Total Tab conversion in Document

Hi Clive,

Here we go:

1. Open existing document based on Normal and tab stops every .5"
2. Go to end of document, insert Page Break
3. Insert->File->(Select File)
4. New file inserts w/Tab stops based on Normal with .5" Left
(Hanging Indent) & 5.5" Right
5. Go to end of document, insert Page Break
6. Insert->File->(Select File)
7. New file inserts w/Tab stops based on Normal with .5" Left
(Hanging Indent), 3" Left, and 6.0" Right
8. Wish to...Select All->Format->Tabs...->Clear All->Set .5" Left &
5.5" Right
9. When attempting #8, no Tabs show up in the Tab list, but I can
create .5" Left & 5.5" Right
10. Go back to document, only first line is changed if anything done
at all
11. Go to each paragraph, Tabs are shown from existing format & I'm
able to change individually

Is there a better way to change the entire document at once?

TIA

Len

Clive Huggan <theoffice@strategists.com.au> wrote in message news:<BBDBC6E1.196D%theoffice@strategists.com.au>. ..

> Len,
>
> You can replace whatever you specify in the top field of the "Replace"
> window (Command-h) -- such as a space -- with a tab by keying "^t" in the
> bottom field. Then you can go through the document manually.
>
> But I suspect that's not the crux of your problem, and that maybe you are
> referring to differing values in tabs in the pasted-in material, which you
> want to unify. If that's the case, we'll need to understand the problem much
> better. At this stage I can think of several possibilities, such as tabs as
> part of headings, or hanging/indented body text, or to display information
> in columns. But maybe I'm guessing wrongly; and I prefer to know the problem
> before suggesting an answer.
>
> So, please give us more information about what the tabs are going to be used
> for (all of them -- don't spare the detail). When you provide this
> information it would also help if you mention the styles used in the
> document, or whether all formatting is a variant of Normal style.
>
> -- Clive Huggan
> Canberra, Australia

Thanks for the detail, Len -- just what I needed.

Am I right in thinking that:

1. you have defined Normal style as including these tab stops, and

2. that the document only consists of this text?

If so, there's a very easy solution: select all (Command-a) and key
Command-Option-q. This strips all paragraphs back to the characteristics of
the underlying style.

If you have applied the tabs as manual formatting modifications to Normal
style without re-defining the Normal style, post back and I'll refine things
with you.

Cheers,

Clive

in article e7b59735.0311150019.5f77bac8@posting.google.com, Len Ford at
ldford1@hotmail.com wrote on 15/11/03 7:19 PM:

> Hi Clive,
>
> Here we go:
>
> 1. Open existing document based on Normal and tab stops every .5"
> 2. Go to end of document, insert Page Break
> 3. Insert->File->(Select File)
> 4. New file inserts w/Tab stops based on Normal with .5" Left
> (Hanging Indent) & 5.5" Right
> 5. Go to end of document, insert Page Break
> 6. Insert->File->(Select File)
> 7. New file inserts w/Tab stops based on Normal with .5" Left
> (Hanging Indent), 3" Left, and 6.0" Right
> 8. Wish to...Select All->Format->Tabs...->Clear All->Set .5" Left &
> 5.5" Right
> 9. When attempting #8, no Tabs show up in the Tab list, but I can
> create .5" Left & 5.5" Right
> 10. Go back to document, only first line is changed if anything done
> at all
> 11. Go to each paragraph, Tabs are shown from existing format & I'm
> able to change individually
>
> Is there a better way to change the entire document at once?
>
> TIA
>
> Len
>
> Clive Huggan <theoffice@strategists.com.au> wrote in message
> news:<BBDBC6E1.196D%theoffice@strategists.com.au>. ..

