Protected Document and Columns

[MikeBTP]

I want to protect a Word document with limited styles but I need to let the
author add text columns (or not). Is there a way to create a style with
columns without using a table?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Columns are a section property and shouldn't have any dependence on what
styles are allowed.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[MikeBTP]

But in a protected document, the Columns menu item is disabled, thereby not
allowing the user to change the number of columns. At least in the Word docs
I've tested it is disabled. Anyway to keep that enabled in a protected doc?

Thanks.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Ah, I didn't test that but am not surprised. Unfortunately, about half of
Word's functionality is crippled when you protect a document for forms. Is
there a chance that you could accomplish what you want with a UserForm
instead of form fields?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[MikeBTP]

I don't think that will work for this doc, although I'm not very familiar
with UserForms. This doc is over 300 pages with various styles and
formatting. It has evolved over the years with different authors to a
style/formatting mess and I think a form-type structure would be too rigid
but I'll take a look.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Oh, wait. I'd lost track of what you were doing. If you have only restricted
the document styles and not protected for forms, then I really don't see why
the ability to change the number of columns would be lost. That would be
insane. Are you sure you're protecting the document correctly?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[MikeBTP]

As far as I know I am. I am selecting "Protect Document" then "Limit
formatting to a selection of styles". I will be setting up custom styles for
the doc to limit what the user can do in the doc. The one thing I need that I
can't do is create a style with two columns of text. That's where a
borderless table could be used but then the text flow will be up to the user.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

You can't create a style with two columns of text because columns are a
section property, not a paragraph property, but limiting the formatting to
the given styles shouldn't prevent users from changing the number of
columns.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[MikeBTP]

I agree, but if I limit the formatting by Protecting the Document (which, to
me, seems to be the best way to prevent users from getting to formatting that
we don't want), then I lose the ability to change Columns as that menu item
becomes disabled.

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi Mike,

I would call this a fairly serious bug. You're correct that protecting a
document by limiting formatting causes the Columns button to be grayed out,
as is the Breaks button needed to insert section breaks. Unless someone has
a very persuasive argument to the contrary, though, Suzanne is correct that
these things *should* be allowed.

As often happens, though, you can do things with a macro even though the
buttons are disabled. In this case, if your template includes the following
macro (http://www.gmayor.com/installing_macro.htm) and a button on the Quick
Access Toolbar to run it, you can change the number of columns through the
standard dialog:

Sub ColumnsDialog()
Dialogs(wdDialogFormatColumns).Show
End Sub

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[MikeBTP]

Yes, I agree, this is a bug or at least should be considered a bug. I will
try the macro approach and that should solve my problem (I hope).

Thanks to all for your help,
Mike