Ultimate Word Help

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Microsoft Word Tips and Tricks

Duplicate graphics quickly with a simple shortcut key

(97/2000/2001/2002) When you want to duplicate a drawing, clip art, WordArt, or other graphic object you've inserted in Word's drawing layer, don't waste precious time by clicking the Copy and Paste buttons. In fact, don't bother with the [Ctrl]C and [Ctrl]V shortcut keys either ([command]C and [command]V in Word 2001). If you're happier keeping your hands on the keyboard, you can avoid the [Ctrl]-drag method ([command]-drag in Word 2001), as well. When you want to quickly duplicate a graphic object in Word, just click on the object to select it, and then press [Ctrl]D ([command]D in Word 2001). Normally, this shortcut key opens the Font dialog box; however, if you select a graphic object before you press it, this undocumented shortcut key creates a duplicate of the selected object, complete with formatting. (Reminder: This shortcut key works only with objects located in the drawing layer, aka "floating objects"; it does not work with inline objects, or objects that use the In Line With Text wrapping style.)

Prevent a single table row from breaking across pages

(97/2000/2001/2002) You can easily prevent one or more rows in your table from breaking across pages. First, select the row(s) whose behavior you'd like to curb. Then, in Word 2000/2001/2002, choose Table | Table Properties from the menu bar. In the Table Properties dialog box, click on the Row tab, clear the Allow Row To Break Across Pages check box, and then click OK. (In Word 97, choose Table | Cell Height And Width from the menu bar. Click on the Row tab, clear the Allow Row To Break Across Pages check box, and then click OK.) From now on, when a row you modified appears at the bottom of the page, Word moves the whole row to the next page if it doesn't fit on the current one. (BONUS TIP: To prevent an entire table from breaking across pages, apply the Keep With Next paragraph format to the table's first column. Just [Alt]-click ([option]-click in Word 2001) on the table's first column, choose Format | Paragraph from the menu bar, click on the Line And Page Breaks tab, and then select the Keep With Next check box. When you've finished, click OK.)

Quickly apply accents to characters as you type

(97/2000/2002) Even if you're not a foreign language speaker, you're likely at some point to use foreign language words that have been adopted into the English lexicon. Some foreign language words employ accent marks, such as resume, deja vu, pate, and voila. Although speaking these words aloud can be challenging, typing them in your documents can be even more so when you need to include various accent marks over certain characters. One method is to choose Insert | Symbol from Word's menu bar and use the Symbol dialog box to insert accented characters. Another method is to use ASCII character codes. However, if you find the Symbol dialog box tedious, and you find ASCII character codes too difficult to memorize, you can quickly create many accented characters using the [Ctrl] key. We've listed some of the more common accent marks below. To create the indicated accent mark, press the corresponding keyboard shortcut and then type the character you'd like to apply the accent to. Keep in mind that some of the accents we've illustrated below are often used with other letters, too. Just replace the letter that we used in the example with the letter of your choice. In addition, to create accented capital letters, press [Shift] as you type the letter. Continue experimenting to find other accent shortcuts, or access the Symbols dialog box to look them up.

c [Ctrl][,] followed by c e

[Ctrl]['] followed by e e

[Ctrl][`] followed by e o

[Ctrl][/] followed by o a

[Ctrl][^] ([Ctrl][Shift]6) followed by a a

[Ctrl][@] ([Ctrl][Shift]2) followed by a u

[Ctrl][:] ([Ctrl][Shift][;]) followed by u n

[Ctrl][~] ([Ctrl][Shift][`]) followed by n

Repeat multiple table heading rows at the top of every page

(97/2000/2001/2002) In a recent tip, we explained how you can use the Heading Rows Repeat command on the Table menu to make the first row of your Word table appear at the top of every page it prints on. Subscriber Tim Bartholome mentions that if you select multiple table heading rows (i.e., the first two or more rows at the top of your table) instead of just the first row, then choose Table | Heading Rows Repeat (Table | Headings in Word 97) from the menu bar, you can cause the entire selection to repeat at the top of each page the table prints on. In addition, once you've already designated one or more rows as a repeating heading, you can also extend the current heading selection by selecting (or placing the insertion point in) the next contiguous row. Then choose Table | Heading Rows Repeat (Table | Headings in Word 97) from the menu bar to add the row to the current heading selection. Remember, to view the repeating heading rows on your computer, you'll need to switch to Print Layout view (Page Layout in Word 97/2001) or Print Preview mode.

Control word wrapping with a no-width optional break

(2002) To help make page layout a breeze, as you type, Word automatically wraps words to the next line when they're too long to fit at the end of the current line. Sometimes, however, you'll encounter a word or phrase that's too long for Word to wrap successfully. As a result, you may end up with gaping white space in your document where the word was unable to fit. Or, Word may be forced to wrap the word at an awkward location, making it difficult to read. These problems happen most often with proper names, Web page URLs, network paths and other character strings that you're not likely to find in any dictionary.

Fortunately, in Word 2002 you can help Word decide when and where to break a lengthy text string by inserting a no-width optional break. No-width optional breaks work just like optional hyphens with the exception that they don't print, and they don't occupy any character space in your document. Their function is to wrap the text that appears to their right if and only if that text doesn't fit on the current line. To insert a no-width optional break, place the insertion point where you'd like the break to appear, and then choose Insert | Symbol from the menu bar. Click on the Special Characters tab, and then choose No-Width Optional Break from the Character list box. When you've finished, click Insert, followed by Close. (As an alternative, simply press and hold down the [Alt] key as you type "8203" (without quotes) using the numeric keypad. Or, type "200B" (without quotes) and then press [Alt]X.) If you'd like to be able to view the no-width optional break, press the Show/Hide button on the Standard toolbar to display nonprinting characters. (Note: If you're using no-width optional breaks with automatic hyperlinks, add the no-width optional break after you've created the hyperlink to avoid modifying the URL that the hyperlink points to.)

Installing and removing fonts

(97/2000/2001/2002) By default, Word and other Microsoft Office programs come with an ample collection of fonts that you can use with your documents and other files. In addition, Word and other Office programs can use fonts that have already been installed on your computer by your operating system and other programs. If you find that you'd like to add to your fonts collection (or even pare it down), you'll be happy to know that it's easy to install new fonts that can be used by Word and other programs on your system.

To do so on Windows systems, access Control Panel by choosing Start | Settings | Control Panel from the Windows taskbar. Double-click on the Fonts icon, and then choose File | Install New Font from the Fonts window's menu bar. Using the Add Fonts dialog box, locate and select the font you want to install, and then click OK. Finally, close the Fonts window and Control Panel. (If you're using Word on a Macintosh, simply move or copy the new font file to the System Folder\Fonts directory on your hard drive.) You can now access the new font in Word and other programs. To remove a font from your system, access the Fonts window, select the font you'd like to remove, and then choose File | Delete from the Fonts window's menu bar. Click Yes when prompted to delete the selected font. (If you're using a Macintosh, simply drag the unwanted font file to the Trash.)

Using Paste Options and Paste Special to remove formatting

(97/2000/2001/2002) When you copy data from other applications and paste it into Word, Word attempts to retain the data's original formatting when you paste it. At times this is convenient; however, if you'd rather not retain the pasted data's original formatting, you can easily strip it as you paste it in Word. You'll find this technique especially handy for items you copy and paste from Web pages and other heavily formatted documents.

If you're using Word 2002, click the Paste Options button, which appears next to text after you've pasted it. Next, choose Match Destination Formatting to replace the selection's original formatting with the formatting that's applied to the Word paragraph in which you pasted it. As an alternative, choose Keep Text Only to remove the selection's original formatting altogether.

