With Word 2007 comes not one new format, but two—or four, depending on how you count:

• .docx—An ordinary document containing no macros
• .docm—A document that either contains macros or is macro enabled
• .dotx—A template that does not contain macros
• dotm—A template that either contains macros or is macro enabled

It is important for some purposes for users to be able to include macros not just in document templates, but in documents as well. This makes documents that contain automation a lot more portable. Rather than having to send both document and template, or worse, a template masquerading as a document, you can send a document that has macros enabled.

Because Word 2003 documents can contain legitimate macros, there is no outward way to know whether any given .doc document file contains macros. If someone sends you a .doc file, is opening it safe? While it’s not clear that the new approach—distinct file extensions for documents and templates that are macro-enabled—is going to improve safety a lot, it does provide more information for the user.

This is true especially in business environments, where people don’t deliberately change file extensions. If you see a file with a .docm or .dotm extension, then you know that they contain macros and might warrant careful handling.

Moreover, if the document filename extension has been deliberately changed, Word will refuse to open the document. Whether it’s a .docx file that’s been renamed to .docm, or vice versa, you will see the message box shown in Figure 4-13.

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