Highlight (Shading Color) entire paragraphs in Outline View

[Paul]

In Outline View, if I try to select an entire hierarchy of headings
and apply highlighting ("Shading Color"), it doesn't work. Triple
clicking to select any heading paragraph also ignores highlighting.
However, highlighting works if I select a word.

Is there a way to highlight entire paragraphs, series of paragraphs,
or ideally, entire Outline View hierarchies?

I am using Word 2003 on Windows XP.

 

[Stefan Blom]

This is because not all paragraph formatting is shown in Outline view (or
Normal view). Switch to Print Layout view after you've applied shading to a
paragraph and you'll see that it's there: it just doesn't show in Outline
view.

 

[Paul]

I was pretty sure I had Show Formatting turned on. I went to a
different computer, and tried the same thing (selected hierarchies of
Heading paragraphs in Outline View) and the highlighting shows. Very
odd. Thanks anyway!

 

[Stefan Blom]

It doesn't matter if you have Show Formatting on or not; you still won't see
all *paragraph* formatting in Outline (or Normal) view.

On the other hand, if you apply shading to *text* (instead of to the actual
paragraph) that will display even in Outline view.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP



I was pretty sure I had Show Formatting turned on. I went to a
different computer, and tried the same thing (selected hierarchies of
Heading paragraphs in Outline View) and the highlighting shows. Very
odd. Thanks anyway!

 

[Paul]

When I select entire hierarchies of headings by clicking on the "+" or
"-", I thought I was selecting swaths of paragraphs. That's what
worked (saw highlighting applied to selected swaths in Outline View).

 

[Stefan Blom]

Are you applying to the selection or to the paragraphs? Look in the Borders
and Shading dialog box to learn if "Text" or "Paragraph" is selected in the
"Apply to" box.

If you applied to the selected text(that is, to text) it would show in
Outline view; if you applied to whole paragraphs, it would be invisible in
Outline view but it would be visible in Print Layout view.

 

[Paul]

The Borders and Shading dialog box says "Apply to: Paragraph". When I
unpress "Show Formatting", the highlighting goes away.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Sorry, I can't explain what is happening with your document. :-(

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP



The Borders and Shading dialog box says "Apply to: Paragraph". When I
unpress "Show Formatting", the highlighting goes away.

 

[Paul]

Thanks anyway. Somethings can't be explained.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Well, you could treat the document as corrupt, following the instructions at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm, but that may be overkill
if you are not experiencing any serious issues.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP



Thanks anyway. Somethings can't be explained.

 

[Paul]

Yeah, especially when the corruption results in favourable behaviour!

I'd rather just kick the document out the door.