If you're using Word 2000 or earlier, the Paste Options button isn't available. However, you can use the Paste Special feature to create a similar effect. First, copy the data you'd like to paste in Word. Next, place the insertion point where you'd like the data to appear in your Word document. Choose Edit | Paste Special from the menu bar and, in the Paste Special dialog box, choose Unformatted Text from the As list box and click OK. The data you cut to the Clipboard is pasted in your document without retaining any of its original formatting.

Add numbering to table rows and columns

(97/2000/2001/2002) When you're working with large tables--especially tables that are set up like a list and don't use specific row headings--it can be difficult to verbally refer someone to a specific table cell. Without row headings, a table's only points of reference are its column headings and its sort order. However, you can easily add a point of reference to your table rows by numbering them. To add numbering within your table's leftmost column, select it (or select only those cells that you'd like to number) and then click the Numbering button on the Formatting toolbar. As an alternative, you can position row numbers in their own separate column. To do so, select your table's leftmost column. When you do, the Insert Table button on the Standard toolbar changes to the Insert Columns button. Click the Insert Columns button to insert a new column on the left side of your table. Next, with the new column selected, click the Numbering button to apply row numbers. After you've applied row numbers, you can fine-tune their formatting and positioning just as you would any other numbered item. Keep in mind that you can also use this technique to number table columns and other cell ranges.

Draw attention to text with a negative indent

(97/2000/2001/2002) There are many techniques that you can use to draw attention to titles, headings and similar text items. For instance, you can apply heading styles to them, center them on the page, increase their font sizes, apply bold or italic formatting, or indent the text that appears beneath them. However, a less known but equally effective technique is to apply a negative indent, also known as an outdent, to important text so that it overlaps the left page margin. This gives other text the appearance of being indented, although in reality it's aligned with the left page margin.

To apply a negative indent, place the insertion point in the paragraph you'd like to outdent, and then choose Format | Paragraph from the menu bar to open the Paragraph dialog box. Next, click on the Indents And Spacing tab if it isn't already active. In the Indentation panel, use the Left option's bottom scroll button to change the setting to a negative number, such as -0.5". The Preview window displays the effect that the new setting will have on your text. When you've finished, click OK. You can also achieve this effect simply by dragging the Left Indent marker, located on the ruler, to the left of the Left Margin marker. (Note: To print correctly, outdented text must be positioned within the document's printable area, which is determined by your printer.)

Transform a table into an eye-popping chart

(97/2000/2001/2002) Although tables are effective tools for organizing and presenting numerical data, it's easy to get lost in the sea of numbers they store. To make numerical data easier to digest at a glance, you can quickly transform your table into a chart. To do so, place the insertion point anywhere within the table, and then choose Table | Select | Table from the menu bar to select it (Table | Select Table in Word 97). Then, choose Insert | Picture | Chart from the menu bar. When you do, the Microsoft Graph Chart mini application launches and creates a new chart and datasheet based on the table data you selected earlier. You can now customize the chart as desired. When you've finished, click outside the chart object to return to your document.

Apply automatic, in-text numbering with ListNum fields

(97/2000/2001/2002) You can easily apply automatic numbering to paragraphs using the Bullets And Numbering feature on the Format menu or the Numbering button on the Formatting toolbar. In most cases, you'll find that this automatic, paragraph-based numbering meets your needs. But when you need to apply automatic numbering to items within a paragraph, rather than to the paragraph itself, Word's automatic numbering features may not seem so accommodating at first. This method of in-text numbering is often used in legal documents. Although you could simply type numbers where you'd like them to appear, this solution doesn't automatically renumber your text if you make any additions or deletions. Fortunately, you can use a ListNum field to easily apply in-text numbering that automatically adjusts to your additions and deletions. This way, your in-text numbering will remain consistent and consecutive. To insert a ListNum field, place the insertion point where you'd like a number to appear, and then press [Ctrl][Alt]L ([command][option][shift]L in Word 2001). To quickly promote or demote the numbering level applied to a ListNum field, right-click on it ([control]-click in Word 2001) and choose Increase Indent or Decrease Indent from the resulting shortcut menu. Or, select the field and then click the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent button on the Formatting toolbar. In addition to unnumbered paragraphs, you can use ListNum fields to incorporate in-text numbering within paragraphs that already use paragraph-level bullets or numbering.

Quickly cancel an outgoing print job

(97/2000/2002) How many times have you sent a document to the printer, only to realize that you need to make a correction to it and then print it again? If you have quick fingers, you can easily use Word to cancel a print job that you've already sent to the printer. The method you use depends on whether Background Printing is active. This feature uses additional system memory to allow you to continue working in Word while a document is being printed. However, it usually takes a little bit longer for documents to print when Background Printing is turned on. To check whether Background Printing is active, choose Tools | Options from the menu bar and then click on the Print tab. Select or clear the Background Printing check box in the Printing Options panel, and then click OK. When Word's Background Printing feature is turned off, you can cancel an outgoing print job simply by pressing [Esc] or clicking Cancel when Word notifies you that it's sending your document to the printer. If Background Printing is turned on, you can instead double-click on the printer icon that appears in the status bar when Word sends your document to the printer. This method is often much quicker than using Microsoft Windows to cancel outgoing print jobs, since you don't need to leave Word to get the job done--or undone, to be precise! Keep in mind, however, that the smaller your document is, the faster Word is able to send it to the printer. This means that you'll have to act quickly if you want to cancel a print job from Word.

Spruce up symbols using multi-color effects

(97/2000/2001/2002) Word's Symbol feature offers a rich collection of simple, light-weight graphics that you can use to jazz up your documents. You're probably used to seeing these symbols in black and white, since that's the way they're displayed in the Symbol dialog box. However, you can easily change their color just as you'd change the color of document text. If you'd like to create an even more eye-popping effect, you can apply a multi-color effect to your symbols that makes the symbol's negative space stand out as well. To do so, insert a symbol in your document by selecting Insert | Symbol from the menu bar to open the Symbol dialog box. On the Symbols tab, select the symbol you'd like to insert, and then click Insert. Next, click Close to dismiss the Symbol dialog box. To change the color of your new symbol, select it, click the dropdown arrow next to the Font Color button on the Formatting toolbar, and then choose the desired color. To apply a second color to the symbol's negative space, make sure the symbol is still selected, click the dropdown arrow next to the Highlight button on the Formatting toolbar, and then choose the color you'd like to apply. Or, you can choose from a broader range of colors, as well as patterns, by applying shading rather than highlighting. To do so, select the symbol and then choose Format | Borders And Shading from the menu bar. Click on the Shading tab in the Borders And Shading dialog box, and then choose Text from the Apply To dropdown list. Next, use the features in the Fill and Patterns panels to apply the shading and pattern colors of your choice. When you've finished, click OK.

Turn off Word's automatic word selection feature

When you click and drag to select two or more words in your document, Word automatically selects the entire word (plus the space following each word), even when you select only part of a word. You can turn this feature off temporarily by pressing and holding down the [Alt] key and then dragging to select text. However, to turn this feature off permanently, select Tools | Options from the menu bar, and click on the Edit tab. Then, clear the When Selecting, Automatically Select Entire Word check box and click OK.

Toggle upper case and current case in Word

You may already know that you can quickly toggle the case of selected text by pressing [Shift][F3]. Each time you press [Shift][F3], the selected text's case cycles from lower case to title case to upper case. A lesser known case-toggling keyboard shortcut you'll be sure to get some use from is the [Ctrl][Shift]A shortcut. When you select text that contains both upper-case and lower-case characters and then press [Ctrl][Shift]A, Word toggles the case of the lower-case characters to upper case. For example, if you select the text "My Dog has Fleas" and press [Ctrl][Shift]A, the text becomes "MY DOG HAS FLEAS." If you press [Ctrl][Shift]A again, the text returns to its initial state. A word of warning: the [Ctrl][Shift]A shortcut works just like the Caps Lock key. If you don't select any text before pressing [Ctrl][Shift]A and then begin typing, your text will all be upper case. To turn the feature off, press [Ctrl][Shift]A again.

