writer: master doc from template not accepting changes to template

users
#1

Howdy,
I hope I have a work flow problem. I'll describe what I want, then describe
what I did. And hopefully someone can show me 'the right way'.

I'm writing a book. I have chosen the path of creating a chapter template +
a master document + a sub document per chapter. Getting it all setup at
first worked out just like the "Writers Guide chapter 13" said. Thanks doc
team. That was good.

But a week or so later, after I'm working on chapter three, I decide I want
something new in my template.... I want my font changed from liberation
serif to new times roman. I cannot find out how to (simply) get that change
communicated to *all* my sub documents so that they obey the new font.

Here is the work flow I tried:
1. create a template
   create a paragraph style: name=bookBasic, properties=some indentation +
liberation serif + font size 12 + regular
   create a paragraph style: name=indirect, properties=some indentation +
liberation serif + font size 12 + italic
   save as "a template" in ott
2. create chapters
   open the template from step 1
   drop in some filler text from
http://www.blindtextgenerator.com/lorem-ipsum
   set paragraph one to "bookBasic"
   set paragraph two to "indirect"
   save as "chapt 1" in odt
   save as "chapt 2" in odt
   save as "chapt 3" in odt
3. create master doc
  open template from step 1
  delete text
  file:send:create master doc
  navigator:insert:file (chapt 1)
  navigator:insert:file (chapt 2)
  navigator:insert:file (chapt 3)
  save as "a master" in odm
4. alter template
  open template from step 1
  select paragraph formatting name=bookBasic and 'modify' such that font is
changed from Liberation serif to New Time Roman
  save (odt)
5. open master and accept changes
save (odd)
6. see if things are ok in a sub doc
open chapt1
  <<<problem>>> the BookBasic font is still Liberation Serif, not New Times
Roman

What it "the right way" to get my sub docs modified?
Also, I want to add new styles to my template and have them ripple through
my master doc into my sub docs. This also seems non-working to me with a
pretty similar work flow to the above.

Sure hoping for some help here.
Thanks in Advance

Ricky

#2

Hello,

1) Put a user name in Tools>Options>"User Data"
2) File>Templates>Save... registers your template with your name within
the user settings. It will appear under File>New>Template... then. The
creator name will be shown in File>Properties...
3) Create a document from that registered template.
4) File>Templates>Edit... opens your registered template for editing.
Change some styles.
5) Open one of the documents that had been created from your registered
template. It will be compared with its source and you will be prompted
if you want to take over the style changes from the modified registered
template.

Under File>Templates>Organize... you can drag around styles between all
registered templates and all loaded documents. In most cases you want ot
Ctrl+Drag&Drop (copy) stalys. You can also define one default template
per component to be used with File>New (Ctrl+N).

Unregistered templates that are stored anywhere else, on a flash drive,
CD or on the internet work as ordinary templates but of course they are
not personlaized nor do not track any changes.

I hope this helps,
Andreas

P.S. This is all I know about templates as styles container for Writer,
Calc, Imporess and Draww. I don't know much about master documents. Why
do you use a master document for the different chapters of one book? Do
you want to reuse the same chapters in other books?

#3

Howdy,
  Thanks Andreas. You put me on the right path.

  Saving template files and basing master doc on that template and hoping for
the best in sub-docs when the template file is changes does not work out.

  But, using template manager extension, saving and managing a template under
that extension, editing the template, and re-applying the template to
previously created docs does work. And that is good enough for me.

And since you asked: why am I using master doc & sub docs?
Well, I’m new. That just seemed like the best fit when I read the Writer
help guide. I’m not confident this is the best strategy, and I’m open to
other ideas.
My goal is to share a chapter (or a chapter part) with a peer / review group
in email. So I want that doc to be a standalone doc each week. Then I’ll
incorporate suggested edits and move on to next chapter (or chapter part).
I’ll be the author of the entirety of the book, so having multiple authors
is a non-goal for me.
I’m only into chapter 3 so far… so just starting out. I expect my book to
get quite long. Perhaps “Lord of the Rings” would serve as an upper bound to
the scale (I will not write something that large)… 500,000 words, 60ish
chapters, 3 books with 2 parts each.

Ricky Charlet