Paragraph formatting - Spacing

[Nick]

Word 2003 with XP home.

The document I am working on requires various tables, lists and plain text. I normally have my 'spacing' settings set at 6 point, before and after for text and lists (including bullet lists). In my tables I like to use 2 point.

I have found on a number of occasions that the spacing setting within tables is only either 0 or 6 points. Efforts to change via the format menu do not appear to have any effect. If I enter 2 point, before and after, it gets changed to 1.2 lines - but only some of the time. To keep my tables similar in appearence, I have been using 0 point, before and after.

For my lists, (and this sometimes happens with text), '6' points, before and after, changes to various numbers of lines (ie, 2.5 lines before and after when trying 2 point, and 5.5 lines when entering 6 points) If I delete the entry in the spacing box, and enter "2", for "before" that is what I see, but when I tab to "after", the entry in "before' changes without any help from me to 2.5 lines. In fact as I play with it now, it doesn't even do that: I have entered "2" in the before and after boxes, and see 1.5 line in the before box, and 2 (as in 2 point) in the after box.

This problem does not happen all the time, and I cannot reproduce the problem reliably. In 'spacing' I have line spacing set at 'single', and I do not change this setting.

This is getting exasperating. Is my computer possessed?

Thanks Nick

 

[Guest]

My brain now hurts and it's only 22.25. Was there a problem described in
there somewhere? Could you summarise your problem in just a simple sentence
please?

--
Terry Farrell - Word MVP
http://word.mvps.org/

Word 2003 with XP home.

The document I am working on requires various tables, lists and plain text.
I normally have my 'spacing' settings set at 6 point, before and after for
text and lists (including bullet lists). In my tables I like to use 2 point.

I have found on a number of occasions that the spacing setting within tables
is only either 0 or 6 points. Efforts to change via the format menu do not
appear to have any effect. If I enter 2 point, before and after, it gets
changed to 1.2 lines - but only some of the time. To keep my tables similar
in appearence, I have been using 0 point, before and after.

For my lists, (and this sometimes happens with text), '6' points, before and
after, changes to various numbers of lines (ie, 2.5 lines before and after
when trying 2 point, and 5.5 lines when entering 6 points) If I delete the
entry in the spacing box, and enter "2", for "before" that is what I see,
but when I tab to "after", the entry in "before' changes without any help
from me to 2.5 lines. In fact as I play with it now, it doesn't even do
that: I have entered "2" in the before and after boxes, and see 1.5 line in
the before box, and 2 (as in 2 point) in the after box.

This problem does not happen all the time, and I cannot reproduce the
problem reliably. In 'spacing' I have line spacing set at 'single', and I do
not change this setting.

This is getting exasperating. Is my computer possessed?

Thanks Nick

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I have to concur!

--
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.

 

[Nick]

Sorry about the ramble. I'll have a practice dry run, and repost.

To be honest, my brain hurts too. I can't reproduce the problem reliably.

Thanks. Nick

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Nick -

I understand where you're coming from with the brain pain - been there, done
that, got the hat & bumper sticker Although I don't claim to be any more
together on the specifics than Terry & Suzanne the general impression I get
from several readings is that the bulk of your problems - including their
'elusive' nature - stem from the extensive use of *direct* formatting
combined with a fair amount of revision, reformatting & probably a bit of
cut/copy - paste.

Especially if my interpretation is on target - that most of your docs follow
the same type of structure and/or that this may be an ongoing work in
progress - you'd be well advised to learn as much as you can about
formatting by using Styles. If you define Styles for your lists, tables,
headings & body text I believe you'd find that the overwhelming majority of
the behaviors you describe will go away.

Start with the link below & review as much of the material re Styles,
Formatting & Tables as you can absorb... There's even more available:

http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting.htm

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Nick]

Thanks very much for replying. I know my posting was pretty hard to
decipher.

I think you are right about the preformed formatting. I can only think that
I am not inputting what I think I am inputting. One of my biggest griefs is
in formatting tables (of which I am using a lot) and I found at least one
place where that appears to be happening: After creating my table but before
finalising it, I found it makes a difference formatting paragraphs (which is
how I have been trying to keep the size of each cell consistent) if the
formatting command is used with the cells highlighted, or when the table
itself is selected. When formatting paragraphs from the table select, my '2
point' before and after gets changed to either 2.5 or 6 lines betweenthe
text and the top and bottom of the cell. In my frustration I have simply
been formatting to zero space before and after.

I hope that is not too incomprehensible.

I have been having problems with formatting in text and list as well, but I
will look carefully at the link you supplied.

Thanks again. I am sure I will be coming back to this newsgroup fairly
frequently.

Nick