Hiding onscreen spelling and grammar errors in Word

By default, Word's automatic spelling and grammar checkers check text as you type, indicating questionable text onscreen in an effort to help you write more effectively. The automatic spelling checker flags unrecognized words by applying a wavy red underline, and the automatic grammar checker flags questionable sentence construction by applying a wavy green underline. While some people consider this feature to be a timesaver, others consider it to be a downright distraction. Fortunately, there are two methods you can use to suppress the automatic spelling and grammar checkers' onscreen indicators without affecting the checkers' behavior.

1. Disable Word's automatic spelling and grammar checkers and run them manually instead. To do so, choose Tools | Options from the menu bar, and then click on the Spelling & Grammar tab. Clear the Check Spelling As You Type check box in the Spelling area and the Check Grammar As You Type check box in the Grammar area, and then click OK. Word disables the automatic spelling and grammar checkers and, with them, the wavy red and green underlines. When you're ready to check your document's spelling and grammar, you can run the spelling and grammar checkers manually by choosing Tools | Spelling And Grammar from the menu bar or by clicking the Spelling And Grammar button on the Standard toolbar.

2. Hide onscreen error indicators temporarily without disabling the automatic spelling and grammar checkers. To do so, choose Tools | Options from the menu bar and then click on the Spelling & Grammar tab. First, select both the Check Spelling As You Type and Hide Spelling Errors In This Document check boxes in the Spelling area. Next, select both the Check Grammar As You Type and Hide Grammatical Errors In This Document check boxes in the Grammar area. When you've finished, click OK. Word hides the spelling and grammar checkers' onscreen indicators but continues to check spelling and grammar in the background. To quickly display the onscreen error indicators, double-click on the Spelling And Grammar Status icon in the status bar. (The status bar is located at the bottom of the application window.) Word applies the familiar red and green wavy underlines to indicate any errors that it encountered while you were working. In addition, Word selects the error nearest the insertion point and displays a shortcut menu containing correction options. To address the error on the spot, choose a suggested correction or an ignore option from the shortcut menu. To launch the Spelling And Grammar dialog box, choose Spelling. Or, navigate to the next flagged error by double-clicking on the Spelling And Grammar Status icon again. To quickly hide the onscreen error indicators again, right-click on the icon and choose Hide Spelling Errors or Hide Grammatical Errors, as desired.

Another way to paste in Word

If you frequently find yourself copying, cutting and pasting items in your Word documents, you may find that using Word's shortcut keys is a more ergonomic approach than using its Cut, Copy and Paste buttons located in the Standard toolbar. Word's default shortcut key for the Paste command is [Ctrl]V. However, if you're a shortcut key fanatic, you can further streamline the pasting process by configuring Word to use the [Insert] key to paste objects. To do so, select Tools | Options from the menu bar and then click on the Edit tab. Select the Use INS Key For Paste check box and then click OK. The next time you want to paste an item from the Clipboard in your Word document, simply press [Insert]. Keep in mind that this feature pastes only the item most recently added to the Clipboard, even when using Word 2000's Clipboard toolbar.

Customizing Word's recently used files list

In a recent tip, we showed you how to quickly remove an item from Word's recently used file list, which is located at the bottom of the File menu. If you frequently remove files from the recently used file list, you may want to prevent it from being displayed altogether. To prevent the recently used file list from being displayed in the File menu, first select Tools | Options from the menu bar, then click on the General tab. Next, clear the Recently Used File List check box. When you've finished, click OK.

On the other hand, if you'd like Word to display the recently used file list, but you're unsatisfied with the quantity of files it displays, you can easily increase or decrease the default number of listed files. To do so, first access the General property sheet as we mentioned earlier. Make sure the Recently Used File List check box is selected, then enter a new value in the corresponding Entries text box. You can enter any value ranging from 0 to 9. (Entering 0 has the same effect as clearing the Recently Used Files check box.) When you've finished, click OK.

Fine-tune picture size using the Crop button

(97/2000/2001/2002)

Sometimes pictures you insert in your documents may be too large to fit comfortably in the space they've been allotted. One solution is to resize the picture, but this solution isn't acceptable if you need to condense the picture so much that it's hardly recognizable. Instead, you may have better luck if you crop the outside edges of your picture for a custom fit. If you think you need an image-editing program to accomplish this task, think again. You can use Word to crop a picture without affecting the original picture file. To do so, click on the picture to select it, and then click the Crop button on the Picture toolbar. (To display the Picture toolbar if it isn't displayed already, choose View | Toolbars | Picture from the menu bar.) When the pointer changes to the cropping symbol, drag the picture's cropping handles to trim off any excess. To crop opposite sides of the picture at the same time, hold down the [Ctrl] key ([option] in Word 2001) and drag the center cropping handle on any side of your picture. To crop all four sides of your picture at once, hold down the [Ctrl] key ([option] in Word 2001) and drag any cropping handle on the corners of your picture. To save the changes you've made, click outside the picture, or click the Crop button to turn it off. You can uncrop a picture at any time by clicking the Crop button and dragging the picture's sizing handles outward. (Note: Word can't crop animated GIF pictures.)

Retain repeating table headings when controlling page breaks

97/2000/2001/2002)

In recent tips, we've explained how you can use the Table | Heading Rows Repeat command (Table | Headings in Word 97) to cause the first row(s) in your table to carry over when your table overflows onto another page. However, what do you do when Word breaks your table in a place you don't want it to? We've mentioned in previous tips that you can prevent a row from breaking across pages by clearing the Allow Row To Break Across Pages check box on the table's Row property sheet, and you can keep rows together by selecting the Keep With Next check box in the Paragraph dialog box. But as helpful as these techniques may be, they don't allow you to control the exact point at which your table breaks across pages. If you're considering using a manual page break, a section break, or choosing Table | Split Table to continue your table on the next page, resist the temptation. When you use these techniques, your repeating table headings aren't carried over to subsequent pages. However, subscriber Jani Breur points out that you can work around this behavior using the Page Break Before paragraph format instead. Thanks Jani! To do so, place the insertion point in the leftmost cell of the row that should begin on a new page, and then choose Format | Paragraph from the menu bar. Click on the Line And Page Breaks tab, select the Page Break Before check box, and then click OK. Word continues the table on the next page, beginning with the repeating heading row(s) and following with the row you selected and the remainder of your table.

Track document activity without tracking revisions

(97/2000/2001/2002)

When you share access to documents with your colleagues, it can be helpful to know if and when they've made changes to something. As you may know, you can track revisions with Word's Track Changes feature. This feature applies color-coded markup to your document when you or anyone else revises it. However, if you're not concerned about keeping track of every little detail (much less going through the process of accepting and rejecting tracked changes), the Track Changes feature may not be the most efficient solution. When you simply want to know if and when a document was last accessed, modified, and saved (and by whom), you can refer to Word's Statistics property sheet instead. To do so, open the document and choose File | Properties from the menu bar. In the Properties dialog box, click on the Statistics tab. Here you'll find the dates the document was created, as well as the dates it was last modified, accessed, and printed. You can also find out who last saved the document, how many times the document has been revised, and how much editing time has been put into it. And as if that wasn't enough, you'll also find a summary of item count statistics including page, paragraph, line, word, and character count. If you want to know who created the document, click the Summary tab and refer to the Author text box. (Note: Users can modify the Author text box, so its accuracy can't be guaranteed.) And, if you want to stay on the sly when you check document statistics, you can also access this information without opening the document (and without adding your activity to the document's Accessed statistic). Just locate the file using a file browser like My Computer or Windows Explorer, then right-click on it and choose Properties from the resulting shortcut menu. (On the Mac, [control]-click on the file and choose Show Info from the resulting shortcut menu.) In the resulting dialog box, you'll find much of the same information, depending on the file type and operating system. This technique works in many dialog boxes that contain file lists, too.

