Justification problem

[maryliz]

I came across a document to edit today at work that has me puzzled.

There are instances in certain paragraphs when all of the lines on the right
are justified except the very first line.

That happens when the last two words on the first line are a short word
followed by a long word; i.e., "the documentation." At all other times, that
has never been a problem. Word just handles it.

I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the fact that at the beginning
of the troublesome first line in each such paragraph there is a heading
followed by a style separator for purposes of the TOC.

What on earth could be the problem? I absolutely love and learn from your
discussion group every day! Thanks you!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

This is addressed in one of the Caveats in my article at
http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/RunInSidehead.htm. When you use a style
separator (or hidden paragraph) to create a run-in side head, "If your Body
Text style is justified, your heading style must also be justified, or else
the first line of your paragraph will not be justified."

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Yes. The problem is the style separator. For purposes of that first line,
Word is using the justification associated with the heading style rather
than the style for the balance of the paragraph... but as you say, only
sometimes. This looks like a bug to me, since a) it doesn't happen all the
time and b) it's hard to picture this as the intended behavior.

If the headings being used will always be used in-line in that way with a
style separator, you can solve the problem by turning on justification for
that particular heading style.

 

[maryliz]

Suzanne, what in the world would I do without you! I read every word you
write.

Thanks a million.

 

[maryliz]

Thanks so much Herb! It's so comforting to know that you and your fellow
MVP's always come through. I don't know how you do it, but I'm awfully happy
that you do!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Well, thanks for the kind words, but it you really read every word I write,
you probably read a lot of silly words!