Multiple inappropriate spacing

[Brenda Rueter]

Word 2002, SP-3

A user often hits the spacebar multiple times between words, 3-4 times
sometimes. The spell checker does not catch those spaces as being
incorrect. What is a good way to have Word remove these inappropriate
spaces automatically? The user does not want to have to do a Find/Replace
on every document as well as running the speller. Tia!

 

[Dawn Crosier]

I would create a macro which performs the Find/Replace All and add that
as a command button on his / her toolbar. Then all they have to do is
click the button.

--
Dawn Crosier
Microsoft MVP
"Education Lasts a Lifetime"

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| Word 2002, SP-3
|
| A user often hits the spacebar multiple times between words, 3-4 times
| sometimes. The spell checker does not catch those spaces as being
| incorrect. What is a good way to have Word remove these inappropriate
| spaces automatically? The user does not want to have to do a
Find/Replace
| on every document as well as running the speller. Tia!
|
|

 

[Uncle Joe]

Dawn's suggestion is the best approach yet. I approached
the problem by trying to invoke AutoCorrect but it won't
accept blanks in the "from" and "to" fields. Drat! That had
promise because it could correct improper spacing on the fly.

Instruct your user to concentrate on not hitting the spacebar
multiple times between words. It's an undesirable technique.

 

[Brenda Rueter]

I thought of both of those options, but the user was CONVINCED there was a
setting in spell check. So far as I can see, no there's not! I will
approach her with the macro idea. Thanks for responding!!!

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There's a setting in the grammar checker. For "spaces between sentences,"
you can select 1, 2, or "don't check." If you select 1 or 2, Word will
highlight instances of nonconforming use.

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

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Uncle Joe]

But the OP was referring to her client's tendency to add
2-5 spaces between individual words, not sentences.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ah, no, I don't guess there's anything that will catch that except F&R or
eyeballing. That's why I keep NPC displayed all the time. If only other
users would switch the display *once* before sending out a document, they'd
realize why I describe their manuscripts as a dog's breakfast. <g>

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

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Uncle Joe]

"a dog's breakfast"

There's a term you don't hear every day. (Smile.)

 

[Uncle Joe]

Does anyone know the special character for an
ordinary space...not a fixed space? I tried ^s
and ^w without success.

 

[Greg Maxey]

That Alabama saw must me tied in some way to the North Carolina saw "I
wouldn't eat (such and such) with a dog's mouth."

 

[Graham Mayor]

This macro will do it:

Sub ClearSpaces()
Selection.HomeKey Unit:=wdStory
Selection.Find.ClearFormatting
Selection.Find.Replacement.ClearFormatting
With Selection.Find
.Text = "([ ])@"
.Replacement.Text = "\1"
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = False
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchWildcards = True
End With
Selection.Find.Execute replace:=wdReplaceAll
End Sub

http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com

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[Daiya Mitchell]

You don't need one. For Find and Replace, you can just type a space in. I
think there is a "white space" character that will find tabs and spaces, or
something.

Just by the way: Your attempt with AutoCorrect didn't work because AC
triggers when you hit the space bar, and so trying to AutoCorrect something
that is also the trigger would create an endless loop, no? So AutoCorrect
doesn't permit it, I think.

Daiya

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

It's actually British. I don't think I've ever heard it here.

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

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Greg]

Yes that's right. It was from a man from Manchester, now living
abroad, that I first heard the term "a dog's breakfast." Declining to
eat something with a dog's mouth has been used in my pocket of western
NC all of my life.