Place a border around one or more words in Word

You probably already know that you can place a border around a paragraph using the options in the Borders And Shading dialog box. However, did you know that you can place a border around a text selection? To do so, select the text around which you'd like to create a border. Then choose Format/Borders And Shading from the menu bar. On the Borders property sheet, select the border formatting you desire. When you've finished, select Text from the Apply To dropdown list if necessary; this option should be selected by default since you selected a block of text prior to accessing the dialog box. When you've finished, click OK. Voila! The text you selected is bedecked with a border. This is a handy technique for emphasizing information you'd like people to notice at a glance.

Creating a fancy bulleted list on the fly in Word

Want to add a little pizzazz to your list text--but without a lot of fuss? You can take advantage of a little-known aspect of Word's autobullet feature and quickly generate bullets from the symbol fonts you have installed on your machine.

First, you need to make sure the autobullet feature is activated. To do this, choose Tools | AutoCorrect from the menu bar and click on the AutoFormat As You Type tab. Then, select the Automatic Bulleted Lists check box in the Apply as You Type panel (if it's not selected) and click OK.

To create a bulleted list, start by choosing Insert | Symbol from the menu bar. Select the desired font from the Font dropdown list, and click on the character you want to use as your bullet. Next, click Insert then click Close to return to your document. Now, enter two spaces, type the first list item, and press [Enter] to begin another line. Word inserts your symbol at the beginning of the new line. Just enter the second item and press [Enter] to create the third line. Repeat the process of typing items and pressing [Enter] until your list is complete. Finally, press [Enter] twice to "turn off" your bullets.

Apply a different page orientation to a selection on-the-fly

(97/2000/2001/2002)

Most documents you create are likely to use portrait page orientation. However, when your document contains an oversized item like a table, chart, or diagram that's wider than your document's portrait-oriented pages, you might want to print that item usinglandscape orientation instead. When you're working with drawing objects, you can often solve this problem by rotating the objects 90 degrees. However, if you're working with text, tables, embedded objects, and other types of graphic objects, rotating isn't always the best option, if it's an option at all. As an alternative, you can apply landscape orientation to a single item or selection without affecting the portrait orientation used in the rest of your document. Better yet, you can do it on-the-fly, without using the Break dialog box to insert section breaks! To do so, select the item(s) that you want to appear on a landscape-oriented page, and then choose File | Page Setup from the menu bar. Next, use the following procedures, according to the version you're using:

Word 97/2000/2002: In the Page Setup dialog box, click on the Paper Size tab (Margins tab in Word 2002), and then choose the Landscape option in the Orientation panel. Next, choose Selected Text from the Apply To dropdown list. Finally, click OK.

Word 2001: In the Page Setup dialog box, choose the Landscape icon in the Orientation panel, and then choose Microsoft Word from the main dropdown list. Next, choose Selected Text from the Apply Size And Orientation To dropdown list, and then click OK.

Word automatically inserts Next Page section breaks at the beginning and end of your selection and applies landscape orientation to the isolated section. When you print your document, your selection prints in landscape orientation, while the rest of your document prints in portrait orientation.

Repeat multiple table heading rows at the top of every page

(97/2000/2001/2002)

In a recent tip, we explained how you can use the Heading Rows Repeat command on the Table menu to make the first row of your Word table appear at the top of every page it prints on. Subscriber Tim Bartholome mentions that if you select multiple table heading rows (i.e., the first two or more rows at the top of your table) instead of just the first row, then choose Table | Heading Rows Repeat (Table | Headings in Word 97) from the menu bar, you can cause the entire selection to repeat at the top of each page the table prints on. In addition, once you've already designated one or more rows as a repeating heading, you can also extend the current heading selection by selecting (or placing the insertion point in) the next contiguous row. Then choose Table | Heading Rows Repeat (Table | Headings in Word 97) from the menu bar to add the row to the current heading selection. Remember, to view the repeating heading rows on your computer, you'll need to switch to Print Layout view (Page Layout in Word 97/2001) or Print Preview mode.

Five techniques for selecting a table (97/2000/2002) (posted 02/18/03)

In a recent tip, we explained that you can quickly delete a table by selecting it and then pressing the [Backspace] key. In the tip, we suggested two possible methods you could use to select the table before you delete it. Since then, many of you have written in to share additional methods you can use to select a table. Here's a comprehensive collection of the methods we shared with you, as well as the methods many of you have shared with us:

Method 1: Place the insertion point in any table cell, and then choose Table | Select | Table from the menu bar (Table | Select Table in Word 97).

Method 2: Place the insertion point in any table cell, and then press [Alt]A, followed by C, followed by T. <Submitted by Ron Webb>

Method 3: In Word 2000 and later, switch to Print Layout view or Web Layout view, and then hover the pointer over the table. Click on the table's selection icon when it appears near the table's upper-left corner.

Method 3: Hold down the [Alt] key, and then double-click on the table.

Method 4: Make sure your keyboard's NumLock key is turned off. Place the insertion point in any table cell, and then press [Alt]5 using the numeric keypad. <Submitted by Igor Gorjanc and William Hudson. In addition, Mr. Hudson mentions that you can also delete a selected table by pressing [Shift][Delete].>

Method 5: Use Word's built-in TableSelectTable command to create a custom toolbar button or shortcut menu item that selects the current table. To do so, choose Tools | Customize from the menu bar to open the Customize dialog box, and then choose Normal.dot from the Save In dropdown list. (If you want to add the command to a shortcut menu, click on the Toolbars tab and select the Shortcut Menus check box.) Next, click on the Commands tab and select All Commands from the Categories list box. Now drag the TableSelectTable item from the Commands list box to any toolbar. (Or, if you're adding the command to a shortcut menu, drag the TableSelectTable command to the Shortcut Menus toolbar and drop it in the Table | Table Text shortcut menu.) Customize the button as desired, and then close the Customize dialog box. To use the command, place the insertion point in any table cell and then click the button you created. (Or, if you added the command to a shortcut menu, right-click on the table and choose Select Table from the resulting shortcut menu.)

Customizing footnote separators (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 02/11/03)

When you add footnotes to your documents, Word includes a default two-inch separator line between the document text and the footnotes for each page. Subscriber Daisy Kavanagh mentions that you can easily remove or change Word's default separator. To do so, choose View | Normal to switch to Normal view, then choose View | Footnotes to open the Footnotes pane. Next, choose Footnote Separator from the Footnotes dropdown list in the Footnotes pane. Delete the default separator line, or replace it with whatever text or graphic you want to use in its place. When you've finished, click close to dismiss the Footnotes pane. The separator you specified is used on each page that contains a footnote.

Tracking changes on the fly (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 01/21/03)

As you may know, you can keep track of the revisions that you and others make to a document by enabling the Track Changes feature. The traditional method is to choose Tools | Track Changes | Highlight Changes from the menu bar, and then to select the Track Changes While Editing check box in the Highlight Changes dialog box. (If you're using Word 2002, just choose Tools | Track Changes.) However, subscriber R. Joran mentions that you can activate and deactivate the Track Changes feature much more efficiently by pressing the [Ctrl][Shift]E keyboard shortcut ([command][shift]E in Word 2001). In addition to this method, you can also toggle the Track Changes feature by double-clicking on the TRK icon in Word's status bar, located at the bottom of the application window. Yet another method is to click the Track Changes button on the Reviewing toolbar, which you can display by choosing View | Toolbars | Reviewing from the menu bar.

