To understand the "Add to template" check box, you need to understand the relationship between a document and its template; see http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/templaterelations/index.html
As Shauna explains, when you create a document, its styles are based on the template's styles, but the document and its template are unlinked at creation. Any changes you make to the document's styles from that point do not affect the template *unless* you check the "Add to template" box to update the template with your style changes. Similarly, changes to the styles in the template don't affect the document unless you reattach the template (Tools | Templates and Add-ins) with "Automatically update document styles" checked.
The "Update automatically" check box usually should be unchecked. When it is checked, any change you make to any paragraph in a given style will be made to the style itself (with disastrous and bewildering consequences for users who use nothing but Normal style; see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/WholeDocumentReformatted.htm). Ordinarily this is a bad thing; it can be useful, however, when you are creating a template and still fine-tuning the styles, or (in documents) in the TOC styles (where it is enabled by default), which are otherwise somewhat difficult to modify.
-- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
"David J. Braden" <dbraden[ at ]nomail.invalid> wrote in message news:u$WnetgrGHA.4408[ at ]TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
[Quoted Text] > In the Modify Style dialog box there are 2 checkboxes: "Add to Template" > and "Automatic Update". Could someone please tell me what the heck these > are meant to do? Also, this is my first Word ng post; I'd appreciate > someone letting me know if this query is even in the right spot. > > Many thanks, > Dave Braden > -- > Please keep response(s) solely within this thread.
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