project" choice on the drop list is typically used for creating or importing automated, predefined projects which use PerfectExpert "helper" files. Predefined project files -- such as the memo, agenda, and budget projects included with the WordPerfect Office -- have an .AST or .ASX filename extension. On the other hand, standard WordPerfect documents (.WPD) can also be used as projects, but you should find the current procedures described here more often useful since they produce custom templates that can be edited at any time with "Edit WP Template." • A new, blank template document should appear on screen, with the name Template1 at the top of the window, and with the Template Property Bar displayed just below your other toolbars. [Note: The Template Property Bar has the “Build Prompts” button on it. If it (or any property bar) does not show, click View, Toolbars, Property Bar to display it.] Step 2. • Create your new template in the open Template1 document. Type any text, format the document (fonts, margins, etc.), and include any custom styles, toolbars, etc. Whatever you enter in this document and then save will become a template for future use. Tips
☼ You can create the new template from scratch in the open Template1 document, or you can use an existing WordPerfect document as a basis for your new template by inserting it directly into Termplate1. To use an existing document, simply place the cursor where you want the new file to be inserted and click Insert, File. Choose your existing document and click Insert. Answer “Yes” to any question about overwriting existing styles, which will overwrite defaults (such as font types) for the new template (not for all templates). Edit the newly inserted material as needed; for example, you might need to remove existing bookmarks, prompts, date codes, or text. Important: If you use an existing document to create the custom template you should first ensure it is not internally corrupted; see here for a free Corel standalone utility (WPLOOK) that can help clean out any corruption. (It is very easy to use.) Otherwise, you might simply create a corrupted template, which can then pass the corruption down to documents spawned by the template. ☼ Advanced users: You can "hide" some format codes so that they are less likely to be deleted while creating or editing a document. See Footnote 8. Step 3. • Save the new custom template with File, Save. The "Save Template" dialog will appear. • In the Description field of the Save Template dialog, type a description (e.g., “My personal letterhead,” “Company invoice,” etc.). This appears in the PerfectExpert (or New) window when you create a new document. • In the Template Name field, type a filename for the project template, without a filename extension (e.g., “My personal letterhead”). The template file will be saved in a folder (subdirectory) that corresponds to the group, with a .WPT filename extension automatically added to whatever name you typed in the Template Name field. • From the bottom drop list, choose a template group/category (e.g., Custom WP Templates), then click OK to close the Save Template dialog. Tip:
You can create your own categories beforehand with
File, New from Project, Options (button), Create Category. If you want
the category to appear near the top of the list, begin the name with a
bracket ([).
• Since the template file has just been saved, close the current window with File, Close. • When you wish to use the new template, select it in the File, New from Project category list and click Create. (Don't see it? Check out the Tips below.) Note: This opens ("spawns") a copy of the
template [temporarily named Document1
(i.e., with a number from 1-9)] which you can then name properly when you save it to
disk. (See also the "To open..." section below.)
Tips for custom templates ☼ See also Related pages and tips below. ☼ If you do not see your custom template in the File, New from Project category list (and you are sure you saved it or moved it there), you may need to refresh the list with File, New from Project, Options button, "Refresh Projects". Note:
The same Options button can tell you where a
custom template (or WordPerfect Project) is stored on disk -- its
complete path and filename -- by using the "Project Properties" choice.
☼ You can import other "objects" (customized keyboards, toolbars, menus, styles, etc.) into the new template from another template. See Footnote 2 below. ☼ To create a custom, automated ("prompted") template, see "Automating WordPerfect Templates". ☼ To trigger a template macro to automatically play when you open a document based on a template, see here (this information is also included in the "Automating WordPerfect Templates" article in the previous tip). ☼ (Arcane tip:) To find out later which template (default or custom) the currently open document is based on, click on Tools, Template Macro, Edit. You can see the template's filename in that dialog, or you can see it if you click the Location button in that dialog. □ To open ("load") a new document based on a custom template: The
standard method of loading a new document based on a custom template is
to use File, New from Project (or File, New in WordPerfect 8), then
select the category and name of the template, then click Create (i.e.,
a new document).