Removing angle brackets from forwarded email messages (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 01/13/03)

There's nothing like a good emailed joke to lighten the mood--except if it's been forwarded so many times that it's been made virtually illegible by the addition of angle brackets (>), line breaks, and extra spaces. Certain email programs apply these items to the contents of forwarded messages to indicate where line breaks appeared in the original. Subscriber Sue White suggests using Word's Find And Replace feature to remove angle brackets from email messages. To do so, copy and paste the message contents in a new Word document. Next, choose Edit | Replace from the menu bar, or press [Ctrl]H ([command]H in Word 2001) to access the Replace sheet in the Find And Replace dialog box. Add the character(s) you'd like to strip in the Find What text box, leave the Replace With text box empty, and then click Replace All. You can even record your find-and-replace operation as a macro to make it easier to perform again in the future.

As an alternative, try any of these email cleaners available on the Web:

EFilter: http://proxy318.b0x.com/efilter.html
StripEm: http://camtech2000.net/Pages/StripEm.html
The Stripper: http://www.hostswan.com/strip.html

Store disposable templates within easy reach (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 01/06/03)

If you need to use a special document template for a one-time collaboration project, you don't need to install it in Word's template directory in order to use it. Why bother installing it if you're just going to toss it when you've finished your project? Instead, store the template on the Desktop (or in an easy-access folder) while you're using it. To create a new document based on the template, simply double-click on it. When you've finished your project, and you no longer need to work with documents based on the special template, you can easily delete the template from your system without needing to scrounge around for Word's elusive template directory. When you delete the template from your system, the documents you created with it will be unaffected. However, keep in mind that any custom macros, toolbars, and AutoText entries that were stored in the template will no longer be available once you remove it from your system. On that note, make sure you'll no longer need to use these items before you delete the template.

Populate the header with data entered in a form field (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 11/04/02)

When you're creating a form, you may want information users enter in a particular form field to appear in the form's header or footer, too. You can do so using a Ref field. First, choose View | Toolbars | Forms to display the Forms toolbar, and then toggle the Protect Form button to unprotect the form. Next, select the form field whose contents should appear in the header, and then click the Form Field Options button on the Forms toolbar. In the resulting dialog box, take note of the form field's bookmark name, which appears in the Bookmark text box, and then click Cancel. Now, choose View | Header And Footer from the menu bar, then position the insertion point where you want the form field data to appear. Press [Ctrl][F9] ([command][F9] in Word 2001) to insert a pair of field braces, then type "Ref BookmarkName" between them (without quotes), where BookmarkName is the value you took note of earlier. For example, if the form field's Bookmark value was Text1, your Ref field might look like this:

{ Ref Text1 }

Press [F9] to update your new Ref field and display its results, and then click Close on the Header And Footer toolbar to return to your form. Finally, click the Protect button on the Forms toolbar to re-protect your form. Now whenever you update the contents of the form field you referenced, the Ref field in the header updates accordingly when you open, save, or print the form, or when you switch to Print Preview mode. Keep in mind Ref fields aren't restricted to the header and footer; you can use them anywhere to create the same effect.

Prevent a single table row from breaking across pages (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 08/05/02)

You can easily prevent one or more rows in your table from breaking across pages. First, select the row(s) whose behavior you'd like to curb. Then, in Word 2000/2001/2002, choose Table | Table Properties from the menu bar. In the Table Properties dialog box, click on the Row tab, clear the Allow Row To Break Across Pages check box, and then click OK. (In Word 97, choose Table | Cell Height And Width from the menu bar. Click on the Row tab, clear the Allow Row To Break Across Pages check box, and then click OK.) From now on, when a row you modified appears at the bottom of the page, Word moves the whole row to the next page if it doesn't fit on the current one. (BONUS TIP: To prevent an entire table from breaking across pages, apply the Keep With Next paragraph format to the table's first column. Just [Alt]-click ([option]-click in Word 2001) on the table's first column, choose Format | Paragraph from the menu bar, click on the Line And Page Breaks tab, and then select the Keep With Next check box. When you've finished, click OK.)

Use Workgroup Templates to access shared templates (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 07/29/02)

If you and your colleagues use a collection of the same custom Word templates on a regular basis, you can share them more efficiently by storing them in a central location. This way, you can each access the templates you need without having to store copies of them on your hard drives. This technique is also an effective way to ensure that everyone in your workgroup is using the most up-to-date version of each template. Just place the templates you'd like to share in a network folder, and then configure Word's Workgroup Templates setting to point to that folder by opening Word and choosing Tools | Options (Edit | Preferences in Word 2001) from the menu bar. Click on the File Locations tab, and then select Workgroup Templates from the File Types list. Click Modify, and then use the resulting dialog box to select the network folder that stores your shared templates. When you've finished, click OK (Choose in Word 2001). Finally, click OK to close the Options dialog box (Preferences dialog box in Word 2001). From now on, you'll be able to access the templates stored in the Workgroup Templates location just as you would any other template:

Word 97/2000: Choose File | New from the menu bar to open the New dialog box.

Word 2001: Choose New | Project Gallery from the menu bar to open the Project Gallery.

Word 2002: Choose File | New from the menu bar, and then click the General Templates link in the New Document task pane to open the Template dialog box.

When you click on the General tab (Blank Documents link in Word 2001), you'll see the templates that are stored in the network folder. If the network folder contains subfolders, Word includes the contents of each subfolder on a new tab labeled with the name of the subfolder. (Note: When you store templates in a shared network folder, it's a good idea to assign read-only permissions to the templates or the entire folder. This way, users are less likely to inadvertently modify the originals. For more information, contact your network administrator.)

Quickly apply accents to characters as you type (97/2000/2002)   (posted 07/22/02)

Even if you're not a foreign language speaker, you're likely at some point to use foreign language words that have been adopted into the English lexicon. Some foreign language words employ accent marks, such as résumé, déjà vu, pâté, and voilà. Although speaking these words aloud can be challenging, typing them in your documents can be even more so when you need to include various accent marks over certain characters. One method is to choose Insert | Symbol from Word's menu bar and use the Symbol dialog box to insert accented characters. Another method is to use ASCII character codes. However, if you find the Symbol dialog box tedious, and you find ASCII character codes too difficult to memorize, you can quickly create many accented characters using the [Ctrl] key. We've listed some of the more common accent marks below. To create the indicated accent mark, press the corresponding keyboard shortcut and then type the character you'd like to apply the accent to. Keep in mind that some of the accents we've illustrated below are often used with other letters, too. Just replace the letter that we used in the example with the letter of your choice. In addition, to create accented capital letters, press [Shift] as you type the letter. Continue experimenting to find other accent shortcuts, or access the Symbols dialog box to look them up.

ç     [Ctrl][,] followed by c
é     [Ctrl]['] followed by e
è     [Ctrl][`] followed by e
ø     [Ctrl][/] followed by o
â     [Ctrl][^] ([Ctrl][Shift]6) followed by a
å     [Ctrl][@] ([Ctrl][Shift]2) followed by a
ü     [Ctrl][:] ([Ctrl][Shift][;]) followed by u
ñ     [Ctrl][~] ([Ctrl][Shift][`]) followed by n

Using Paste Options and Paste Special to remove formatting (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 06/10/02)

When you copy data from other applications and paste it into Word, Word attempts to retain the data's original formatting when you paste it. At times this is convenient; however, if you'd rather not retain the pasted data's original formatting, you can easily strip it as you paste it in Word. You'll find this technique especially handy for items you copy and paste from Web pages and other heavily formatted documents.

If you're using Word 2002, click the Paste Options button, which appears next to text after you've pasted it. Next, choose Match Destination Formatting to replace the selection's original formatting with the formatting that's applied to the Word paragraph in which you pasted it. As an alternative, choose Keep Text Only to remove the selection's original formatting altogether.

