Re: The macro virus would spread into a user's Office template files
Ideally the styles should be in each of the template files rather than normal.dot.
In fact, I will go so far and stick my neck out and say that one should never touch normal.dot -- don't mess with the styles and don't put code in there. I have always viewed normal.dot as a half-arsed 'thing' invented by MS to do their own thing.
In the case of Word (which is clearly what we're talking about) I would put code in templates in the start-up folder (and there could be loads of .dot files in here with VBA depending on what the user wanted) and also code in each of the document template files. It is in these where I would put the styles.
I have always seen normal.dot as something that can be sacrififced and if the suite of templates has been made strong enough then everything the user needs is in there and if normal.dot ever gets nuked then no change will happen to the user's Word environment.
I have always seen Word VBA as more than just mere macros. On some of my clients' sites I have very complex code which drives everyting from Document Management, Contact Databases and about everything that one could think of.
VBA, if I may counter, isn't "instant" at all. Yes, one can do quick hacks and runs but it is also a fully fledged language and development environment. I see it as VB6 with an Office application clagged onto the front and a whole slew of inbuilt objects to play with. Kiddie stuff it needn't be. There's a very large business out there which has in their code, and they won't know it, a binary tree search all done with VBA.
It's a great environment. Please don't wish it nobbled.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
