55 min read
Long Documents
Build and stress-test a structured handbook — add, move, and update without breaking numbering.
The handbook stack
Layers you built in previous lessons:
- Styles — Heading 1–3, Normal, Caption
- Sections — cover, front matter, body, appendix
- Fields — TOC, PAGE, NUMPAGES, SEQ, cross-refs
- References — footnotes, index (optional)
Long-document work is maintaining that stack while content changes.
The stress test — what professionals do before sign-off
Simulate real edits on a copy of NorthgateHandbook.docx:
| Change | What should auto-adapt if structured correctly |
|---|---|
| Insert Safeguarding chapter (H1) | TOC entry; page numbers shift; STYLEREF updates |
| Add table before Table 1 | Caption numbers; cross-refs |
| Move figure | Caption + cross-ref fields |
| Delete chapter | TOC removes entry; no orphan fields |
| Landscape appendix | Section breaks contain orientation |
If any step requires hand-editing numbers in prose, structure is incomplete.
Run the change test on your handbook copy
Goal
On a copy: add a chapter, update fields, verify TOC and cross-refs.
James Okonkwo adds this to NorthgateHandbook.docx as part of one polished student handbook, policy pack, and open-day collateral before families arrive.
Copy file
Where
Do this
You should see
- Working on copy.
Verification
Check your work
You are correct if all of these are true:
- TOC lists Safeguarding without manual retyping dots and page numbers.
- Caption numbers updated after inserting a table before Table 1.
- You did not manually edit page numbers in footer text.
Index and tables of figures
For 150+ page manuals: References → Insert Table of Figures (figures/tables already captioned). References → Index → Mark Entry on key terms → Insert Index at back.
Index is optional for parent handbook; required for technical manuals. Both are field-driven lists like TOC.
Practice
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