If you're using Word 2000 or earlier, the Paste Options button isn't available. However, you can use the Paste Special feature to create a similar effect. First, copy the data you'd like to paste in Word. Next, place the insertion point where you'd like the data to appear in your Word document. Choose Edit | Paste Special from the menu bar and, in the Paste Special dialog box, choose Unformatted Text from the As list box and click OK. The data you cut to the Clipboard is pasted in your document without retaining any of its original formatting.

Add numbering to table rows and columns (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 06/03/02)

When you're working with large tables--especially tables that are set up like a list and don't use specific row headings--it can be difficult to verbally refer someone to a specific table cell. Without row headings, a table's only points of reference are its column headings and its sort order. However, you can easily add a point of reference to your table rows by numbering them. To add numbering within your table's leftmost column, select it (or select only those cells that you'd like to number) and then click the Numbering button on the Formatting toolbar. As an alternative, you can position row numbers in their own separate column. To do so, select your table's leftmost column. When you do, the Insert Table button on the Standard toolbar changes to the Insert Columns button. Click the Insert Columns button to insert a new column on the left side of your table. Next, with the new column selected, click the Numbering button to apply row numbers. After you've applied row numbers, you can fine-tune their formatting and positioning just as you would any other numbered item. Keep in mind that you can also use this technique to number table columns and other cell ranges.

Draw attention to text with a negative indent (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 05/28/02)

There are many techniques that you can use to draw attention to titles, headings and similar text items. For instance, you can apply heading styles to them, center them on the page, increase their font sizes, apply bold or italic formatting, or indent the text that appears beneath them. However, a less known but equally effective technique is to apply a negative indent, also known as an outdent, to important text so that it overlaps the left page margin. This gives other text the appearance of being indented, although in reality it's aligned with the left page margin.

To apply a negative indent, place the insertion point in the paragraph you'd like to outdent, and then choose Format | Paragraph from the menu bar to open the Paragraph dialog box. Next, click on the Indents And Spacing tab if it isn't already active. In the Indentation panel, use the Left option's bottom scroll button to change the setting to a negative number, such as -0.5". The Preview window displays the effect that the new setting will have on your text. When you've finished, click OK. You can also achieve this effect simply by dragging the Left Indent marker, located on the ruler, to the left of the Left Margin marker. (Note: To print correctly, outdented text must be positioned within the document's printable area, which is determined by your printer.)

Transform a table into an eye-popping chart (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 05/20/02)

Although tables are effective tools for organizing and presenting numerical data, it's easy to get lost in the sea of numbers they store. To make numerical data easier to digest at a glance, you can quickly transform your table into a chart. To do so, place the insertion point anywhere within the table, and then choose Table | Select | Table from the menu bar to select it (Table | Select Table in Word 97). Then, choose Insert | Picture | Chart from the menu bar. When you do, the Microsoft Graph Chart mini application launches and creates a new chart and datasheet based on the table data you selected earlier. You can now customize the chart as desired. When you've finished, click outside the chart object to return to your document.

Apply automatic, in-text numbering with ListNum fields (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 05/13/02)

You can easily apply automatic numbering to paragraphs using the Bullets And Numbering feature on the Format menu or the Numbering button on the Formatting toolbar. In most cases, you'll find that this automatic, paragraph-based numbering meets your needs. But when you need to apply automatic numbering to items within a paragraph, rather than to the paragraph itself, Word's automatic numbering features may not seem so accommodating at first. This method of in-text numbering is often used in legal documents. Although you could simply type numbers where you'd like them to appear, this solution doesn't automatically renumber your text if you make any additions or deletions. Fortunately, you can use a ListNum field to easily apply in-text numbering that automatically adjusts to your additions and deletions. This way, your in-text numbering will remain consistent and consecutive. To insert a ListNum field, place the insertion point where you'd like a number to appear, and then press [Ctrl][Alt]L ([command][option][shift]L in Word 2001). To quickly promote or demote the numbering level applied to a ListNum field, right-click on it ([control]-click in Word 2001) and choose Increase Indent or Decrease Indent from the resulting shortcut menu. Or, select the field and then click the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent button on the Formatting toolbar. In addition to unnumbered paragraphs, you can use ListNum fields to incorporate in-text numbering within paragraphs that already use paragraph-level bullets or numbering.

Quickly cancel an outgoing print job (97/2000/2002) (posted 05/06/02)

How many times have you sent a document to the printer, only to realize that you need to make a correction to it and then print it again? If you have quick fingers, you can easily use Word to cancel a print job that you've already sent to the printer. The method you use depends on whether Background Printing is active. This feature uses additional system memory to allow you to continue working in Word while a document is being printed. However, it usually takes a little bit longer for documents to print when Background Printing is turned on. To check whether Background Printing is active, choose Tools | Options from the menu bar and then click on the Print tab. Select or clear the Background Printing check box in the Printing Options panel, and then click OK. When Word's Background Printing feature is turned off, you can cancel an outgoing print job simply by pressing [Esc] or clicking Cancel when Word notifies you that it's sending your document to the printer. If Background Printing is turned on, you can instead double-click on the printer icon that appears in the status bar when Word sends your document to the printer. This method is often much quicker than using Microsoft Windows to cancel outgoing print jobs, since you don't need to leave Word to get the job done--or undone, to be precise! Keep in mind, however, that the smaller your document is, the faster Word is able to send it to the printer. This means that you'll have to act quickly if you want to cancel a print job from Word.

Spruce up symbols using multi-color effects (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 04/29/02)

Word's Symbol feature offers a rich collection of simple, light-weight graphics that you can use to jazz up your documents. You're probably used to seeing these symbols in black and white, since that's the way they're displayed in the Symbol dialog box. However, you can easily change their color just as you'd change the color of document text. If you'd like to create an even more eye-popping effect, you can apply a multi-color effect to your symbols that makes the symbol's negative space stand out as well. To do so, insert a symbol in your document by selecting Insert | Symbol from the menu bar to open the Symbol dialog box. On the Symbols tab, select the symbol you'd like to insert, and then click Insert. Next, click Close to dismiss the Symbol dialog box. To change the color of your new symbol, select it, click the dropdown arrow next to the Font Color button on the Formatting toolbar, and then choose the desired color. To apply a second color to the symbol's negative space, make sure the symbol is still selected, click the dropdown arrow next to the Highlight button on the Formatting toolbar, and then choose the color you'd like to apply. Or, you can choose from a broader range of colors, as well as patterns, by applying shading rather than highlighting. To do so, select the symbol and then choose Format | Borders And Shading from the menu bar. Click on the Shading tab in the Borders And Shading dialog box, and then choose Text from the Apply To dropdown list. Next, use the features in the Fill and Patterns panels to apply the shading and pattern colors of your choice. When you've finished, click OK.

Controlling the default Zoom setting (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 04/22/02)

By default, Word's Zoom feature displays documents at the 100% magnification level. However, if you frequently change the Zoom setting to gain a better view of your Word documents, you may be mystified by its seemingly sporadic ability to apply your customizations to newly opened documents. Short of building a macro, you unfortunately can't set a default custom Zoom setting that's automatically applied to all documents. However, with an understanding of how the Zoom feature's memory works, you can guarantee that the next time you open a particular document, its custom Zoom setting is preserved. When you make revisions to a document and then save and close it, Word remembers and saves the document's current Zoom setting, too. The next time you open the document, its saved Zoom setting is restored automatically. In addition, Word remembers the Zoom settings you apply to each of the document's views. By that token, you can apply and save unique Zoom settings to Normal, Print Layout (Page Layout in Word 97/2001), Web Layout (Online Layout in Word 97/2001), and Outline views, as well as Print Preview mode. And speaking of views, Word also remembers and restores the document's current view mode when you save changes to a document before you close and reopen it. Armed with this knowledge, you can force any document to automatically open to a particular Zoom setting and view mode. And keep in mind that Word's Zoom and view mode memory isn't just applied to existing documents; Word automatically applies the most recently used Zoom setting and view mode to new documents as well.