However, there are easier and faster ways, especially if you frequently use the same template-generated custom documents. See Loading new documents based on custom templates, which describes several methods (toolbar button, macro, etc.) to more easily load such custom documents. Note that when you load a new document based on a custom template, the name of the document on screen will be Document1 (or Document2, etc.) -- the same generic name as any new, blank document based on the default template. When you save it you will give it a new name. □ To modify a custom template:
Like the default
template described above, you can modify a
custom
template. There are a couple of ways to do this but the best (or most
intuitive) way might be to modify it by directly editing it.
Note: If you wish to modify a custom template that is not in the File, New from Project list -- such as when the template was created by merely renaming an existing .WPD file with a .WPT extension as discussed in Footnote 5 below (which you should read first!) -- simply open it with File, Open. You can then skip steps 1-3 below. Caution: If you wish to modify a standard WordPerfect Project, rather than a user-created custom template, note that some Projects are automated with internal coding and an additional "helper" file. This can mean that your modifications might render them partially or completely inoperative. (A clue is the presence of [Named Region] and/or [Bookmark] codes visible in Reveal Codes. Don't delete them.) Make a copy of the Project with the Options button and work on the copy. Step 1. Click File, New
from Project (or just New in WP8).
Step 2. Under the Create New tab, in the upper drop list, choose the name of category in which the custom template is listed. Then in the lower drop list, choose the name of the custom template. Step 3. Right-click the name to edit it (or click the Options button) with "Edit WP Template". Note the full path and filename at the top of the WordPerfect program window when it loads, to verify this is the custom template you want to modify. Step 4. You can make most changes in the template's initial style (e.g., font changes) by double-clicking the initial [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code in Reveal Codes; then use the Styles Editor's Format menu to make font changes. The changes will be stored "inside" all new (blank) documents' (based on that particular template) initial style codes, and thus be less likely to be deleted accidentally. When finished, click File, Save or Save As. □ To fix a damaged or corrupted custom template:
Use the procedure to fix ordinary documents,
explained here.
□ To move or delete a custom template:
First determine the custom template file's location (and the new folder
location if you want to move the file) on your computer
with File, New from Project, <select the name of the
template>; then click the Options button, choose Project
Properties, and jot down the path and filename you find there.
Then exit from WordPerfect and use Windows Explorer or My Computer (or just Computer in recent versions of Windows) to navigate to the folder that contains template file. Move or delete the file. Re-open WordPerfect, and click File, New from Project, Options (button), Refresh Projects. Note: Removing a category does not delete template projects from your hard drive. If you remove a category containing projects not stored in another category, a new category, "[Deleted Projects]," is created containing those projects. [- From WordPerfect X5's Help file.] Tip: To find out which template the currently open document is based on, click on Tools, Template Macro, Edit. You can see the template's filename in that dialog, or you can see it if you click the Location button in that dialog. [Macro writers can use a single macro command to find the name of the template the current document is based on: Messagebox(;;?CurrentTemplate).] □ Template macros don't play? If an embedded template
macro does not play automatically -- such as when you attempt
to use a WordPerfect Project
(File, New from Project) that contains them to provide some type of
automation (e.g., the Monthly calendar needs to format the calendar for
the desired month) -- then WordPerfect's template macros may have
been turned off (i.e., disabled) in response to a program dialog message prompting you to "disable macros".
Here's the dialog: ![]() [Another (less
common)
reason for the failure of a template macro to play: The original
template file might be unavailable on your system to "trigger" the
template macro in the current document that was saved to your disk. See
Footnote
6.]
Typically, WordPerfect will automatically display this message whenever you launch a Project or other template containing a template macro. But if you then - [1] check (tick) the box "Do not show this message again," and
[2] click the Disable Macros button - then you will have told the program to prevent playing any embedded template macros and not show this dialog again. (Unless a user's organization tells them otherwise, most users will probably want to enable template macros.) It's #1 that can cause confusion and a "problem" with the Project since it effectively hides the message in the future, when you probably have forgotten that message or how you answered it. You are left trying to figure out why a Project or other automated template is not working as intended. So ... what if you want to enable template macros but cannot do so because the above dialog no longer appears? Here's how to restore (un-hide) the program's message so you can answer it differently. It does require a small, simple change to the Windows Registry -- but that's why the Corel article also shows how to back up the Registry first. From the Corel Support Knowledgebase: "How do I
restore the template macro prompt dialog after hiding it?
