A better subtitle for this is “Tips for Taming It with Macros.” The book begins with showing how to tweak the interface to meet your needs, one of the few hacks not requiring macros. For a long time, I never modified the interface beyond choosing the tool bars I wanted to view. I frequently used the word count feature and added that to the interface. Since then, I’ve learned to modify it based on my needs so I can quickly access the most often used features. Tip #1 is all about that.
Haven’t ventured into macros, or at least not much? Get a crash course on how to create and run macros so you can use those included in the book and venture on your own. Savikas explains the basics at the 30-foot level while guiding the reader through the steps of creating and running a simple macro. Many of the hacks use macros.
When clicking on a link to a .doc file from within a Web site, the file opens within the browser and editing it is difficult because many of Word’s tool bars are not there for your use. Hack #8 puts an end to this nuisance. In “Building a Better MRU” (most recently used), take the MRU file feature up a notch and pump it up with a form.
According to the book, most of the hacks work with Word 2000, 2002 (also known as Word XP), and 2003. It mentions some of the hacks work with the old Word 97, but the book focuses on 2000, 2002, and 2003. The last chapter, “Word 2003 XML Hacks,” begins on page 319 and is the only one specific to the newest version of Word.
The book follows the Hack series model making it easy to use as a reference. All the tips offered are listed in the table of contents. If you like what you find there and want something heavily focused on macros, the book will satisfy your needs. Those looking for a manual with help for getting around Word and discovering some of its power are better off with a different book.
It’s a great resource for anyone who is comfy with Word and likes to fiddle with something a little more advanced. Tackle a couple of hacks at a time to build up your Word repertoire. Soon, you’ll breeze through creating your own macros. Those who are macro pros might not glean much from the book. The book’s publisher’s Web site includes five sample hacks. Try them out to get a feel for what the book offers. The same page has a link for downloading code examples from the book.
Title: Word Hacks: Tips and Tools for Taming Your Text
Author: Andrew Savikas
Publisher: O’Reilly & Associates
ISBN: 0596004931
Date: October 2004
Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Cover Price: USD: $16.47 CDN: 25.87
UK: 12.25