Create a custom calendar with the Calendar Wizard (97/2000/2002)
(posted 04/15/02)

You can quickly create a printable, customizable calendar in Word with a little help from the Calendar Wizard. To do so, choose File | New from the menu bar to open the New dialog box. (If you're using Word 2002, choose File | New from the menu bar and then click on the General Templates link in the New Document task pane.) Next, click on the Other Documents tab in the Templates dialog box, and then double-click on the Calendar Wizard icon. (Note: If you don't see the Calendar Wizard, you may need to install it by running the setup program on your Word or Office installation CD-ROM.) When the Calendar Wizard launches, simply perform each step as prompted to generate your custom calendar. For instance, you can leave room for a picture, and you can create a calendar that contains one or more months. When you complete the steps provided by the wizard, Word creates a new document containing your calendar. At this point, you can customize its contents as necessary by adding pictures, appointments and just about anything else you can think of. When you've finished, just save and/or print the calendar as you would a regular document.

Removing personal information from your documents (2002) (posted 04/08/02)

To make your documents easier to store, route and locate, Word is equipped to automatically save hidden information (aka metadata) within your document, such as authors and editors' names, routing slips and email headers. If you'd like to share your documents without sharing this personal information, you can configure Word to remove it during the save process. To do so, choose Tools | Options from the menu bar to open the Options dialog box, and then click on the Security tab. In the Privacy Options panel, select the Remove Personal Information From This File On Save check box, and then click OK. Each time you save a document, this setting removes its file properties (i.e., the contents of the Author, Manager, Company and Last Saved By fields located in the Properties dialog box). In addition, names associated with tracked changes, comments and versions are changed to "Author," and routing slips and email headers, if any, are removed. This setting remains in effect for all documents until you disable it again.

Working around automatic address wrapping in envelopes (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 04/01/02)

When you're creating a printable envelope that contains a lengthy delivery address, Word automatically wraps any delivery address lines that exceed a certain width. The point at which the delivery address wraps is tied to the frame width and left indent settings that Word applies to the Envelope Address style each time you create a new envelope. Your knowledge of Word's styles tells you that to avoid this problem in the future, you should be able to permanently modify the Envelope Address style's frame and indent settings to extend the default wrapping point. Unfortunately, Word's Envelope Address style doesn't work like other styles. Its direct correlation with Word's envelope automation features causes the style to automatically reset itself each time you create a new envelope. However, you can work around this automation by editing the envelope's frame size and indentation before you print it.

To do so, choose Tools | Envelopes And Labels (Tools | Letters And Mailings in Word 2002 and Tools | Envelopes in Word 2001) from the menu bar. Using the tools on the Envelopes tab, create and format your envelope size and address information. When you've finished, click Add To Document. (If you're using Word 2001, select the Insert This Envelope Into The Active Document check box, and then click OK.) Next, click on the envelope's delivery address to reveal its frame border, and then double-click on the frame border to open the Frame dialog box. (Tip: To view the envelope in its entirety, switch to Print Layout view and change the Zoom setting to Whole Page.) In the Size panel, change the Width setting to Auto, and then click OK. Next, with the frame still selected, choose Format | Paragraph from the menu bar. On the Indents And Spacing property sheet's Indentation panel, modify the Left setting as appropriate, and then click OK. (Note: Word 2001 stores an envelope's delivery address in a text box, not in a frame. To make similar adjustments in Word 2001, double-click on the delivery address' text box border, and then click on the Size tab. Change the Height setting in the Size And Rotate panel as appropriate, and then click on the Text Box tab. Change the Left setting in the Internal Margin as appropriate, and then click OK.) At this point, you can proceed to print the envelope. To save your frame width and indent revisions for use in the future, just choose File | Save As from the menu bar to save the envelope as a template. Type a meaningful name for the envelope template in the File Name text box, and then choose Document Template (*.dot) from the Files Of Type dropdown list. When you've finished, click Save. Now you can create new envelopes based on your template by selecting File | New from the menu bar.

Align drawing objects relative to each other (97/2000/2001/2002) (posted 03/25/02)

When your document contains a number of drawing objects, you can easily align them with each other without any guesswork. First, choose Draw | Align Or Distribute from the Drawing toolbar and make sure that the Relative To Page option is not active. (If the Drawing toolbar isn't selected, click the Drawing button in the Standard toolbar to display it.) To align two or more objects with each other, press and hold the [Shift] key, and then click on each object you'd like to align. Next, choose Draw | Align Or Distribute from the Drawing toolbar. The Align options (Align Left, Align Center, Align Right, Align Top, Align Middle and Align Bottom) located on the resulting submenu enable you to align the selected objects relative to each other. For example, choosing Align Left aligns the selected objects' left edges with the left edge of the leftmost object; choosing Align Center aligns the selected objects' centers with the center of the centermost object; etc. If you'd like to align objects relative to the edges of the page instead, first activate the Relative To Page option by choosing Draw | Align Or Distribute | Relative To Page from the Drawing toolbar. Next, select the objects you'd like to align and apply an alignment option using the steps we've explained.

Create a quick and dirty date and time stamp (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 03/11/02)

If you're in the habit of filling out time sheets and dated forms, then you're also in the habit of using Word's Date And Time feature to add a date and/or time stamp to your documents. This feature lets you insert the current date and/or time at the insertion point. However, if you usually use the same date and time format, the meticulous process of setting up your date and time stamp might try your patience. As an alternative, you can record a macro that enables you to insert the current date and time from the toolbar with a single click. First, assign the macro to a toolbar button, and then record the steps that the macro should perform:

1. Choose Tools | Macro | Record New Macro from the menu bar to access the Record Macro dialog box. Type "TimeStamp" (without quotes) in the Macro Name text box, and then choose All Documents (Normal.dot) from the Store Macro In dropdown list. Click the Toolbars button in the Assign Macro To panel. In the resulting Customize dialog box, click on the Commands tab, and then drag the Normal.NewMacros.TimeStamp item from the Commands list box to any of Word's toolbars. To modify your new toolbar button's appearance, make sure it's selected, click the Modify Selection button on the Commands property sheet, choose Change Button Image, and select an image from the resulting submenu. Next, click Modify Selection again, and this time choose Default Style to display the button image only. When you've finished, click Close. (In Word 2001, [control]-click on the button and choose Properties from the resulting shortcut menu. In the Command Properties dialog box, click the dropdown arrow next to the button image icon, and then choose a new button image from the resulting pop-up menu. Next, select Default Style from the View dropdown menu, and then click OK to close the Command Properties and Customize dialog boxes.)

2. To begin recording the macro, choose Insert | Date And Time from the menu bar. Next, choose the desired date and time format from the Available Formats list box. If you'd like the date and time stamp's value to update automatically each time you open the document, choose the Update Automatically check box. If you'd like it to remain static after you've inserted it, leave this check box cleared. When you've finished, click OK. Finally, click the Stop Recording button on the Stop Recording toolbar. Your date and time stamp macro is now recorded, and you can click its corresponding toolbar button to insert the current date and/or time in any document. (Note: If prompted to save the Normal.dot template the next time you close Word, be sure to click Yes to save your new macro.)

