Make track changes permanent

George · External Since: Aug 24, 2004 Posts: 299

I have a word document that I used to track changes. Insertions are
underlined and deletions are strikethough, and that's it. I have to send
this document to other people that want it as a Word document. However, the
document HAS to be shown as I have saved it not as their tools/options/track
settings toggles are set. Is there a way to do this - freeze the document
settings?

OR, I'd like to change all the track changes underlines/strikethrough to
regular word format underline/strikethough.

The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately, when
sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
saved in my Word.

Thanks for any help you may be able to provide,
Thanks,
George

George · External Since: Aug 24, 2004 Posts: 299

Thanks for your response. The document I have is 78 pages, which I would
guess is long. I don't have any experience with word macros, but I'll see
what I can do.

Thanks, George

"George" wrote:

> I have a word document that I used to track changes. Insertions are
> underlined and deletions are strikethough, and that's it. I have to send
> this document to other people that want it as a Word document. However, the
> document HAS to be shown as I have saved it not as their tools/options/track
> settings toggles are set. Is there a way to do this - freeze the document
> settings?
>
> OR, I'd like to change all the track changes underlines/strikethrough to
> regular word format underline/strikethough.
>
> The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
> needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately, when
> sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
> set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
> saved in my Word.
>
> Thanks for any help you may be able to provide,
> Thanks,
> George

Cindy M. · External Since: Aug 07, 2006 Posts: 1467

Hi =?Utf-8?B?R2Vvcmdl?=,

I think you'd need to use a macro to change the tracked changes markings to
"real" formatting. However, the macro interface for tracked changes is quite
"iffy"; and the longer the document the "iffier" (more unreliable) it is.

Here's a bit of sample code you can try. It's designed to pick up all the
different kinds of revisions. Just put an apostrophe in front of the lines you
don't want to execute.

Sub FormatRevisions()
Dim doc As Word.Document
Dim rev As Word.Revision

Set doc = ActiveDocument
doc.TrackRevisions = False
For Each rev In doc.Revisions
Select Case rev.Type
Case wdRevisionDelete
rev.Range.Font.StrikeThrough = True
rev.Reject
Case wdRevisionInsert
rev.Range.Underline = wdUnderlineSingle
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionFormat
MsgBox "revision format"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionStyle
MsgBox "revision style"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionStyleDefinition
MsgBox "revision style def"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionSectionProperty
MsgBox "revision section prop"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionReplace
MsgBox "revision replace"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionTableProperty
MsgBox "revision table property"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionReconcile
MsgBox "revision reconcile"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionProperty
MsgBox "revision property"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionParagraphProperty
MsgBox "revision para property"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionParagraphNumber
MsgBox "revision para number"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionDisplayField
MsgBox "revision display field"
rev.Accept
Case wdRevisionConflict
MsgBox "revision conflict"
rev.Accept
Case wdNoRevision
MsgBox "no revision"
rev.Accept
Case Else
MsgBox "unknown type"
doc.Comments.Add rev.Range, "unknown type"
End Select
Next
End Sub

> I have a word document that I used to track changes. Insertions are
> underlined and deletions are strikethough, and that's it. I have to send
> this document to other people that want it as a Word document. However, the
> document HAS to be shown as I have saved it not as their tools/options/track
> settings toggles are set. Is there a way to do this - freeze the document
> settings?
>
> OR, I'd like to change all the track changes underlines/strikethrough to
> regular word format underline/strikethough.
>
> The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
> needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately, when
> sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
> set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
> saved in my Word.
>

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 17 2005)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply
in the newsgroup and not by e-mail Smile

Daiya Mitchell · External Since: Oct 07, 2004 Posts: 1071

If the public only needs to see the changes, and does not need to edit them,
perhaps you can print the doc to PDF (showing markup) and distribute that
version?

PrimoPDF is a conversion tool recommended by some users on this group.

<snip>

>> The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
>> needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately, when
>> sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
>> set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
>> saved in my Word.

--
Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word
Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/
MacWord Tips: <http://word.mvps.org/Mac/WordMacHome.html>
What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/

George · External Since: Aug 24, 2004 Posts: 299

Thanks for the reply.

We give them the PDF, but they also want the Word file. But you can't
believe the problems I have when they get it and they open it up instead of
the PDF and start reviewing it. I guess they think it's "better" than the
PDF or they don't understand the PDF or they are not familiar with it. Who
knows. In any event, I think my problem would be solved if I could at least
have the document open up with my "track changes" settings, rather than the
readers. Doesn't that make sense?
George

"Daiya Mitchell" wrote:

> If the public only needs to see the changes, and does not need to edit them,
> perhaps you can print the doc to PDF (showing markup) and distribute that
> version?
>
> PrimoPDF is a conversion tool recommended by some users on this group.
>
> <snip>
>
> >> The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
> >> needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately, when
> >> sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
> >> set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
> >> saved in my Word.
>
> --
> Daiya Mitchell, MVP Mac/Word
> Word FAQ: http://www.word.mvps.org/
> MacWord Tips: <http://word.mvps.org/Mac/WordMacHome.html>
> What's an MVP? A volunteer! Read the FAQ: http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
>
>

Daiya Mitchell · External Since: Oct 07, 2004 Posts: 1071

Well, never mind that idea, then.

