AutoFormat v. AutoFormat As You Type

[Guest]

The AutoCorrect dialog box includes the 2 subject tabs. These tabs have
several options in common. I have tried to find an explanation of the
differences (i.e., why they are in two places), but have not had any luck.
Any ideas?

 

[Guest]

Never mind - I found my answer.

 

[Guest]

Please share. I'm also confused about this. Thanks.

Arlene

 

[Jay Freedman]

The options you select on the AutoFormat As You Type tab govern what
happens "as you type" without any further input -- for example,
replacing straight quote marks with curly quotes.

The ones on the AutoFormat tab govern what happens when you use the
Format > AutoFormat menu item and click OK in the resulting dialog.

The two sets of options can be altered separately, so one thing
happens when you're typing but something else happens when you
specifically start an AutoFormat through the menu.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

Thanks, Jay. BTW--I'm using Word 2007. I understand then that AutoFormat As
You Type changes any checked item on the fly as you type. I didn't follow
your explanation on AutoFormat. Sorry to sound dense but can you please
elaborate on this: "something else happens when you specifically start an
AutoFormat through the menu"?

Arlene

 

[Jay Freedman]

A bit of advice: ALWAYS mention in any post that you're using Word
2007. Its interface is so different from any previous version that the
answer will usually depend on knowing that fact.

In earlier versions, the AutoFormat command was on the Format menu. In
Word 2007, which doesn't have a menu bar, most of the old menu
commands are represented by buttons on the ribbon. However, the
command to start an AutoFormat was very rarely used, so it isn't on
any of the ribbon tabs. You have to customize the Quick Access Toolbar
to put a button there for it.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

Thanks, Jay. BTW--I'm using Word 2007. I understand then that AutoFormat As
You Type changes any checked item on the fly as you type. I didn't follow
your explanation on AutoFormat. Sorry to sound dense but can you please
elaborate on this: "something else happens when you specifically start an
AutoFormat through the menu"?

Arlene

 

[Guest]

Right, so when I change a setting in AutoFormat how does it differ from
AutoFormat as you type?

 

[Jay Freedman]

If all the options in the two tabs of the options dialog are set the
same way, then their results will be identical. If the options are set
differently, then "as you type" autoformatting will behave the way its
options dictate, while the "command" autoformatting will behave as the
other set of options dictates.

The "command" version is useful when you get your text by importing it
from somewhere else rather than typing it. That might be a plain-text
file, copy/paste from another program (e.g., a web browser), or
somewhere else. Let's say you get a long text file from someplace,
maybe a database, and it contains web or email addresses. You want
those addresses to turn into hyperlinks. Go into the AutoFormat
options (not the As You Type options, since you won't be typing
anything) and turn off everything except the "Internet and network
paths with hyperlinks" box. Then run the AutoFormat command, and it
will do all those replacements in one step without affecting anything
else.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

Right, so when I change a setting in AutoFormat how does it differ from
AutoFormat as you type?

 

[Guest]

Jay--when you say, "Then run the AutoFormat command, and it
will do all those replacements in one step without affecting anything
else." how exactly do you "run" the AutoFormat command? I was experimenting
and started with a blank screen. I unchecked all options under AutoFormat and
then pasted text into the blank Word screen that had underlined hyperlinks.
The hyperlinks remained underlined even though I unchecked the option in
AutoFormat before pasting. What am I doing wrong? I thought AutoFormat would
replace any copied text that had underlined hyperlinks with hyperlinks that
did not have the underline.

Arlene

 

[Jay Freedman]

No, you have it backwards. AutoFormat can change plain text of
Internet addresses _to_ hyperlinks. It will never change hyperlinks
into plain text.

If this isn't just an experiment, if you really need to change
hyperlinks to plain text, there are two ways. If you just have a few
hyperlinks, right-click each one and select Remove Hyperlink. If you
have a lot of hyperlinks, you need a macro, which is a whole other
discussion.

As far as "how do you run AutoFormat", as I said four posts back in
this thread, for Word 2007 you have to go into the Customize dialog
and place the AutoFormat command on the Quick Access Toolbar as a new
button. Then you can "run AutoFormat" by clicking that button.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.

 

[Guest]

At long last, the missing link is explained in your first sentence!! Thanks
so much, Jay!! This one was driving me nuts trying to figure out.

Arlene