Do I need a word processor with SpecLink^®?

No, all formatting and printing functions are included in the software. You can format and print individual sections or whole projects with a single command. Specification sections can be printed in any format you choose, including landscape and two-column layouts. These formats and other global parameters like English and/or metric units of measure and the terms for Architect, Owner, and Contractor can be established for the entire project in one window. Plus, you can print out a number of standard reports listing submittals and quality assurance provisions by section, as well as an automatically generated project table of contents that can includes the current page count for every section.

What kinds of changes can be made to the master text?

Any kinds of changes you could make using word processing can be made using this software. The master database is not actually changed—your changes reside in a separate project file that functions as an overlay over the master database. You can change master paragraphs, insert new paragraphs and blocks of text, and omit master text (so it doesn't print). You can copy paragraphs and blocks of text. You can copy whole sections to a different section number. You can add your own new sections. See the User Manual chapter on Editing a Project for details.

What if I'm not a very good typist?

You'll do fine with this software. It takes care of lots of things that you would have to do manually in word processing, like line spacing, indentation, paragraph numbering — it keeps all those coordinated automatically. Mostly you'll be clicking with your mouse to select things, using the Copy & Paste buttons, and the Print menu.

Can I copy text from one project to another?

Yes. Open both projects and then open the desired section from each project. These sections would be called your source and target sections. You would next tile the source and target sections vertically and then follow the copy process below:

Put your cursor on a paragraph in the source section. If the paragraph has no subparagraphs it will be the only paragraph copied. If it does have subparagraphs, all the subparagraphs will be copied as well - this is what we call a "branch".

Once you have the cursor on the correct branch or paragraph, choose Edit-Copy from the menu or click the Copy button on the toolbar.

Activate the target section window by clicking anywhere in the window, position your cursor where you want to paste the text, and choose Edit-Paste from the menu or click the Paste button on the toolbar. The copied text is pasted in and the text below is pushed down.

Can I copy a whole section from one project to another?

Yes. Use the Import from Project option on the Tools menu. When copying master sections you can select multiple sections at once by holding down the Ctrl-key. If copying user-added sections, navigate in the tree panel to the folder where you want to copy the section before importing.

There are some sections I won't ever need and don't want anyone in my firm to use. How do I get rid of them?

There isn't any way to remove SpecLink^® master sections. However, remember that no section that has not been selected ever prints out in the project. If there are sections you believe may be used mistakenly, you can exclude them by clicking twice in the status box. You can also write an explanation in the project note at the title of the section, as to why this section shouldn't be used. Be careful to avoid excluding sections unnecessarily, as that will add to the file size of your project.