OnStyle – Advanced Document Standardization and Validation for Microsoft Word

OnStyle is an advanced Microsoft Word add-in designed to ensure that documents comply with predefined company or industry formatting standards. It supports both the creation of new compliant documents and the validation and correction of existing ones, providing a powerful and efficient solution for managing large, complex documents.

OnStyle helps organizations

• Enforce consistent formatting standards
• Reduce manual formatting effort
• Identify and correct structural and styling errors
• Improve document quality and regulatory compliance
• Streamline authoring and review workflows

It offers a quick and compact solution for validating and correcting formatting compliance in large documents.

Key Features and Functionality

1. DocConfig-Based Standardization

At the core of OnStyle is the Document Configuration (DocConfig) system.

A DocConfig stores predefined formatting standards such as:

• Fonts and styles
• Table formats
• Caption settings
• Table of Contents (TOC), Table of Figures (TOF), and Table of Tables (TOT) formats
• Page layouts and document language settings

When a DocConfig is applied:

• Styles are updated
• Page layout is adjusted
• Document language is set
• Authoring tools are configured according to company standards

This ensures immediate alignment with organizational formatting requirements.

2. Integrated Authoring Toolkit

OnStyle enhances the Microsoft Word Ribbon with a dedicated OnStyle tab.

Once a DocConfig is assigned, the tab provides access to structured authoring tools grouped into:

• Quick Styles – One-click application of predefined heading, paragraph, and table styles
• Format Tools – Page breaks, section breaks, character formatting controls
• List Tools – Standardized multilevel lists and indentation control
• Tables & Figures – Create tables, apply standard table styles, insert titles
• References & Links – Create internal links, external references, abbreviation tables
• TOC Tools – Insert and manage Tables of Contents, Figures, and Tables
• Header/Footer Management
• Export Functions – Export comments, links, or external references to Excel
• Paste Options – Plain text, smart merging, or picture paste

These tools ensure that documents are structured correctly during authoring—not only corrected afterward.

3. Advanced Validation Engine

OnStyle includes a Validation module that inspects documents for formatting, structural, and compliance issues.

Validation is based on:

• Inspection Modules – Individual rule checks for specific formatting or structural problems
• Inspection Groups – Logical collections of inspection modules
• Inspection Sets – Predefined or customizable sets of groups that can be executed together

Examples of inspection checks include:

• Incorrect or missing captions
• Broken cross-references
• Improper whitespace usage
• Incorrect list formats
• Nonstandard styles
• Missing abbreviation definitions
• Character formatting applied instead of styles

This structured validation allows users to identify deviations from standards with precision.

4. Automated Correction Modules

Many inspection modules are paired with Correction Modules that allow users to fix issues automatically.

Examples of automated corrections include:

• Clear character formatting
• Fix caption
• Remove unused styles
• Set table header row to repeat
• Use abbreviation
• Insert caption
• Remove manual page breaks

These built-in fixes significantly reduce manual editing effort and improve efficiency when handling large documents.

5. Flexible Configuration and Customization

OnStyle is highly configurable:

• Inspection module behavior can be customized via preferences
• Custom inspection sets can be created and edited by users
• Validation module parameters can be centrally configured

This flexibility allows organizations to tailor OnStyle to internal SOPs, regulatory requirements, and document types.

6. Efficient Workflow Integration

OnStyle integrates directly into Microsoft Word, requiring no separate platform.

Key workflow advantages:

• Works on new or existing documents
• Validation available with or without a DocConfig assigned
• Ribbon-based interface aligned with standard Word UX
• Progress indicators during application

The add-in approach ensures minimal disruption to existing document authoring processes.

Ideal Use Cases

OnStyle is particularly suitable for:

• Regulatory submissions
• Scientific and medical documentation
• Technical documentation
• Corporate reporting
• Standardized internal documentation

It is especially effective for large, complex documents that require strict compliance with formatting standards.

Summary

OnStyle is a comprehensive Word-based solution for structured authoring, document standardization, validation, and automated correction. By combining DocConfig-driven formatting control with a modular validation engine and built-in correction tools, it enables organizations to produce compliant, high-quality documents efficiently and consistently.