in Detail

 

Key

 

   Manabook is very user-friendly.  You can use it without reading the documentation, although you’ll master the program faster by reading the paragraphs preceded by a red triangle.

 

      Useful information that you can read later.

 

     More detailed information.

 

Installing and Uninstalling ManaBook

 

 

      Pre-Installer for Windows 95 and 98

 

     The installer requires Visual Basic system resources which come with Windows Me and later versions of Windows.  If you are using Windows 95 or Windows 98, you will need to download and run the pre-installer before running the ManaBook installer for the first time.

 

     The pre-installer is a utility designed entirely by Microsoft.  The run file that you can download from the ManaBook site is the VBRun60.exe file that Microsoft makes available on its own sites.

 

    The utility looks through your system and copies missing files or, if necessary, replaces certain files with a more recent version.  Running it therefore updates your system, no matter which Windows version you are using.

 

    For all Windows versions, if you experience difficulties installing ManaBook, we suggest you run the VBRun60.exe file to make sure that the necessary resources are properly installed.

 

      Installation

 

    The installer creates a folder called “ManaBook” in the “Program Files” folder, containing all the files needed for ManaBook to function.  The installer deletes any previous version of ManaBook already installed on your computer, but keeps your preferences and your Kits.

 

   To confirm that ManaBook is installed, check that the MB or MB1 menu appears on the left side of the toolbars.

 

    The ManaBook installer also allows you to completely uninstall ManaBook.  All files used by ManaBook are deleted, except for your Kits, unless you expressly consent.

 

      Multiple Users of the Same Computer

 

    Windows is designed so that each user of a single computer can configure his or her particular environment.  ManaBook does the same.  While all users share ManaBook’s central resources installed on the computer, each one can use it in the language of his or her choice, have his or her own Kits and personalized buttons.

 

    Windows’ ability to create distinct environments has evolved from version to version, so that the structure of Windows XP is now almost like a real network within a single computer.  With Windows XP you can switch users without closing the documents and applications that the first user was working on.  Certain users have administrator privileges and can access all folders and the whole Windows registry.  Others have restricted privileges and are limited to their own files.

 

    The Windows version you use and your user privileges may affect installation in various ways:

 

                  Windows 95, 98 and Me

 

                 Any user may install ManaBook’s central resources on the computer.  At the same time, the installer activates ManaBook in the environment of the user installing the central resources.

 

                 All other users who wish to use ManaBook in their own environment will have to run the installer in their environment.

 

                  Windows XP

 

                 Only one user with administrator privileges may install ManaBook’s central resources on the computer.  At the same time, the installer activates ManaBook in the environment of the user installing the central resources.

 

                 All other users who wish to use ManaBook in their own environment will have to run the installer in their environment.

 

    Should a newer version of ManaBook be installed on the computer, all users who have already activated ManaBook in their environment will benefit.  The files will be updated automatically.

 

    Only users who can install central resources can uninstall ManaBook or install a license if one is required.  Once installed, the license applies to all users, even those who activate ManaBook at a later date.

 

      Security Barriers

 

    A virus is a program designed by a malicious programmer to anonymously install itself onto your computer.  Word has created barriers to protect you against such viruses.  Unfortunately, these barriers also make it difficult for legitimate designers of useful tools such as ManaBook to install their programs.

 

    The ManaBook installer adapts to your version of Word and your security settings.  If it modifies any of them, it will switch them back to their previous settings once installation is complete, except for the “Trust all installed add-ins and templates setting found in Word 9.0 and later versions, which has to remain checked.  This is the default setting upon delivery of Word.

 

    Once ManaBook is installed, its functions are available every time you use Word.  If, when using ManaBook, you get a “Macros are disabled” message, it means that the above setting has been modified.  Simply check the “Trust all installed add-ins and templates box, accessed through the “Tools” menu, under “Macros / Security / Trusted Sources” and restart Word.  Or, you may prefer to just re-install ManaBook.

 

      Deploying ManaBook on a Network

 

    ManaBook can easily be deployed on a network.  Just drag the ManaBook Network folder and the ManaBook InitNet xx.dot file and drop into a shared Word Startup folder on the server.  It’s as simple as that.

