Hi,
Word does not have this ability because it wouldn't work with Word. Word
doesn't work by inserting codes into text which apply to whatever follows.
See <URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm> for more on
this. What follows is general information on moving from WP to Word.
Background... I started out using machines called Word Processors. While
they were really computers, they were set up to do nothing else but put
words on paper. They even had special keys for formatting, cutting and
pasting. They cost a lot of money. Eventually, I shifted to a program on a
PC called MultiMate that emulated a Wang Word Processor. MultiMate
eventually stumbled off the scene, even though at the time it was a superior
product to both Word Perfect and Microsoft Word. I then took on Word Perfect
and learned to love it.
I wrote complex macros that exceeded a thousand lines and got WP to do
anything I wanted (well anything that a computer and printer can do). Then I
took on a job in a Mac environment and had to use Word. I fought it all the
way, even to the extent of installing WP on my Mac. Then I discovered a
program called "More" on the Mac that did outlines that still exceed
anything available in either Word or WP. One of the key features was
something called a clone which was a way of saying a part of an outline that
appeared in multiple places simultaneously. Changes to any clone would be
reflected in all clones. Then the outlines could be very easily turned into
presentations that would make PowerPoint users green with envy. This was in
1993 and I still can't do in Word, Word Perfect, and/or PowerPoint what I
could do with More.
Then my agency decided that we had to go with the WinTel world. The Mac was
(and is) a superior product for the average user. I can do more with Wintel
stuff simply because I'm willing to get my hands very dirty. It is much
harder, though, to show someone else how to produce the same results. On the
Mac, I can get very close to the same results with much less effort and much
less knowledge of how the computer works.
I agree with you that WP is better at some things than is Word.
That said . . . Get Over It!
Word and Word Perfect work very differently from one another. Each program's
methods have strengths and weaknesses; but, if you try to use one of these
programs as if it were the other, it is like pushing on a string! You can
easily make a lot of extra work for yourself. If you are unwilling to take
the time to learn to use Word's methods, you should stick to using Word Pad.
You'll have a lot less grief, although you'll miss out on a lot of raw
power.
See <URL:
http://www.addbalance.com/word/wordperfect.htm>
<URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WordVsWordPerfect.htm>
<URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/TipsAndGotchas.htm>
<URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WordPerfectConverters.htm>
<URL:
http://businesssoft.about.com/compute/businesssoft/library/blconvert.htm>
for information on Word for Word Perfect users.
For more:
<URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm>
<URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm>
<URL:
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm>
<URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Numbering/WordsNumberingExplained.htm>
<URL:
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm>
<URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm>
In Word 2000 (or later) You can get the function keys to display in a
special toolbar at the bottom of the screen if you want (something like
pressing F3 twice in WP). The following macro will do this.
Sub ShowMeFunctionKeys()
Commandbars("Function Key Display").Visible = True
End Sub
Learn about Styles - really learn! <URL:
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm> I resisted for years and
now regret every day of those years because although that string was still
very hard to push, it kept getting longer and longer, and had some very
important projects tied to it! Once you understand styles and the Word
concept of organizing things into Chinese boxes everything falls into place
and instead of pushing a string, you can push a button that turns on the
very powerful text processing machine known as Microsoft Word and it will
start doing your work for you instead of running around behind you trying to
undo what you just thought you did.
Finally, in WP a lot of people use macros to hold chunks of text -
boilerplate. In Word this function is filled by Templates, AutoText and
AutoCorrect, not macros. Follow the links at <URL:
http://addbalance.com/word/wordwebresources.htm#AutoText> for more
information on these tools.
It's a lot of reading, I know. It's OK to chunk it down and do a bit each
day, but I would recommend that you make it a top priority to do that bit
each day.
You can use FILLIN and ASK fields or UserForms to query the user. For some
form documents, Word's "online forms" work very well. For more about online
forms, follow the links at <URL:
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/FillinTheBlanks.htm> especially Dian
Chapman's series of articles.
As for converting documents from Word Perfect to use in Word... In a word,
don't plan on it. I would not recommend using converted documents long-term.
They will be filled with formatting anomolies that will get you at the worst
time. This is especially true of any documents containing automatic
numbering or bullets. Try recreating form documents in Word using the
following process:
In Word Perfect (if you still have it, in Word if not) save your files as
text files.
Use your converted files as references to show you how you want your
formatting to look.
Create a new document in Word and insert the text from the text file. Save
this new document as a Word template. Format it the way you want using
styles, not direct formatting. Save it again.
To use a template within Word, use File => New and pick your template. This
will create a new document for you.
General practice in WP is to have a document and copy and edit it to create
a new document. This is not good practice in Word. In Word, construct a
good, tight, template for your documents and use that template when
constructing new documents. Among other things, this can avoid embarrassing
"metadata" <url:
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/metadata.htm> and
things like surprise headers and footers from creeping into new documents.
--
Charles Kenyon
Word New User FAQ & Web Directory:
<URL:
http://addbalance.com/word/index.htm>
Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide)
<URL:
http://addbalance.com/usersguide/index.htm>
See also the MVP FAQ: <URL:
http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.