>> Len,
>>
>> You can replace whatever you specify in the top field of the "Replace"
>> window (Command-h) -- such as a space -- with a tab by keying "^t" in the
>> bottom field. Then you can go through the document manually.
>>
>> But I suspect that's not the crux of your problem, and that maybe you are
>> referring to differing values in tabs in the pasted-in material, which you
>> want to unify. If that's the case, we'll need to understand the problem much
>> better. At this stage I can think of several possibilities, such as tabs as
>> part of headings, or hanging/indented body text, or to display information
>> in columns. But maybe I'm guessing wrongly; and I prefer to know the problem
>> before suggesting an answer.
>>
>> So, please give us more information about what the tabs are going to be used
>> for (all of them -- don't spare the detail). When you provide this
>> information it would also help if you mention the styles used in the
>> document, or whether all formatting is a variant of Normal style.
>>
>> -- Clive Huggan
>> Canberra, Australia

Thank you, Clive,

The Normal style was in use and then I wanted to alter the tabs
throughout changing the imported file tab setting with the new tab
format. So, if you can tell me how that's done, I'll copy this entire
thread and keep it under lock and key so I can refer to it again. I
didn't even find your other reference in Help, but then I might not
have been looking under the right section.

Thank you again!

Len

Clive Huggan <theoffice@strategists.com.au> wrote in message news:<BBDC650E.1997%theoffice@strategists.com.au>. ..

> Thanks for the detail, Len -- just what I needed.
>

<snip>

> If you have applied the tabs as manual formatting modifications to Normal
> style without re-defining the Normal style, post back and I'll refine things
> with you.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Clive

Len

The source of the problem, as you know, is that the tab stops have been
applied manually, at different settings, to Normal paragraphs in the four
different files you inserted. They need to be removed manually, which is a
pain unless you can use the Command-Option-q keystroke I mentioned to strip
all paragraphs back to the characteristics of the underlying style. But the
tab stops can also be removed as a consequence of applying a style.

The first (manual) solution applies if all your document comprises only
these paragraphs -- or at least if these paragraphs are in a series of
convenient bunches between other manually formatted material such as
headings, tables or whatever.

In this scenario, you would remove all the tabs using Command-a to select
all the document and Command-Option-q to strip all paragraphs back to the
characteristics of the underlying style. Then, keeping the text selected,
you would manually apply new tab stops in the required positions.

The second (styles) solution is best if your document comprises a lot of
manually formatted material such as headings (e.g., manually emboldened
Normal style) interspersed between the paragraphs with tabs in. It involves
making a style for these tabbed paragraphs.

You don't have to remove the manual tabs before doing this, which will save
time.

Here are the steps (I'm using Word 2001 -- some of the terminology may have
changed in Word X, and Word X has some different features for applying
styles -- I have asked someone else to visit this newsgroup, look at my
answer and update it for Word X if necessary):

1. Click anywhere in the first paragraph that has tab stops in it. Move the
tab stops along the ruler to where you want them (holding down the Option
key allows you to position them precisely).

2. In the Formatting toolbar (if it's not visible, go to the View menu ->
Toolbars) you'll see a pop-down menu with the word "Normal" displayed. Click
on "Normal" and key "tabbed para,tp" (note there is no space after the
comma) then hit the Return key.

What you have just done is to create a style based on Normal that, whenever
you apply it, inserts the tab stops as part of the style.

3. To apply this new style to existing tabbed Normal text, first select the
paragraphs you want to apply it to: click anywhere in the second paragraph
and drag over the text, through the next paragraph(s), down to anywhere in
the last paragraph to which you want to apply this style (e.g., just before
a heading, table or whatever).

4. Next, apply the style from the Style pop-down menu mentioned in para 2
above.

5. Do the same for other paragraphs. You may find it convenient to key
Option-Return or Command-y to apply the style on subsequent occasions --
this command repeats the last action you performed.

The great advantage of fixing your problem by applying a style is that you
can quickly amend all such paragraphs in future (e.g. moving the positions
of the tab stops) by modifying the style, which takes less than 10 seconds.

For further information on styles, including the background to the actions
above (and why I recommended you put",tp" after the name of the style),
download my notes on the way I use Word, called "Bend Word to your Will", at
ww.mvps.org/word/FAQs/WordMac/Bend/BendWord.htm -- on page 57 you'll see an
article titled "Styles and templates ‹ the keys to consistency and saving
time". You will find references to other useful articles there, too. (Be
sure to read the introduction of the document, because you need to apply a
few settings to the document. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a
100-page document -- apart from the intro and the article on styles,
everything else is dictionary-style.)

I'm going to be away for 10 days, probably without Internet access or at
best access only every few days, so I hope this provides *all* the info you
need, Len. If not, it's likely that someone else will be along to take up
the thread. (I'll be happy to answer anything after I get back at the end of
November, but that may be too late for you.)