 

    Loading and executing automatically ManaBook InitNet xx.dot by any other means when Word is opened would have the same effect, as long as the ManaBook Network folder is located in the same folder as ManaBook InitNet xx.dot.

 

    The ManaBook installer allows the administrator to create a ManaBook Network Package folder that contains the items to be dragged into the shared Startup folder.

 

    When a user opens Word, ManaBook will display a message saying that the network administrator has made ManaBook available and suggesting that the user install the program on his or her computer.  If a different version of ManaBook is already installed on the user’s computer, it will be replaced by the version contained in the ManaBook Network folder located on the server.

 

    Once installed, the user may deactivate and reactivate ManaBook as they see fit.  The administrator may deactivate ManaBook at any time for all users by removing the ManaBook InitNet xx.dot file from the shared Startup folder.

 

    If you haven’t done so already, make sure that each user has selected this shared Startup folder as their Word Startup folder.  Click “Options” in the “Tools” menu and then click the “File Locations” tab in the dialog box to select the Word “Startup” folder.

 

    If some users are still working on Windows 95 or 98, you’ll need to download the pre-installer from the www.manabook.com site and drag it into the ManaBook Network folder as well.

 

    To force the ManaBook installer window to appear on the screen when Word is open, the user can delete the ManaBook folder located in “C:\Program Files”.

 

ManaBook Activation and the MB1 Menu

 

   ManaBook is not automatically activated whenever Word is opened.  It is activated only when a Book is opened.  It will then remain activated for the rest of your Word session, unless you deactivate it.  When ManaBook is activated, the MB menu is replaced by the MB1 menu.

 

   At any time before ManaBook is automatically activated by opening a Book, you can activate it through the MB menu if, for example, you want to use the Kits with a regular Word document or you want to create a new Book.

 

   When ManaBook is activated, you can use the MB1 menu to deactivate it.  When you deactivate ManaBook, you regain access to certain other add-ins that were inaccessible while ManaBook was activated. (See “ManaBook and Other Add-ins”).

 

   Even if you have deactivated ManaBook while a Book is still open, you can continue to work in the open Book and save your changes, as if it were a regular Word document.  The document you were working on will be automatically integrated into the Book if you reactivate ManaBook or when you open the Book at a later time.

 

The Book Toolbar

 

   The Book toolbar is visible only if the active window contains a Book.

 

   This toolbar can be placed on the same line as any horizontal toolbar or can be installed on a separate line or as a floating toolbar.  Upon installation, the toolbar is placed with the Standard toolbar, if the Standard toolbar is already set horizontally at the top.  This is probably the position that you will find most convenient.  A Babel sub-menu command in the MB1 menu allows you to move it at any time.

 

Creating a Book

 

   New Books are created by clicking on “Create a new book” in the MB1 menu.  The procedure is the same as the “Save As…” command used to create and save a new Word document.  You are prompted to name it and choose where to save it on the disk.

 

The Book File and its Size

 

   Book files are Word files.  However, to distinguish between them, they are assigned the file extension “.mbb” for “ManaBook Book” with a little blue book as the icon.  Kits are assigned the extension “.mbbk” for “ManaBook Book Kit” with a little red book as the icon.

 

    ManaBook Books are Word files that can contain a large number of documents.  They are subject to the same limitations as other Word files.  The maximum size for a Word file in Office 2000 and 2002/XP is 32 Mb.  In theory, the maximum number of documents and directories a Book can have is 1577.  The maximum number of documents and directories that can be created, including those that have been deleted, is 9999.  We suggest you avoid creating excessively large Books.  The acceptable size limit of your Books will depend on the power level of your computer.  More powerful computers handle large Books more easily.

 

    Word views the ManaBook Book as a template.  In other words, it is the same type of file that is usually assigned a “.dot” file extension when saved in Word.  Because it is itself a template, you cannot attach a Book to another template.  If you would like the macros of a particular template to be available for all your Books, you will have to install them in the “Normal” template.

 

    Instead of attaching a Book to a particular template to make its style definitions available, you can import the style definitions from any document attached to that template by selecting the appropriate MB3 menu command.

 

The Book Window

 

   The Book window is identical to that of a Word document, except that the name of the Book in the title bar is followed by the name of the active document, in brackets.