When a template is opened which contains a PerfectScript® template macro, a [message] dialog is presented asking if the user wishes to disable the macros in the document. If you answered [in the affirmative, and you also] enabled the "Do not show this message again" option [with] 'Yes,' you will be unable to use any template macros within WordPerfect. When opening templates which contain PerfectScript® projects in WordPerfect, some options may not work or may not be shown if the template macros are disabled. If you are not prompted on opening a template containing macros, you may need to reenable the template macros. If you are not prompted when using a template which contains macros you can follow these directions to restore the prompts to factory default: Please read this [Microsoft Support] article prior to performing these steps: Title:
How
To Back Up and Restore the Windows Registry. [Updated URL Dec 2015: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/322756]
1. Close all applications, including WordPerfect. 2. Click Start, Run. 3. In the Open text box, type: Regedit and click OK. This will launch the Windows Registry. 4. Click File, Export (or Registry, Export) 5. In the text box, Save in: select My Documents or Desktop. 6. Towards the bottom where it says File Name: type CorelBackup 7. Below to the left, under Export Range, select All and click Save. 8. The cursor will change to an hour glass and will return to a pointed arrow 9. Click the + to the left of HKey_Current_User [Tip: This expands the "key". Also, instead of "+" it might be a ">" symbol.] 10. Click the + to the left of Software 11. Click the + to the left of Corel 12. Click the + to the left of WordPerfect 13. Click the + next to your version number of WordPerfect. 14. Right-Click on "HideDialogs" and select Delete. 15. Click Yes on the confirmation dialog. 16. Close the Registry Editor with the X in the upper right corner. 17. Relaunch WordPerfect. WordPerfect will now prompt you when you open a Template containing template macros." [Edited
slightly for clarity. Also, after step #17 the Registry key you deleted
in step #14 will be restored and the message will reappear when a
template macro is present in a document. In other words, the message's
appearance will be restored to the factory default. When you then want
to make a different choice and hide the message iagain, be sure to first check (tick) the "Do not show..." box.]
[Page top] Related pages and tips• Saving custom
styles to your
default (or other) template; importing custom styles from other
documents (even ones you didn't create); and removing new styles from
your template when you don't need them anymore: See here.
• To create a custom, automated or "prompted" template, see "Automating WordPerfect Templates". [An example of an automated template is the letterhead template in the Library.] • "Trigger" a macro from inside a template to play automatically when specific events occur as you use the template • Automatically insert the current date as (unchanging) text (not as a code) in a letterhead or other template. • Create a vertical toolbar with text buttons (instead of graphic icons) to quickly access your favorite folders, templates, and files. See Vertical Toolbar.pdf. • Automatically associate a personalized keyboard or menu with a template so that the keyboard or menu will appear automatically when you open a new document. • Need to reset page margins on page 2 (if there is a page 2) back to the one-inch default or some other setting? Here's how to do it in either the current document or in a template. [Page top] |
||||||
Disclaimer, Distribution, and Privacy Policies | |||||||
Footnote section ▸ |
Footnote 1 When you have multiple versions of WordPerfect installed on the same computer: If you have renamed your default template and/or you have several versions of WordPerfect installed on the same computer, you will have several "Create a blank document" files listed in File, New from Project. Each file belongs to its own copy of the default template or its own version of WordPerfect, but you can change the displayed name in the Project list to make them easier to find and edit. Try one of these methods: • To change the
listed name to another name:
Simply click on File, New from Project, then right-click the filename,
choose Project Properties, and edit the Display Name. (The actual
filename is shown in the field, "Project filename.") You can use the
actual filename as the Display name (e.g., "wp13us.wpt") or simply add
a version number to the display name (e.g., "Create a blank document
13").
Note that you will have to do this in each version of WordPerfect you have installed on your computer, since each Project list (the Projects.usr file) is stored with its own version of WordPerfect.
• To change the
listed name to the actual Windows filename (but without the .wpt
extension): Edit
the template File, New from Project, then right-click the filename,
choose Project Properties, and choose Edit WP Template. When the
template opens, click the Description button on the template toolbar,
and delete the contents of the Template Description dialog. Save the
template, and then refresh the Project list with File, New from
Project, Options, Refresh Projects.