Cheers,

-- Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
================================================== ==========
* Please post all comments or follow-on questions to the newsgroup for the
benefit of others who may be interested.

* If you post a question, keep re-visiting the newsgroup for a few days
after the first response comes in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before
the best or complete solution is proposed, and sometimes you'll be asked for
further information so that a better answer can be provided. Good tips about
getting the best out of posting are at
http://www.mvps.org/word/FindHelp/Posting.htm

* Remove "the" from my address above if you need to send an e-mail to me
directly (although that would be exceptional). Please note that e-mails
with an attachment will be automatically rejected.

* If anyone is still reading down this far, here's a question: is it time
for you to back up your Normal template and all your Word settings files?
(This should be on a medium other than the internal hard drive and, if you
also want to protect against theft and fire, stored in a different
building.)
================================================== ==========



in article e7b59735.0311151208.19dbacb9@posting.google.com, Len Ford at
ldford1@hotmail.com wrote on 16/11/03 7:08 AM:

> Thank you, Clive,
>
> The Normal style was in use and then I wanted to alter the tabs
> throughout changing the imported file tab setting with the new tab
> format. So, if you can tell me how that's done, I'll copy this entire
> thread and keep it under lock and key so I can refer to it again. I
> didn't even find your other reference in Help, but then I might not
> have been looking under the right section.
>
> Thank you again!
>
> Len
>
> Clive Huggan <theoffice@strategists.com.au> wrote in message
> news:<BBDC650E.1997%theoffice@strategists.com.au>. ..

>> Thanks for the detail, Len -- just what I needed.
>>

> <snip>
>

>> If you have applied the tabs as manual formatting modifications to Normal
>> style without re-defining the Normal style, post back and I'll refine things
>> with you.
>>
>> Cheers,
>>
>> Clive

In article <BBDEB644.19BF%theoffice@strategists.com.au>, Clive Huggan
<theoffice@strategists.com.au> wrote:

> Len

<snip>

> Here are the steps (I'm using Word 2001 -- some of the terminology may have
> changed in Word X, and Word X has some different features for applying
> styles -- I have asked someone else to visit this newsgroup, look at my
> answer and update it for Word X if necessary):

That's me. Clive is spot on as usual.
I'll just add that applying styles with keyboard shortcuts in v.X has a
couple of quirks. This might bite you as you pick up a bit of speed
applying the final part of Clive's recipe.

>
> 1. Click anywhere in the first paragraph that has tab stops in it. Move the
> tab stops along the ruler to where you want them (holding down the Option
> key allows you to position them precisely).

I think if you double click a tab stop, a panel pops out which lets you
put numerical values in for added precision. Don't be dismayed if
nothing happen. The stupid changes only take effect when you dismiss
the panel.

>
> 2. In the Formatting toolbar (if it's not visible, go to the View menu ->
> Toolbars) you'll see a pop-down menu with the word "Normal" displayed. Click
> on "Normal" and key "tabbed para,tp" (note there is no space after the
> comma) then hit the Return key.
>
> What you have just done is to create a style based on Normal that, whenever
> you apply it, inserts the tab stops as part of the style.

When you get better at it, there are a couple of useful additions you
should make to your style definition.

>
> 3. To apply this new style to existing tabbed Normal text, first select the
> paragraphs you want to apply it to: click anywhere in the second paragraph
> and drag over the text, through the next paragraph(s), down to anywhere in
> the last paragraph to which you want to apply this style (e.g., just before
> a heading, table or whatever).
>
> 4. Next, apply the style from the Style pop-down menu mentioned in para 2
> above.

That "tp" is the shortcut name you gave your new style. If and only if
you have the formatting panel open, hitting cmd-shift-S tp return will
change the style of your selected text to your new tabbed para. That'll
be useful if Word's cmd-y is no longer remembering the style change as
the most recent command. This will be particularly useful if you need
more than one tabbed para style for your document.

>
> 5. Do the same for other paragraphs. You may find it convenient to key
> Option-Return or Command-y to apply the style on subsequent occasions --
> this command repeats the last action you performed.
>
> The great advantage of fixing your problem by applying a style is that you
> can quickly amend all such paragraphs in future (e.g. moving the positions
> of the tab stops) by modifying the style, which takes less than 10 seconds.