 

    When the Book window is not maximized, ManaBook automatically adjusts the window size according to the document page setup whenever you open it, and each time a document is activated.  If the document is displayed in Normal View (as opposed to Page/Print View, for example), the width of the window is reduced to minimum so that only the text is displayed, without the margins. With ManaBook, you don’t need to maximize your windows.  Switching between documents is in fact smoother when the window is not maximized.  If you are used to working with maximized windows, try working in Normal State windows when you work with ManaBook.

 

    If the Normal State Book window is positioned more to the left-hand side of the screen, ManaBook will position the window at the far left when a document is activated.  Otherwise, it will place it at the far right.  This feature makes it easier to work with two Books at the same time.  You just need to place the first Book more to the left and the second more to the right.  This way, unless your screen is too small compared to the width of your documents, you can view both your Books at once, or at least a portion of them.

 

The MB2 Menu

 

   The MB2 menu allows you to display and activate a document as if you were removing it from a Book in order to consult and work on it.

 

The Book and Arrow Buttons

 

   The Book button enables you to:

 

            a)   Display the Table of Contents so you can view the contents of the Book and organize documents;

 

            b)   Alternate between the last two documents selected, by holding down the Ctrl key at the same time;

 

            c)   Create a new document by holding down the Shift key at the same time.

 

   The left arrow allows you to move back in order through previous documents in the Book, starting at the active one.  If you hold down the Ctrl key at the same time, you will be taken directly to the first document in the Book.

 

   The right arrow works the same way but in the opposite direction, from the active one toward the later ones.

 

The MB3 Menu

 

   The MB3 Menu commands are divided into three sections: those for organizing documents, those that control the import and export features and one that allows you to prepare a Book to be opened on another computer.

 

      Organizing Your Documents

 

   The first five commands in the MB3 menu allow you to organize your documents without having to display the Table of Contents.  Bypassing the Table of Contents in this way is a good idea if your computer is slow.

 

                  New Document

 

                When you click on “New Document” you get a dialog box that prompts you to choose a name and location for the new document.  To make it easier to do so and standardize your document names for greater consistency, this box has buttons to which you can associate expressions that you will use to build names.  Another button also allows you to insert the date in the document name.  The use of these buttons is optional.

 

                The dialog box suggests a document to be used as a template or base for the page setup of the new document.  Depending on the situation, the document suggested may be the one currently displayed, the last one that was displayed or another document.  The new document will then take on the page setup of the base document as well as its main View properties, such as Normal versus Page (or Print) Layout, and whether or not the ruler, document map or paragraph marks are displayed.

 

                If you would like to use more than just the page setup of the base document, you can opt to make the new document a full copy of the base document.

 

                You can position the document at the very end of the Book, or decide to place it elsewhere.  In the latter case, a small drop-down menu will appear, enabling you to choose the location you desire.  The document will be inserted immediately above the one you click on.  As clicking on a directory name would open it instead, an asterisk immediately above each directory enables you to position the document there.

 

                  New Directory

 

                 You can create as many directories as you like to organize your files, or you can choose not to create any at all.  You could just store your documents one after the other, in whatever order you prefer.  ManaBook allows you to create a hierarchy of up to six levels, thus, of up to five levels of directories.

 

                When you click on “New Directory” you get a dialog box that prompts you to choose a name and location for the new directory.  To make it easier to do so and standardize your directory names for greater consistency, this box also has buttons that can be customized according to your needs.  These buttons are not the same as those used for building document names.  Again, the use of these buttons is optional.

 

                  Rename …

 

                 This command enables you to change the name of a document or directory.  The document does not have to be active for you to use it.

 

                  Move …

 

                 This command allows you to relocate a document or directory.  First, choose the item you wish to move from the drop-down menu.  A second drop-down menu then prompts you to choose the new location.

 

                  Delete …

 

                 This command enables you to delete a document or a set of documents (by deleting an entire directory).  Documents are permanently deleted only after you have saved the changes to the Book.

 

                  Table of Contents

 

                The Table of Contents is displayed by clicking the Book button.

 

                 To help you quickly locate documents that have recently been modified, the time appears in bold for all documents modified that same day, while the date is in bold for all documents modified the previous day.

 

                 As opposed to the equivalent MB3 menu commands, which allow you to work with only one item at a time, the Table of Contents commands enable you to work on an entire selection of items.  This means you can move or delete several documents and directories at once.

