Finding a symbol created using Insert Symbol

[Ken Benson]

Try this one: Go to Insert Symbol, choose an alpha, and insert it. Now try
to find it. Seems to be impossible.

If you copy and paste the alpha into the Find field, it comes up as an "a",
and then Find finds all the "a"s, but no alphas.

Is there a way to find an alpha that was created using Insert Symbol?

 

[Guest]

I inserted several into a document, and when I tried copying and pasting one
into the find field, it was able to find them all, so I don't know that I can
duplicate your problem - I tested using Word 2002. However, one solution
might be to use Character Map.
This utility is usually installed with Windows, and can generally be found
under Programs>Accessories>System Tools. I selected the alpha here, copied
it, and pasted it into the Find What box in Word, and it also tracked down
the correct character.
Hope this helps!

 

[Ken Benson]

I inserted several into a document, and when I tried copying and pasting one
into the find field, it was able to find them all, so I don't know that I can
duplicate your problem - I tested using Word 2002. However, one solution
might be to use Character Map.
This utility is usually installed with Windows, and can generally be found
under Programs>Accessories>System Tools. I selected the alpha here, copied
it, and pasted it into the Find What box in Word, and it also tracked down
the correct character.

I'm using Word 2000, so this must be something MS fixed. :-(

I can copy and paste from Character Map into Word and then paste into the
Find field, and that works. Unfortunately, the characters I want to find
already exist, and it seems the only way I will be able to find them (there
are thousands) is by looking.

Or I could get Word 2002.

There must be some way I can do this with Word 2000.

Ken Benson

 

[Guest]

Graham Mayor's site may be useful:
http://www.gmayor.com/replace_using_wildcards.htm
In particular, I'm looking partway down the page where it says "For Advanced
Users Only". Maybe using a search range you can tease out what you're
looking for more easily.

 

[Ken Benson]

Graham Mayor's site may be useful:
http://www.gmayor.com/replace_using_wildcards.htm
In particular, I'm looking partway down the page where it says "For Advanced
Users Only". Maybe using a search range you can tease out what you're
looking for more easily.

Yes, thank you Allan, thank you Graham. This is from Graham's site:

------------------------------------

In Word2000, you can type in Unicode characters with the Alt-key (make sure
NumLock is on, then hold down the Alt-key and type the numbers on the
numeric keyboard). Since all characters from decorative fonts (Symbol-,
Wingdings-fonts ...) are kept in a special code page from &HF000 to &HF0FF,
you can search for them with [Alt61472-Alt61695].

------------------------------------



So, using Wildcards, I would be able to find any of the greek symbols that
were created using Insert Symbol, but I wanted to find all the alphas, then
all the betas, etc. So I needed to know what the ALT code for an alpha is.
To find the ALT code for an alpha, go to Insert Symbol, change the font to
Symbol, choose the alpha, press the Shortcut Key, and look in the lower
lefthand corner where it says: "Symbol: 61537". Write that number down, and
go back and use Find to search for ALT 61537.



This works.



Thanks again,

Ken Benson

 

[Graham Mayor]

While I am pleased to see that you are finding my web page useful, there is
a simpler way to find symbols. Word comes supplied with a template
macros9.dot which contains a Find Symbol macro. There's a link to this file
on the downloads page of my web site.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

Graham Mayor's site may be useful:
http://www.gmayor.com/replace_using_wildcards.htm
In particular, I'm looking partway down the page where it says "For
Advanced Users Only". Maybe using a search range you can tease out
what you're looking for more easily.

Yes, thank you Allan, thank you Graham. This is from Graham's site:

------------------------------------

In Word2000, you can type in Unicode characters with the Alt-key
(make sure NumLock is on, then hold down the Alt-key and type the
numbers on the numeric keyboard). Since all characters from
decorative fonts (Symbol-, Wingdings-fonts ...) are kept in a special
code page from &HF000 to &HF0FF, you can search for them with
[Alt61472-Alt61695].

------------------------------------



So, using Wildcards, I would be able to find any of the greek symbols
that were created using Insert Symbol, but I wanted to find all the
alphas, then all the betas, etc. So I needed to know what the ALT
code for an alpha is. To find the ALT code for an alpha, go to Insert
Symbol, change the font to Symbol, choose the alpha, press the
Shortcut Key, and look in the lower lefthand corner where it says:
"Symbol: 61537". Write that number down, and go back and use Find to
search for ALT 61537.



This works.



Thanks again,

Ken Benson

 

[Ken Benson]

While I am pleased to see that you are finding my web page useful, there
is

a simpler way to find symbols. Word comes supplied with a template
macros9.dot which contains a Find Symbol macro. There's a link to this file
on the downloads page of my web site.

Yes, I found information on that somewhere else yesterday and tried it, but
it didn't work, at least not for me in Word 2000. I got the feeling that it
would have worked for a non-Symbol font symbol (like Unicode 03B1, alpha).
But for an "a" that has been formatted with Symbol font, the only way that's
worked for me so far is to type the ALT code into the search field (ALT
61537 for an alpha in Symbol font). What makes it even more confusing is
that nothing actually shows up in the search field when you type this. But
it works anyway, even though there's nothing showing.

Anyway, your site got me started in that direction, and ended a half a day
of frustration. Thank you very much.

Ken Benson