Time to Activate and Normalize your document!

This step allows your document to be processed by eXtyles (activate) and prepares the content for processing (normalize). The Activate and Normalize function performs the following tasks:

1. Sets document information (i.e., collects metadata; an interactive operation)

2. Saves a baseline copy of the document (an automatic operation)

3. Prepares the document (an automated and, in some cases, interactive operation)

How to Use Activate and Normalize

1. Select Activate and Normalize from the eXtyles ribbon

2. Enter your document's metadata in the Document Information dialog

3. Click OK. eXtyles will perform some automatic steps to prepare your document for eXtyles processing.

After the Activation and Normalization stage has successfully completed, the remaining selections on the eXtyles ribbon are enabled.

Sets Document Information

When you select the Activate and Normalize function from the eXtyles menu, eXtyles displays the Document Information dialog. This dialog requires that you provide data about the document to eXtyles (e.g., publication, article number, etc.) so that eXtyles can associate the document with the correct style template and metadata.

Saves a Baseline Copy

When you select the Activate and Normalize function, eXtyles automatically saves a baseline copy of the document in native Word format in the same directory in which the original document is located. The baseline document is saved with “$base” appended to the end of the document name (e.g., 123_Mauscript$base.doc).

If the original document is not in native Word format—that is, it is not a .doc or .docx file—eXtyles prompts you to save the document as a Word file before continuing. After you save the document in native Word format, eXtyles creates the baseline copy automatically.

If you want to create additional baseline documents later in the eXtyles process, you can use the Create New Baseline function to create additional copies of the document.

Prepares the Document

After the baseline document has been saved, eXtyles automatically normalizes your document (performs initial document preparation), which includes the following operations:

1. Accept all changes if Track Changes was turned on, and then turn off Track Changes

2. Normalize font-offset combinations for special characters

3. Apply a temporary monospace-font paragraph style to paragraphs that are entirely in a monospace font but not in a monospace-font paragraph style; this step allows flexibility during the Cleanup stage.

4. Remove unnecessary author formatting (such as font size and font color changes)

5. Footnotes and endnotes may be unlinked and converted to plain text (depending on your eXtyles configuration settings).

This process is mostly automatic; however, sometimes additional document preparation steps might be necessary before other eXtyles functions can be executed.

Troubleshooting

If eXtyles freezes or has dramatically changed your document during the Activation and Normalization process, please contact eXtyles-support@inera.com.