 

                You change the name of documents and directories directly on the Table of Contents page.

 

                Here, you can move items by dragging them or a part of them.  First, you select the items you want to move, then you drag and drop the selection to its new location.  They will be placed immediately above the line on which you drop the selection.  If this line is immediately under a directory, the lateral position of the cursor will determine the new location.  They will be placed inside the directory if the cursor is under the items contained in the directory, or under the directory if the cursor is more to the left, aligned with the name of the directory.  If you drag the selection to the top of the page, they will be positioned at the beginning of the Book.  If you drag it to the bottom of the page, they will be positioned at the end of the Book.

 

                 For slower computers, it will be much faster to use the first five MB3 menu commands to organize your documents, rather than displaying the entire Table of Contents.

 

      Importing and Exporting

 

                  Import a Document

 

                You can import ordinary Word documents into a Book, or another Book active document.

 

                If you use the copy-paste method to import a document, you will lose the headers, footers, page setup and View properties.  To import an entire document, click on “Import a Document” in the MB3 menu.

 

                 The Import a Document dialog box is divided into three sections, corresponding to the three steps involved in the procedure.  The buttons used to build the name of the document to be imported are the same as the ones used to build a new document name.

 

                 ManaBook imports the content of the document as well as the page setup, all the style definitions as long as they do not have corresponding style names already defined in the Book, the custom numbered list formats and the main View properties.

 

                  Custom Numbered List Formats

 

                 Custom numbered list formats are imported along with the document.  If the paragraph numbers are not displayed in the imported document, or are displayed incorrectly, your list formats may be incompatible with the style formats being used by the Book even if both were imported from the same source document.

 

                 For example, let’s say that, for a particular hierarchy level, your list sets the text indent of the first line at ¾ inch but the paragraph style associated with that level sets the indent at ½ inch.  The numbering format may appear correct (i.e. ¾ inch indent) in the source document because you applied the list format after the style format, but it will be incorrect (½ inch indent) in the imported document because the paragraph style format will have been applied after the list format.  When you have incompatibilities such as these between your list format and your style format, ManaBook has no way of knowing which of the two you applied last in your source document.  In this case, you would select one of the paragraphs that are or should be numbered, go to “Bullets and Numbering…” in the “Format” menu and apply the desired numbered list format.  The numbers of all the paragraphs in the list should now be displayed correctly.  It is, however, preferable that the properties of the numbered list format match those of the styles used.

 

                 If you are still having trouble, consult the Word help files on problems related to copying the style of a custom numbered list from one document to another.

 

                  Import Page Setup and Styles

 

                 You can import the page setup or style definitions of a particular document template into a Book by clicking on “Import Page Setup and Styles…” to select the source document.

 

                 Remember that importing a page setup into a Book will only affect the appearance of the Book document currently displayed, while importing a style definition will affect all the documents in the Book, which makes it easier to ensure they are uniform.  See “Styles and Document Transfer” below.

 

                 If the source document and the active Book document have several sections, ManaBook will import the page setup section by section, up to the number of sections of the document with fewer sections.

 

                 See “ManaBook Documents” below for more information on page setup issues.

 

                  Export a Document

 

                If you use the copy-paste method to export a document, you will lose the headers, footers, page setup and View properties.  To export an entire document, click on “Export Active Document” in the MB3 menu.

 

                 ManaBook exports the content of the document, its page setup, the style definitions and the custom numbered list formats it uses, as well as its main View properties.  The above comments regarding imported styles and custom numbered list formats apply to exported documents as well.

 

                 The document exported from a Book is the active one.  The dialog box lets you choose whether or not to save the independent document on disk.  If it is to be saved, the “Save as…” dialog box will pop up, prompting you to choose where you want to save the new document.

 

                 You may want to export a document without saving it.  If you want to display two documents from the same Book at the same time so you can compare the two, you could temporarily export one so that it is displayed in a separate window.  Once you have finished your comparison or made your changes, you simply import the document back into the Book.

 

      Preparing a Book To Go

 

    There are a number of Word 2000 and Word 2002/XP features that do not exist in Word 97.  Many document properties saved by recent versions of Word are not supported by the previous ones.  The “Save” tab in the “Options” dialog box in Word 2000 and Word 2002/XP allows you to choose the property not to save the features of a document that are not supported by previous versions.  If you create a new Word document while the active document has this property, the new document will have it as well.

