quick format equivalent

[A.Z]

I am trying to wean myself into Word from Wordperfect because of
problems I am experiencing sending converted files to others.

I know that with Word, I just have to forget about Reveal Code.
(Sorry, I had to get this in!) But do I also have to forget about
QuickFormat? I read and reread my thick Word manuals and I can't find
the equivalent of QuickFormat, a most useful feature. But I am a
recalcitrant novice, and I may be overlooking the obvious.

Is there a way where you can click inside a sentence, right-click and
pick something (Quickformat or Word equivalent, and then apply the
copied codes to an unlimited number of headings simply by placing the
cursor in them and left-clicking ? With Autotext, it seems that you
have to recopy everytime you paste the codes. Surely I am missing
something.

I have Word 2000 and Wordperfect 9.

A.Z.

 

[Mike Williams [MVP]]

I am trying to wean myself into Word from Wordperfect because of
problems I am experiencing sending converted files to others.

I know that with Word, I just have to forget about Reveal Code.
(Sorry, I had to get this in!)

Do you mean you wish you had something like Tools > Options > View >
Formatting Marks?

There are also some tips under Help > WordPerfect Help > Reveal Codes.

But do I also have to forget about QuickFormat? I read and reread my

thick Word manuals and I can't find

the equivalent of QuickFormat, a most useful feature. But I am a
recalcitrant novice, and I may be overlooking the obvious.

Perhaps Format Painter - the icon on the formatting toolbar next to the
clipboard icons.


Mike Williams - Office MVP http://www.mvps.org/faq/

Please respond in the same thread on this newsgroup - not by email!
Include details of your application and Windows versions, plus any
service pack updates. Answers may also be found by reading recent
posts, checking the FAQs or searching the relevant Google archive at.
http://groups.google.com/groups?group=microsoft.public

 

[Rick]

Yes, the Format Painter is what I thought you were looking for, too.

HINT: If you double-click the Format Painter button it will stay "on" and
you'll be able to left click and apply the formatting multiple times. When
you're through, just click the button again to turn it "off" (or press
Escape).

 

[Jay Freedman]

Hi, A.Z.,

In Word, whenever you need the same formatting in more than one place, think
*styles*. If all your headings at a particular level should be, say,
Palatino 12 pt bold with 12 pt space before and 6 pt space after, then
define a style (or modify one of the built-in styles) to those
specifications, and apply that style to all the headings at that level.

There are 9 built-in heading styles, various body styles, list styles, and
so on. You can define new styles at any time. You can assign keystroke
shortcuts or toolbar buttons to apply the styles instantly, or you can use
the style dropdown on the toolbar or the Format > Style dialog.

If you have styles applied consistently throughout your document, if you
change your mind and want a different look, you can just modify the style's
definition and it will instantly change all the headings at that level.

Beware the Format Painter, though. It doesn't apply styles -- it copies the
formatting as direct (non-style) changes, which won't change if you modify
the style later. This is a Bad Thing.

For a more thorough discussion of styles and templates, see:

Creating a Template - The Basics (Part I)
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm

Creating a Template (Part II)
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm

 

[Rick]

Well, since you want to talk styles, you need to address the warts and all.
In Word 2002 Microsoft documents a truly hideous bug that completely mangles
your document if, and only if, you use styles. When cutting and pasting
between documents that contain the same style names (Heading 1, for
instance), the entire style chain is broken; the "bug", in all of its glory,
renames the styles, breaking the style family. The worst part of it is that
it's not consistent. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it doesn't. And it's
not fixed until build 5712 of the Winword executable.

At the end of the day, most people use the tools MS provides, that is, the
buttons on the toolbars, to format quick documents. And those tools (the "in
your face" bold and italic buttons, for instance) provide direct formatting.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

For the closest thing to Reveal Codes, see
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm

Others have mentioned the Format Painter. I don't use that, but I do use
Copy Format (Ctrl+Shift+C) and Paste Format (Ctrl+Shift+V). What is
copied/pasted depends on what is selected (experiment with it). The copied
format remains available for pasting until you copy a different format.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[A.Z]

For the closest thing to Reveal Codes, see
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm

Others have mentioned the Format Painter. I don't use that, but I do use
Copy Format (Ctrl+Shift+C) and Paste Format (Ctrl+Shift+V). What is
copied/pasted depends on what is selected (experiment with it). The copied
format remains available for pasting until you copy a different format.

Thank you all.

Suzanne, is there a button or a mouse route? I find that when I am at
that stage of writing (formating titles etc) I prefer to use the
mouse. I loved WP Quicformat because of its ease of use.
(right-click on sentence, choose QF, left click on target and that's
it!)




André

 

[Larry]

You could create a custom toolbar that contains buttons for the formats
(or, better styles) that you are applying to different headings as you
work your way through the document.

For example, you could do this. Open the Customize dialog box (Tools,
Customize) at the Toolbars tab. click "New ..." and create a new
toolbar. Now switch to the Commands tab and choose Styles. In the
right pane, find the styles you want and drag them one at a time to the
new toolbar.

Now if you're going through the document, for example, formatting
particular lines of text as Heading 1 style, you just click on the
appropriate button on the floating toolbar, which you could place right
in the middle of the document window where it's easier to reach.

(I think using keystrokes is much easier, however.)

Larry

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the Format Painter button does the
sort of thing you're asking about.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[A.Z]

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, the Format Painter button does the
sort of thing you're asking about.

Yes, but I thought that, contraty to Quickformat, you have to reselect
the format every time you apply it. But I just found out that if you
double click the Format Painter icon, you can do multiple applications
of the format. If you single click, it applies only once. Hate to
admit it, but this is better than Wordperfect's function where you
have to go an extra step to disconnect Quickformat every use.

 

[Larry]

A WP person finding something that works better in Word!

Larry

 

[Bob S]

Beware the Format Painter, though. It doesn't apply styles -- it copies the
formatting as direct (non-style) changes, which won't change if you modify
the style later.

The Format painter certainly will apply styles. Create two paragraphs
of Body Text. Apply Heading 1 Style to one of them. Click on it, click
the Format Painter, then click in the other paragraph. Now look at the
styles of the two paragraphs and observe that they are both Heading 1.
Change Heading 1 Style and both paragraphs change.

Format Painter is quite capable of applying paragraph styles,
character styles, and direct formatting.

Bob S

 

[Bob S]

In Word 2002 Microsoft documents a truly hideous bug that completely mangles
your document if, and only if, you use styles.

Could you post a pointer to the Microsoft documents please?

Bob S