Note that, to be on the safe side, you probably should not do this for templates created in another version of Wordperfect. Use the first renaming method above for those templates. [Thanks to Roy "lemoto" Lewis in a post here at WordPerfect Universe for the first tip, and Noal Mellot in his post here for the second tip.] [Page top]
Advanced tip: You can import other "objects" -- customized keyboards, toolbars, menus, styles, etc. -- from another template (if they are not already present in the new template) with the Copy/Remove Object button on the Template toolbar. First, back up the target template you wish to modify. Second, if the source template is not already in the same directory/folder as the current default template (or any other "target" template you wish to modify), then copy it there with Windows Explorer or Windows Computer. The location of the default template folder will be indicated in Tools, Settings, Files, Template. You should rename the source (e.g., MyOldDefaultTemplate.wpt) before copying it so it will not conflict with an existing template of the same name. (The source template needs to be in the same folder as the target template.) Third, open the target template for editing. [See Method 2 above for complete steps.] When it opens, simply click the Copy/Remove button on the Template toolbar that should be visible (it will have these buttons: Build Prompts...; Copy/Remove Object...; Associate...; and Description....) Then choose the "Template to copy from" (the source), and then choose the "Object type" (i.e., Styles). Select one or more objects, and click Copy to import them. Click Close when finished, then Save the template. Notes and tips• Save and back up the target template before importing objects. This is especially important if you have spent a lot of time customizing the new template before importing other objects into it. • As noted, the template to be copied from must be in the same folder on your system where the custom template is located. This is an often overlooked step. • Some Styles available in the old template can be either normal format styles or outline styles. WordPerfect doesn't tell you which type of style they are in the Copy/Remove Template Objects dialog's Styles list, but when you copy them to the new template they will show up in the new template in the appropriate place (either the Format, Styles menu, or the Insert, Outline... menu, respectively). [Page top]
[Continued from a Note above:] More on using the Format, Font dialog: The Format, Font dialog has a Settings button that allows you to "Set the font and point size as the default for all document." If you use it I believe you might have similar problems to those explained in the Footnote 9 below ("I do not recommend using ..."). This particular dialog might have been "inherited" from WordPerfect 8 and earlier versions, and while it might have worked well in those versions, it probably should not be used in recent versions of WordPerfect to set the default font and font size for future (new) documents. See Method 1 above, which uses File, Document, Current Document Style to set the default font and font size for all new documents. To add one final -- if
esoteric -- blow to using this Format, Font dialog:
[Page top] A kink
in the Template
Road: For arcane (and not well
understood) reasons, if you start (i.e., create) a new WordPerfect document
from Windows (e.g., by right-clicking on the Windows desktop
or Windows Explorer and then selecting New, WordPerfect document) rather than from
WordPerfect's File, New menu, it will create the new document
based on a separate, relatively hidden file, wordpfct.wpd. [Update: This file seems to have been changed by Corel to one named wordperfect.wpd on 12/14/2011 -- probably with the WPX5/SP3 patch, but certainly with WPX6.] Why this matters: This separate program file only acts
like a template to "spawn" a new empty document: The
[Open Style: DocumentStyle]
code will be missing from it. Recommendation: Hence, probably
the most important recommendation is to
always open documents the traditional way, with File, New from the
WordPerfect menu, if at all possible. That way, you are sure to be using the default template that is set in Tools, Settings, Files, Template -- the one that passes downstream to the new, blank file any customizations you may have made to that template (default font, page margins, etc.). And you get access to the important and editable [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code placed at the top of the new document. What if you want to be able to start a new empty file in the folder it's supposed to be in? An easy way is to create a special toolbar or other method to use to navigate to the relevant folder before
starting a new, empty file. (You have to navigate there anyway, right?)
See, for example, "Navigating quickly to your favorite folders, files,
and templates from inside WordPerfect" here. Advanced user tips and notes: ☼
Another bit of arcana related to this initial format code was
discovered with WordPerfect X5: Using a macro in a global
search/replace routine for all [Open Style] codes will delete the
initial code as well. It is better to use a macro routine that starts
searching just after the initial code before it replaces any of these particular codes. ☼ See the WordPerfect Universe post starting here -- and read the links in the posts about the discoveries made and the recommendations offered. ☼ See also a method in a WordPerfect Universe post here by member Larry Lewis that makes a change to the Windows Registry so that "the template that gets opened when you create a NEW WORDPERFECT DOCUMENT from the Right-Click menu of Windows Explorer" or Windows desktop is the same default template you use when opening a new document using WordPerfect's File> New. [Copied and annotated here for convenience; obviously always back up the Windows Registry before editing it!] First, get the
[full] Path and Filename of your current default Document Template. Click
on ''HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT'' to expand it.