 

    ManaBook works differently.  In order to allow documents imported into the Book to be displayed with all their features, ManaBook never applies the “Disable features not supported by…” property to new Books.  You can however select it for an existing Book in the same way you would for an ordinary Word document.

 

    The final command in the MB3 menu allows you to prepare a copy of the Book for export to other users.  The dialog box lets you decide whether or not to add the “Disable features not supported by…”  property to the copy of the Book in case it is opened with a previous version of Word.

 

    The copy will also include a message informing the recipient that the file contains several documents created with ManaBook.  The recipient will have the option to access the ManaBook Web Site through the message and download ManaBook.

 

ManaBook Documents

 

      ManaBook vs. Word Documents

 

    Documents that are inserted into Books are, to all intents and purposes, identical to ordinary Word documents.  ManaBook takes into account the following items:

 

      -    Content:

 

                        The body of the document

                        Footnotes and endnotes

                        Linked or embedded objects, bookmarks, hyperlinks

                        Tracked changes

                        Comments

                        Text boxes

                        Images (drawings, shapes, WordArt, graphics, etc.)

                        etc.

 

      -     All Book documents can be divided into several sections, each one containing its own:

 

                        Header and footer

                        First header and first footer

                        Even and odd header and footer

                        Page setup properties

                        Page border properties

 

      -     Each header and footer have its own page numbering properties

                                                                                                                     

      -     Compatibility properties for documents created by previous versions of Word

 

      -     Even more, ManaBook does attach and save with its document certain View properties that Word does not save with its document.

 

      Page Setup Properties

 

    The page setup properties of a document determine the position of the margins, headers and footers, the fact that these may differ for the first page or for even versus odd pages, the gutter position, the paper size and orientation, which printer paper tray to use and other such details.  These properties are selected by going to “Page Setup” in the “File” menu.

 

    All page setup properties are independently maintained for each section of each Book document, except for:

 

           Line numbering

           Columns

           Page Setup grid

           Gutter styles

 

    These less frequently-used properties were not included to avoid overburdening slow computers.

 

    When a new Book is created, the page setup used is that of your “Normal” template, just like when you create a new Word document by clicking on the “Blank Document” button.  You can then modify the page setup as with any other Word document.

 

    When a document is imported, its page setup properties are also imported.

 

      Compatibility Properties

 

    Every new version of Word offers new features that occasionally change the way Word handles documents.  Sometimes, modifications are made simply because Microsoft feels they are an improvement.  In any case, the later version is able to imitate the way the previous versions handled documents, so that those created in the previous versions can always be displayed and handled by the newer version in the same way as in the previous versions.

 

    Even if you are using a recent version of Word, it is likely that, without your being aware of it, many of your documents are handled in the same way as a previous version.  This could be the case if you often create new documents by using an older one as a model.  It is very likely that the version of Word used to create the original copy was a previous version.

 

    ManaBook takes into account all compatibility properties for documents created in Word 6.0/95, Word 97, Word 2000 and Word 2002/XP.  There are 48 compatibility properties in Word 2002/XP documents.  This means that a ManaBook Book may contain and correctly display documents that were created by any one of those versions.  Therefore, if you are using Word 2002/XP, your Books may contain documents created in Word 2002/XP and any of the other three versions.  If you are using Word 2000, your Books may contain documents created in Word 2000 and the two previous versions, etc.

 

    When you create a new Book document based on the Normal Word template, the document will have the compatibility properties of the version of Word that you are using.  If you base the document on any other existing document, it will adopt the compatibility properties of that other document.

 

    If your computer is slow, it would be a good idea to make sure your documents are created using the same compatibility properties.  It will take less time to display a Book document if it is handled in the same way as the one it is replacing.

 

      Saving Certain View Properties

 

    Word does not save the View properties with the document.  These include frequently used features such as the ruler and paragraph marks.  Microsoft does not feel that these properties need to be attached to the document itself but rather to the workspace.

 

    Whenever you open a document, Word applies to it the same View properties that were applied to the last active document, whether or not they are appropriated.

