Books, linked files or... ?

Sometimes what looks like simple questions starts something complicated... We are trying to manage multiple documents and want to create dynamic links between them. This is what we are trying to do:
- We have multiple short documents (1-20 pages each) which are currently in a mix of Word and Apple Pages. Each document corresponds to one 'exercise'
- From these documents we want to write 'books' (training manuals) incorporating various sets of exercises. Each 'book' will have a different cover, different bridging pages linking the exercises etc. Some books will be in A4 size, others in A5. They will also be different brands so the colour schemes for example will be different.
Our approach so far has been basic cut & paste (our standard book for example is a 140 page Apple Pages document in A5) but this has led to horrendous version control problems. SO what I want is to link the basic documents (the exercises) so that when I update one of them, then all my 'books' can be updated automatically (or at least 'refreshed' in one command).
So far I have looked at the InDesign 'Book' feature (very basic, zero flexibility); InDesign linking files (I just don't understand it); and using InCopy alongside InDesign (seems like total overkill given that our exercises won't change that often and that we only ever have one person working on the workflow at a time).
Anybody with an experience of workflow/document updating want to suggest something simple for a very small business like ours?
Thanks!

Moscool wrote:
OK Peter, I'm slowly getting there
I have read lots of stuff and even subscribed to Lynda.com... Funny how a programme that is supposed to be used for the putting together of large documents has so little about this in its help pages!
Anyway your second message makes sense but begs a couple of follow-up questions:
1) Everything is initially written in A4 and I have different text styles so that the same content also works in A5 without modifying anything. My idea is that the Master document (the 'book') would have a set of styles with exactly the same names as those in the Exercise documents which would then be applied on import. Does this make sense or will an A4 page imported into an A5 document remain in A4 no matter what?
2) How do I create a library of default styles that will be used in all new documents? I understand I can create styles in individual template documents but I create a default set like in Word for example?
Thanks
Since you're discussing A4 and A5 documents, I'm guessing you might not be familiar with Bill Clinton's famous testimony when, while president, he was asked a specific question about what might or might not have been his behavior, in the Oval Office, with "that woman." The question was carefully constructed by the prosecutor, so Clinton thought it through like the lawyer he was, and answered "it depends on what the meaning of is is." Search Google for terms like "depends on what the meaning of is is" with quotes for more detail.
My point is that the usefulness of InDesign's long-document help "depends on what the meaning of putting together a large document" is in your mind.
IMO, you aren't merely putting together a large document. If that was your goal, you'd have been done long ago because, from your postings, you seem to have a good understanding of that process.
Your stated goal here is to automate, to some degree, a variable-data publishing workflow, and, in addition, contain the output in documents that use different page sizes.
This is no longer a "plain vanilla" goal. That InDesign, with Peter Spier's (and probably joined by other forum participants) will probably be able to guide you to a point where you can see a solution, shows InDesign's flexibility and value in complex publishing situations. It's not appropriate to criticize the help because the solution isn't documented more fully; the component processes are rather well-documented.
Peter S's suggestion to consider the abilities of InDesign's conditional text feature is a good one; outputting different portions of content from a single source document is where it's most useful.
HTH
Regards,
Peter
Peter Gold
KnowHow ProServices

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Daté TETEGAN wrote:
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OK. Now I see what you meant.
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The workflow will look like this.
Regards,
H

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