Navigate down to ''.wpd'' and Click on it. Locate and Click on ''WPxxDoc'' (where ''xx'' is your version number) (WPx6 is ''WP16Doc''). Under ''WPxxDoc'', Click on ''ShellNew''. As you click on ''ShellNew'', in the Right-Pane locate ''FileName''. [Double-]Click on ''FileName''. [N.B.: On a typical Windows 7 system using WPX6, it should show a path like c:\Program Files (x86)\Corel\WordPerfect Office X6\Shared\ShellNew\WordPerfect.wpd] In the pop-up, click on ''Modify...'' In the ''Edit String'' dialog that pops up, in the box under ''Value data'', enter the FULL PATH and FILENAME to your default template. [N.B.: For a typical U.S. language edition of WPX6 the FILENAME will be "wpUSxx.wpt" where "xx" is your version number, such as 16 for WPX6.] Close Regedit. [Page top] Is there a quicker or easier way to create a custom template (than the method described above)? Yes. You can simply create a normal document with the usual .wpd filename extension, save it, and then rename it with a .wpt filename extension. Choose it in the File, Open dialog and it will spawn a duplicate of itself, just like any other template. Disadvantages: A small disadvantage here is the template could then be located almost anywhere -- which might not be optimal for some folks, such as those in an office where machines might be shared. The traditional methods described above for creating a custom template will automatically create an entry in the File, New from Project list, and place it physically along with other custom templates. This might make it a bit easier to use or edit. (Of course, you can always use Windows Explorer to move the template to the disk location used for any desired Project category. You can then access it the same as other Projects, as explained above.) Another disadvantage is inherent in the method itself: To edit the template later and make changes you will need to (1) locate it, (2) rename it back to a normal document with a .wpd filename extension, (3) edit it [note that in later versions of Windows you can right-click on the .wpt file to edit it], (4) save it, and (5) rename it back to a template file with a .wpt extension. Still another (potential disadvantage): See Footnote 6. So if you used this file renaming method to create the template, you still might want to place the resulting template file in the same folder or sub-folder as your other WordPerfect template Projects so that you can easily edit it without having to go through the file-finding-renaming-editing-renaming process. (When they are placed in that folder for the first time, simply Refresh the Project list with the File, New from Project, Option button.) Then to edit it just right-click on its name in the Project list, and choose "Edit WP Template." [Page top] Footnote 6 If you plan to share documents containing template macros with other WordPerfect users, take note of this: If a template containing a template macro is set to be triggered by some event, note that the template macro will only trigger in a document (.WPD) if the template (.WPT) is present, either in the original template folder or in the default (parent) template folder. If WordPerfect cannot locate the template, the template macro will not play even though it is embedded in the document itself, since the trigger specification is stored in the template, not in the resulting document. This can cause problems when sharing such automated documents with other WordPerfect users. Make sure they also have the template that spawned the document and it is located in the same relative folder as the original. [This might explain why template macros fail to automatically play in some documents if the original template has been renamed, relocated, or removed.] [A corollary: If you change or add a template macro in a template, all documents that were previously created with that particular template should -- if the template is present -- be able to run the revised (or new) template macro if they are set up to be triggered (or if they are manually played through the menu).] [Page top]
Footnote 7 For those who are new to computers or to folder and file navigation using Windows Explorer (which is installed on all Windows PCs), here's an easy way to find your currently active default template so that you can rename it (if necessary). 1. In WordPerfect, click on Tools, Settings,
Files, Template (tab). When you next reopen WordPerfect, it will automatically create a new factory fresh (i.e., unmodified) version of the default template in that folder. You can then copy (transfer) various customizations from the backed up version into this new template file, as described above. [Page top] Since a template can contain various
formatting codes (and perhaps text or graphics) so that it spawns new
documents set up the way you want them to look, and since the new
documents are clones of the template, some user-inserted format codes
in the body text area of the spawned ("child") document might be
accidentally deleted by users while editing -- especially if they are
located at the beginning of the document or where Reveal Codes is not
visible to let users see what they might be deleting at that point. Often, this happens with [Delay] codes that
exist to do something on subsequent pages, such as set new tabs or
