line wrap in bullet list

[Eric Jmail]

looking for an easy way to get bullet list itmes that are more than one line
to wrap next lines under the text, instead of out at the margin

ex/ wanted

first item, there is a bunch of words then a

new line then more words, words words words
then new line

next bullet list item

ex/ default (unwanted behavior)

first item, there is a bunch of words then a

new line then more words, words words words
then a new line

next bullet item

personally, i find this default behavior makes for a visually crappy
presentation that is also hard to read.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You need a hanging indent. If you apply a bullet using the Bullets button in
Word, you will get that automatically. Another approach is to use one of the
List Bullet styles (you can apply the top-level List Bullet using
Ctrl+Shift+L). Or you can use a List style (which also has a built-in
hanging indent) and type your own bullet or number manually. Or you can
apply a hanging indent to the current paragraph (Format | Paragraph:
Special: Hanging or use the ruler to drag the Hanging Indent marker).

 

[grammatim]

Problem: Stefan showed me how to do subnumbering within a numbered
list (inserting a ListNum field tied to Level 2 numbering), but there
doesn't seem to be any way to both have the subnumber align at the tab
stop, and the carryovers to indent farther in -- if I move the Hanging
Indent marker rightward, it overrides the tab position for the
subnumber.

What I want is

(29) a. text text text text
more text
b. test text text text
more text

but what I get is either

(29) a. text text text text
more text
b. text text text text
more text

or

(29) a. text text text text
more text
b. text text text text
more text

I adjusted all sorts of settings within Styles > Format > Numbering.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You can set an additional left-aligned tab stop to the left of the hanging
indent position.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Problem: Stefan showed me how to do subnumbering within a numbered
list (inserting a ListNum field tied to Level 2 numbering), but there
doesn't seem to be any way to both have the subnumber align at the tab
stop, and the carryovers to indent farther in -- if I move the Hanging
Indent marker rightward, it overrides the tab position for the
subnumber.

What I want is

(29) a. text text text text
more text
b. test text text text
more text

but what I get is either

(29) a. text text text text
more text
b. text text text text
more text

or

(29) a. text text text text
more text
b. text text text text
more text

I adjusted all sorts of settings within Styles > Format > Numbering.

 

[grammatim]

I just tried that again, and it simply doesn't work -- the setting
within Styles > Format > Numbering overrules any changes made on the
ruler -- moreover, when I alter the first example that has
subnumbering in it, all the earlier examples in the List Number style
flip into Normal style and lose their numbering!

Also, I need to have two different hanging indents, one for the
examples without subexamples, and one for those with subexamples, and
it doesn't seem possible to link two different styles to a single
numbering scheme. (So that I can get:

(28) text text text text
more text

and not

(28) text text text text
more text

though if I could get (29) to work, I could put up with the extra-wide
(28).)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You might experiment with changing setting of the Compatibility Option
"Don't add automatic tab stop for hanging indent." If you enable this and
then set *two* tab stops, what happens?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

I just tried that again, and it simply doesn't work -- the setting
within Styles > Format > Numbering overrules any changes made on the
ruler -- moreover, when I alter the first example that has
subnumbering in it, all the earlier examples in the List Number style
flip into Normal style and lose their numbering!

Also, I need to have two different hanging indents, one for the
examples without subexamples, and one for those with subexamples, and
it doesn't seem possible to link two different styles to a single
numbering scheme. (So that I can get:

(28) text text text text
more text

and not

(28) text text text text
more text

though if I could get (29) to work, I could put up with the extra-wide
(28).)

 

[grammatim]

You might experiment with changing setting of the Compatibility Option
"Don't add automatic tab stop for hanging indent." If you enable this and
then set *two* tab stops, what happens?

Wow! Why would they even _have_ such a setting! (The other day,
someone here mentioned the "format footnotes like Word 97" setting,
and when I unchecked that, all my footnotes went where they were
supposed to be!)

***
Nope didn't work either when doing it in a single numbered paragraph
or within Styles > Format > Numbering. The "a." is in the right place,
but the "b." and "c." align with the indent rather than the tab stop.
(Checking that setting didn't affect it.)

 

[Stefan Blom]

Wow! Why would they even _have_ such a setting! (The other day,
someone here mentioned the "format footnotes like Word 97" setting,
and when I unchecked that, all my footnotes went where they were
supposed to be!)

When compatibility options are checked, this is an indication that the
document was created in an older version of Word. (The purpose of the
compatibility options is to ensure that the look of the document is preserved
between versions.)