 

    ManaBook works differently.  When you insert a document into the Book, ManaBook does attach to it the following six View properties which Word does not save with the document :

 

            a)   View mode  (Normal, Web, Page/Print and Outline)

 

            b)   Show or hide markers (paragraph, space, etc.)

 

            c)   Show or hide ruler

 

            d)   Show or hide document map

 

            e)   Show or hide table gridlines

 

            f)    Zoom setting

 

    Thus, if you were in Page (or Print) View, the ruler was displayed and the Zoom was set to 80% when you inserted a document into the Book, it will be displayed in Page (or Print) View, with the ruler on and the Zoom set to 80% the next time you activate it.  Changing any one of these properties, however, is not considered a modification to the document itself, which means that if you change any of these properties without changing anything else, ManaBook will not prompt you to save the Book when you close it.  But, every time you do save the Book, these six View properties will also be saved for each of its documents.

 

Kits

 

      The Kit Collection

 

                  What Are Kits and What Do I Use Them For?

 

                 The Auto Text entries are a very powerful Word tool that few users take advantage of.  This may be because they are filed according to the style of the paragraph from which they are created.  Users cannot customize the way they are stored and it is difficult to retrieve them.

 

                 ManaBook allows you to store automatic text inserts in “Kits” as if they were documents in a Book.  In other words, you are in complete control of the way the Kit is organized.  You can even store document templates in a Kit.

 

                Kits are Books in which you can store and retrieve text and document templates.  Unless you have chosen to open a Kit to rearrange its contents in the same way you would with an ordinary Book, the Kit remains invisible, taking up no space on the screen or in the taskbar.

 

                 ManaBook Kits are identified by the file extension “.mbbk” and a little red book icon.

 

                  What’s in a Kit?

 

                A Kit may contain:

 

                  a)       An entire document that you would like to use as a template, complete with page setup, headers, footers, View mode, etc.  Its name would be preceded by “(Doc)”.

 

                  b)       Text, images or other elements that were selected when you created the Kit item.

 

                  Kit Folders

 

                 A Kit folder is a folder that contains or may contain ManaBook Kits.

 

                 ManaBook lists all the Kits contained in the active Kit folder at the end of the MB1 menu.  If you create a new Kit, it will be saved in the active Kit folder.

 

                 During the initial installation process, ManaBook creates a “ManaBook Kits” folder in your default document folder, which is usually the “My Documents” folder.  ManaBook designates this Kit folder as the active Kit folder and includes one or more Kits identified by their content language.  These Kits contain the basic automatic text insertions supplied by Word.  For any subsequent installations, ManaBook protects the active Kit folder and the Kits that are contained within.

 

                 You can move the “ManaBook Kits” folder or the Kits to any other folder you like.  Just select the appropriate folder as your active Kit folder, and all its Kits will be listed in the MB1 menu.

 

                 While a Kit can be opened and used like a Book, a Book cannot be used as a Kit.  Books and other documents that are not Kits will not be listed in the MB1 menu, even if they are saved in the active Kit folder.

 

                 The Kit Collection” options in the MB1 menu allow you to create more Kits, rename them, delete them or activate a new Kit folder.  For the average user, one or two Kits will be sufficient.  They will contain a few expressions, standard greetings and letter templates.  However, other users – such as contract writers – may want to save thousands of clause templates in different Kits, grouped according to contract type.

 

                 Because your Kits are easily accessible, you can use them to temporarily store text or image inserts, without keeping them in your permanent collection.

 

                  Backup your Collection

 

                Kits are permanent files that evolve and gain in value over time.  You should therefore save copies on a regular basis.  Ideally, you should make copies of the entire “ManaBook Kits” folder or any other folder in which you save your Kits.

 

      The Active Kit

 

         You activate a Kit by selecting one from the MB1 menu.

 

                  Using a Kit Text Insert

 

                < Use an Item From” has an arrow that points outward and leads to a drop-down menu similar to the MB2 activation menu, which allows you to view the contents of the active Kit in order to select an item. 

 

                  a)       If the item is preceded by “(Doc)”, i.e. is a full document, and

 

                            i)      The active window contains a ManaBook Book, the item will be inserted into the Book as a new document, which you will be prompted to name

 

                            ii)     The active window contains an ordinary Word document, ManaBook will open a new window to display the document as a new ordinary Word document