margins, but it can happen with other (non-delayed) codes. One solution is to "hide" these format codes inside
the template's initial [OpenStyle: DocumentStyle] code. This is done by
opening Reveal Codes, then selecting and copying (or cutting) the
code(s) from the body text area into the initial [Open Style] code. Caveat: If you do this you would not be able to later modify those codes (e.g., a header or footer) while editing the [Open Style] code: You would need to cut
(with Ctrl+X) the inserted codes back into a document, edit them there,
and then paste them back into the [Open Style] code with Ctrl+V. Of
course, you have to remember how to do this.... This little trick is briefly explained in a footnote here (using a [Delay] code as an example). Another example is used in a macro to set up line numbering (et al) in a macro's edit screen, which is found in the Library (MacSetup); the download page explains in an example how you can use the same trick to reset page margins on page 2 (if there is a page 2) in any document. [Page top] [Continued from above...] Important note about using certain menu options to
[Side note:
Both menu options
have a Settings button to save changes: The File, Document, Default
Font ... Settings button has a single choice to save changes for all
new documents based
on
the default template; the Format, Font ... Settings button lets you
save
changes to either the default template or just to the current document.
But read on for caveats.]
Here's why you might not want to use those two menu options. With either menu option, changes are made to the program's internal program code and thus
they are transmitted directly -- and somewhat invisibly to the user
-- to all new,
blank documents created ("spawned") from that template. (The Settings
button on Format, Font also lets you apply changes to just the current
document.)
A frequent and often puzzling problem can arise from this: If you use File, Document, Default Font (or Format, Font) to change the font or font size and there are existing
font or font size codes in the document's initial Open Style code (the
first code in the body text area) then nothing will be changed -- and no message is given to let you know that nothing was changed.
In this scenario you might assume that there must be a font change somewhere in the body text area of the document, and if you cannot find one you would be left puzzled since you know you just changed the font with (e.g.) File, Document, Default Font!
How might this happen?
Any font changes you or a co-worker might make directly in the
Styles Editor
(e.g., see above method) with either File, Document, Current
Document Style or by simply by double-clicking the initial [Open Style: DocumentStyle]
code at the very top of the document are "downstream" from
the internal changes made with File, Document, Default
Font (or with Format, Font). [See more about WordPerfect's "stream formatting" above.]
Hence, new font or font size codes inside the current document's initial Open Style code (visible in its Styles Editor's Contents pane) will take precedence over similar changes made with the File, Document, Default Font (or Format, Font) menu selection, which are "upstream" from them. Using the Styles Editor to directly set up customizations is common -- even typical. Moreover, such changes can be made before and/or after using the two problematic menu options above. If before, you might run into the problem. [Another unanticipated twist in the tale: If font changes are made using either problematic menu option, and the Settings button is used to save them to the default template (with "Set face and point size as default for all documents"), the changes will not work if there are font and/or font size codes already in the default template's Open Style!] You could, of course, simply delete the new font codes from the Contents pane in the Styles Editor for the Open Style code. This should allow the even-further-upstream font settings to reassert themselves ... but that's not the point, or even the best solution. It's just a workaround. I explained this issue in a 2005 post at WordPerfect Universe (including an easy way to test it). There, I recommended to always use either File, Document, Current Document Style or double-click on the [Open Style: DocumentStyle] code to change fonts or font sizes with the Styles Editor when editing the document or template (explained above). At least you can see any existing font codes and delete them before applying new default font codes.
Finally:
Using the Styles Editor method above has other advantages: It
will
(1) set the default font for all printers, whereas File, Document,
Default
Font (or even Format, Font)
probably applies to the current printer only; (2) it will let you set
several other format options, not just your choice of font; and (3) just as easy to use as the
either of the problematic menu choices discussed above. [See also the
issue with "sub-fonts" in Format, Font described in Footnote 3 above.]
Tip:
To help prevent accidental use, you
can rename the File, Document, Default
Font menu choice (or even remove it altogether)
to something like "Default Font (DON'T USE)...". See "Customizing your menu..."
To test and verify the problem 1. Open a sample document -- one without any font changes in it, such as a new document with a few lines of text typed into it. [Page top] |