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
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