Having the doc open with your track changes settings and making track
changes permanent are two different issues.

I suspect that if the people you send the doc to knew what track changes was
and how to use it, then whether it came up in your settings or theirs would
not matter. You might see if sending them this link helps:
http://shaunakelly.com/word/trackchanges/HowTrackChangesWorks.html

Cindy sent a macro for the second issue, which would convert track changes
to hardcoded text formatting. Experiment ON A COPY of the doc. If it gets
iffy with long documents, you might break it into shorter documents, run the
macro, recombine the document.
If necessary, see:
What do I do with macros sent to me by other newsgroup readers to help me
out?
I don't know how to install them and put them to use
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/MacrosVBA/CreateAMacro.htm

On 10/26/06 6:10 PM, "George" wrote:

> Thanks for the reply.
>
> We give them the PDF, but they also want the Word file. But you can't
> believe the problems I have when they get it and they open it up instead of
> the PDF and start reviewing it. I guess they think it's "better" than the
> PDF or they don't understand the PDF or they are not familiar with it. Who
> knows. In any event, I think my problem would be solved if I could at least
> have the document open up with my "track changes" settings, rather than the
> readers. Doesn't that make sense?
> George
>
> "Daiya Mitchell" wrote:
>
>> If the public only needs to see the changes, and does not need to edit them,
>> perhaps you can print the doc to PDF (showing markup) and distribute that
>> version?
>>
>> PrimoPDF is a conversion tool recommended by some users on this group.
>>
>> <snip>
>>
>>>> The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
>>>> needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately,
>>>> when
>>>> sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
>>>> set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
>>>> saved in my Word.
>>

wademccartney · External Since: Jul 12, 2012 Posts: 1

On Monday, October 23, 2006 4:53:02 PM UTC-7, George wrote:
> I have a word document that I used to track changes. Insertions are
> underlined and deletions are strikethough, and that's it. I have to send
> this document to other people that want it as a Word document. However, the
> document HAS to be shown as I have saved it not as their tools/options/track
> settings toggles are set. Is there a way to do this - freeze the document
> settings?
>
> OR, I'd like to change all the track changes underlines/strikethrough to
> regular word format underline/strikethough.
>
> The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
> needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately, when
> sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
> set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
> saved in my Word.
>
> Thanks for any help you may be able to provide,
> Thanks,
> George

Cindy,

Your macro works great. Do you have a macro that 'accepts the hardline edits' and renders clean text? For example, consider the following progression of edits where text in these brackets { } is strike-through and text in these brackets [ ] is underline: (1) The original version, "This is the original description of our trip to the Grand Canyon." (2) Using tracked changes, this becomes, "This is the {original} [revised] description of our trip to {the Grand Canyon} [Alaska]." (3) Running your macro on item (2) removes the tracked changes but leaves the mark-up in what I will call hardline. (4) Do you have a macro to run on the item (3) version that deletes the strike-through text, but keeps the underline text as just text with no underline?

Wade

Peter T. Daniels · External Since: Jun 24, 2009 Posts: 220

On Jul 12, 5:42 pm, wrote:
> On Monday, October 23, 2006 4:53:02 PM UTC-7, George wrote:
> > I have a word document that I used to track changes. Insertions are
> > underlined and deletions are strikethough, and that's it. I have to send
> > this document to other people that want it as a Word document. However, the
> > document HAS to be shown as I have saved it not as their tools/options/track
> > settings toggles are set. Is there a way to do this - freeze the document
> > settings?
>
> > OR, I'd like to change all the track changes underlines/strikethrough to
> > regular word format underline/strikethough.
>
> > The documents are used for writing regulations where undline/strikethrough
> > needs to be shown so that the public can see the changs. Unfortunately, when
> > sent to other people that must process the document, the intended format as
> > set in the tools/options/track changes isn't the same in their Word, as was
> > saved in my Word.
>
> > Thanks for any help you may be able to provide,
> > Thanks,
> > George
>
> Cindy,
>
> Your macro works great. Do you have a macro that 'accepts the hardline edits' and renders clean text? For example, consider the following progression of edits where text in these brackets { } is strike-through and text in these brackets [ ] is underline: (1) The original version, "This is the original description of our trip to the Grand Canyon." (2) Using tracked changes, this becomes, "This is the {original} [revised] description of our trip to {the Grand Canyon} [Alaska]." (3) Running your macro on item (2) removes the tracked changes but leaves the mark-up in what I will call hardline. (4) Do you have a macro to run on the item (3) version that deletes the strike-through text, but keeps the underline text as just text with no underline?

Isn't that just "Accept All Changes in Document"?