Seconded. Once you get styles working for you, a great weight falls off
your shoulders as you attempt more ambitious documents. Clive's
"Bend..." is magic for getting there.

I find cmd-shift-s --ing my way through a document the quickest and
most natural way to get anything done. I have a small set of body
styles, list styles and heading styles each with their one or two
letter shortcuts. When defining styles, I pay particular attention to
'next style' and space before and space after. With that sorted, it is
rare that any other formatting needs to be done.

>
> For further information on styles, including the background to the actions
> above (and why I recommended you put",tp" after the name of the style),
> download my notes on the way I use Word, called "Bend Word to your Will", at
> ww.mvps.org/word/FAQs/WordMac/Bend/BendWord.htm -- on page 57 you'll see an
> article titled "Styles and templates ‹ the keys to consistency and saving
> time". You will find references to other useful articles there, too. (Be
> sure to read the introduction of the document, because you need to apply a
> few settings to the document. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a
> 100-page document -- apart from the intro and the article on styles,
> everything else is dictionary-style.)

One small comment on the manual solution:

I believe you can also select text, and use the Format | Tabs dialog, and
click Clear All to remove all tabs without stripping any other formatting,
then add tabs numerically in the same dialog.

Dayo

"Clive Huggan" wrote:

> Len
>
> The source of the problem, as you know, is that the tab stops have been
> applied manually, at different settings, to Normal paragraphs in the four
> different files you inserted. They need to be removed manually, which is a
> pain unless you can use the Command-Option-q keystroke I mentioned to strip
> all paragraphs back to the characteristics of the underlying style. But the
> tab stops can also be removed as a consequence of applying a style.
>
> The first (manual) solution applies if all your document comprises only
> these paragraphs -- or at least if these paragraphs are in a series of
> convenient bunches between other manually formatted material such as
> headings, tables or whatever.
>
> In this scenario, you would remove all the tabs using Command-a to select
> all the document and Command-Option-q to strip all paragraphs back to the
> characteristics of the underlying style. Then, keeping the text selected,
> you would manually apply new tab stops in the required positions.
>
> The second (styles) solution is best if your document comprises a lot of
> manually formatted material such as headings (e.g., manually emboldened
> Normal style) interspersed between the paragraphs with tabs in. It involves
> making a style for these tabbed paragraphs.
>
> You don't have to remove the manual tabs before doing this, which will save
> time.
>
> Here are the steps (I'm using Word 2001 -- some of the terminology may have
> changed in Word X, and Word X has some different features for applying
> styles -- I have asked someone else to visit this newsgroup, look at my
> answer and update it for Word X if necessary):
>
> 1. Click anywhere in the first paragraph that has tab stops in it. Move the
> tab stops along the ruler to where you want them (holding down the Option
> key allows you to position them precisely).
>
> 2. In the Formatting toolbar (if it's not visible, go to the View menu ->
> Toolbars) you'll see a pop-down menu with the word "Normal" displayed. Click
> on "Normal" and key "tabbed para,tp" (note there is no space after the
> comma) then hit the Return key.
>
> What you have just done is to create a style based on Normal that, whenever
> you apply it, inserts the tab stops as part of the style.
>
> 3. To apply this new style to existing tabbed Normal text, first select the
> paragraphs you want to apply it to: click anywhere in the second paragraph
> and drag over the text, through the next paragraph(s), down to anywhere in
> the last paragraph to which you want to apply this style (e.g., just before
> a heading, table or whatever).
>
> 4. Next, apply the style from the Style pop-down menu mentioned in para 2
> above.
>
> 5. Do the same for other paragraphs. You may find it convenient to key
> Option-Return or Command-y to apply the style on subsequent occasions --
> this command repeats the last action you performed.
>
> The great advantage of fixing your problem by applying a style is that you
> can quickly amend all such paragraphs in future (e.g. moving the positions
> of the tab stops) by modifying the style, which takes less than 10 seconds.
>
> For further information on styles, including the background to the actions
> above (and why I recommended you put",tp" after the name of the style),
> download my notes on the way I use Word, called "Bend Word to your Will", at
> ww.mvps.org/word/FAQs/WordMac/Bend/BendWord.htm -- on page 57 you'll see an
> article titled "Styles and templates ‹ the keys to consistency and saving
> time". You will find references to other useful articles there, too. (Be
> sure to read the introduction of the document, because you need to apply a
> few settings to the document. Don't be put off by the fact that it's a
> 100-page document -- apart from the intro and the article on styles,
> everything else is dictionary-style.)
>
> I'm going to be away for 10 days, probably without Internet access or at
> best access only every few days, so I hope this provides *all* the info you
> need, Len. If not, it's likely that someone else will be along to take up
> the thread. (I'll be happy to answer anything after I get back at the end of
> November, but that may be too late for you.)
>
> Cheers,
>
> -- Clive Huggan
> Canberra, Australia
> ================================================== ==========
> * Please post all comments or follow-on questions to the newsgroup for the
> benefit of others who may be interested.
>
> * If you post a question, keep re-visiting the newsgroup for a few days
> after the first response comes in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before
> the best or complete solution is proposed, and sometimes you'll be asked for
> further information so that a better answer can be provided. Good tips about
> getting the best out of posting are at
> http://www.mvps.org/word/FindHelp/Posting.htm
>
> * Remove "the" from my address above if you need to send an e-mail to me
> directly (although that would be exceptional). Please note that e-mails
> with an attachment will be automatically rejected.
>
> * If anyone is still reading down this far, here's a question: is it time
> for you to back up your Normal template and all your Word settings files?
> (This should be on a medium other than the internal hard drive and, if you
> also want to protect against theft and fire, stored in a different
> building.)
> ================================================== ==========
>
>
>
> in article e7b59735.0311151208.19dbacb9@posting.google.com, Len Ford at
> ldford1@hotmail.com wrote on 16/11/03 7:08 AM:
>

>> Thank you, Clive,
>>
>> The Normal style was in use and then I wanted to alter the tabs
>> throughout changing the imported file tab setting with the new tab
>> format. So, if you can tell me how that's done, I'll copy this entire
>> thread and keep it under lock and key so I can refer to it again. I
>> didn't even find your other reference in Help, but then I might not
>> have been looking under the right section.
>>
>> Thank you again!
>>
>> Len
>>
>> Clive Huggan <theoffice@strategists.com.au> wrote in message
>> news:<BBDC650E.1997%theoffice@strategists.com.au>. ..

>>> Thanks for the detail, Len -- just what I needed.
>>>

>> <snip>
>>

>>> If you have applied the tabs as manual formatting modifications to Normal
>>> style without re-defining the Normal style, post back and I'll refine things
>>> with you.
>>>
>>> Cheers,
>>>
>>> Clive

>

I'm not ignoring this thread...work, work, work!!! More later on if
any suggestions helped out.

Thanks to everyone involved!!!

Len

Dayo Mitchell <dayomitchell_1997@NOhotmailSPAM.com> wrote in message news:<BBDE38BE.173B4%dayomitchell_1997@NOhotmailSP AM.com>...

> One small comment on the manual solution:
>
> I believe you can also select text, and use the Format | Tabs dialog, and
> click Clear All to remove all tabs without stripping any other formatting,
> then add tabs numerically in the same dialog.
>
> Dayo
>
> "Clive Huggan" wrote:

> > Len

Clive,

Both of your suggestions seem to work. Thank you very much for
stepping in and helping out. Unfortunate that this isn't that
obvious, eh?

Len

ldford1@hotmail.com (Len Ford) wrote in message news:<e7b59735.0311171314.7a483241@posting.google. com>...

> I'm not ignoring this thread...work, work, work!!! More later on if
> any suggestions helped out.
>
> Thanks to everyone involved!!!
>
> Len
>
> Dayo Mitchell <dayomitchell_1997@NOhotmailSPAM.com> wrote in message news:<BBDE38BE.173B4%dayomitchell_1997@NOhotmailSP AM.com>...

> > One small comment on the manual solution:
> >
> > I believe you can also select text, and use the Format | Tabs dialog, and
> > click Clear All to remove all tabs without stripping any other formatting,
> > then add tabs numerically in the same dialog.
> >
> > Dayo
> >
> > "Clive Huggan" wrote:

> > > Len