Animate document text for eye-catching appeal (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 03/04/02)

Looking to add a little pizzazz to your dry, static document text? Try adding animation effects to draw readers' attention to important information. To apply animation effects to your document text, select the text you'd like to animate, and then choose Format | Font from the menu bar to access the Font dialog box. Click on the Text Effects tab (Animation tab in Word 97/2001), and then choose an animation effect from the Animations list box. The Preview pane displays what your text selection will look like after the animation is applied. When you're satisfied with the selected animation, click OK to apply it. You can use Word's text animations in Microsoft Outlook email messages when you've configured Outlook to use Word as its email editor. Although you can't view a Word document's text animations when you save it as a Web page, you can create a hyperlink from an animated Web page to the Word document to see the text effects in action. If you'd prefer not to view text animations, you can hide their display by choosing Tools | Options (Edit | Preferences in Word 2001) from the menu bar and clicking on the View tab. Clear the Animated Text (Text Animation in Word 2001) check box, and then click OK to prevent applied animations from displaying on your system.

Display table headings at the top of every page (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 02/25/02)

When you create a lengthy table that spills over onto the next page, Word doesn't display the table's headings (i.e., the table's first row) at the top of each page that contains a portion of the table. This behavior can make multi-page tables difficult to read. However, you can easily configure Word to repeat a table's heading row wherever the table breaks across pages. To do so, place the insertion point anywhere within the table's first row, and then choose Table | Heading Rows Repeat (Table | Headings in Word 97) from the menu bar. Word automatically repeats the row contents wherever the table breaks across pages. In addition, Word automatically adjusts the placement of repeated heading rows so that when you add or remove rows from the body of the table, the repeated heading rows always appear at the top of the page. And keep in mind that Word doesn't display repeated row headings onscreen when Normal, Outline or Web Layout (Online Layout in Word 97/2001) view is active. This behavior is by design; even though repeated row headings aren't displayed in these views, they'll still be applied when you print your document.

Make hyperlinks stand out with custom formatting (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 02/18/02)

If you're dissatisfied with the default underlined blue text formatting that Word applies to hyperlinks, you can give it a permanent makeover. All you need to do is modify the Hyperlink style. To do so, choose Format | Style from the menu bar to open the Style dialog box, and then choose All Styles from the List dropdown list. Next, choose Hyperlink from the Styles list box, and then click Modify. (If you're using Word 2002, choose Format | Styles And Formatting from the menu bar to display the Styles And Formatting task pane, and then choose All Styles from the Show dropdown list. Right-click on the Hyperlink item in the Pick Formatting To Apply list box, or click on its corresponding dropdown arrow, and then choose Modify from the resulting shortcut menu to access the Modify Style dialog box.) In the Modify Style dialog box, click the Format button and use the options on the resulting pop-up menu to modify the style's formatting as desired. When you've finished, select the Add To Template check box in the Modify Style dialog box to apply the style modifications to all documents, and then click OK to close the Modify Style dialog box. Next, click Apply in the Style dialog box to confirm the changes you've made. (Ignore this step if you're using Word 2002.) At this point, you can also change the style used with followed hyperlinks as well by selecting and modifying the FollowedHyperlink item in the Styles list box (Pick Formatting To Apply list box in Word 2002's Styles And Formatting task pane). When you've finished, click OK to close the Style dialog box. (If you're using Word 2002, simply close the Styles And Formatting task pane.) If you're prompted to save changes to the Normal.dot template the next time you close Word, click Yes to ensure that your style modifications are preserved.

Creating MacroButton placeholders for custom information (97/2000/2001/2002)
(posted 02/13/02)

Many built-in Word templates, such as the Contemporary Memo template, contain placeholder fields where you can enter custom information. By default, these fields display default text that acts as helpful information, such as [Click here and type name]. When you click on the field and begin typing, the default text is replaced with the text that you type. You can create these types of placeholders in your own documents using a MacroButton field. MacroButton fields are designed to run specific macros when you double-click on them. However, when you point to a nonexistent macro in your MacroButton field, it becomes a handy placeholder. A MacroButton placeholder field uses the following syntax:

{MacroButton NoMacro DisplayText}

where DisplayText is your custom display text. To quickly recreate the [Click here and type name] placeholder we mention earlier, press [Ctrl][F9] ([command][F9] on the Mac) to insert a set of field braces, and then type "MacroButton NoMacro [Click here and type name]" (without quotes) between them. To toggle the field's display from field codes to field results, press [Shift][F9] or right-click ([control]-click on the Mac) on the field and choose Toggle Field Codes from the resulting shortcut menu. When you do, you'll see only the display text you specified. To replace your new placeholder with new text, simply click on it and begin typing.

Inserting common symbols on the fly (posted 12/26/01)

There's only so much room on a keyboard for special characters and symbols. Unfortunately, there are many symbols that you can't find on a standard keyboard, such as the section symbol commonly used in legal documents. Luckily, Word offers a number of methods for inserting symbols that keyboards don't offer. The standard
method is to choose Insert | Symbol from the menu bar and then click on the Special Characters tab. Choose the symbol you'd like to insert, and then press Insert. Use this method to insert any additional symbols, if desired, and then click Close to dismiss the Symbol dialog box.

An alternative method is to use a symbol's assigned shortcut key, which you can determine by accessing the Special Characters property sheet as we described earlier. Unfortunately, not all common symbols are assigned a shortcut key by default. However, you can assign one by selecting the symbol in the Special Characters property sheet and clicking the Shortcut Key button to access the Customize Keyboard dialog box. Press the keyboard combination you'd like
to use--Word tells you if the combination is already in use--and then choose Normal.dot (or another applicable template) from the Save Changes In dropdown list. Finally, click Assign, and then click Close to dismiss the Customize Keyboard dialog box. At this point, you can press the new keyboard combination to quickly insert
the symbol in your document.

Yet another alternative is to save a common symbol as an AutoCorrect entry. Many symbols are associated with AutoCorrect entries by default so that you can insert them on the fly. For example, if you type "(tm)" AutoCorrect replaces it with the trademark symbol. You can associate a symbol with an AutoCorrect entry by accessing the Special Characters property sheet, selecting the symbol you'd
like to assign, and then clicking the AutoCorrect button. In the AutoCorrect property sheet, make sure the Replace Text As You Type check box is selected, and then type the text you'd like to replace in the Replace text box. For example, you might specify "sec" as the replaceable text for the section symbol used in legal documents.
The symbol you selected earlier is automatically displayed in the With text box; click Add to create the new AutoCorrect entry, and then click OK. Click Close to dismiss the Symbols dialog box. Now you can insert the symbol in your document by typing the text you specified in the Replace text box.

Using wildcards to find and replace text (97/98/2000/2002) (posted 11/19/01)

Most of us are quite familiar with Word's Find And Replace utility, which enables you to search your document for each occurrence of a particular text string and, if desired, replace it with another. Most find-and-replace operations are fairly straightforward. However, you may at some point find yourself faced with the seemingly complex
task of searching for variable text strings. For instance, you might want to find all words that begin with "corp" but end with anything. You can easily perform complex variable string searches and replacements like this using wildcards. To do so, choose Edit | Find or Edit | Replace, as necessary, from the menu bar. As an alternative, you can simply press [Ctrl]F or [Ctrl]H, respectively ([command]F or [command]H on the Mac). In the Find And Replace dialog box, click More, and then select the Use Wildcards check box. Then, in the Find What and Replace With text boxes, construct
your search using any of Word's wildcards. For our example, we'd type <(corp) to find all words beginning with "corp." Our search would return words like "corporal," "corporate" and "corporation." You can view a comprehensive listing of Word's available wildcards by choosing Help | Microsoft Word Help from the menu bar and searching for the term "wildcards."

Taking advantage of the Template Gallery

In addition to updates, add-ins and converters, the Microsoft Office Update site (http://office.microsoft.com) provides a number of downloadable Word templates in its new Template Gallery. You can access the template gallery by pointing your browser to http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/templategallery. When you find a template you'd like to use, click on the corresponding Go To Preview link to view the template contents. If you'd like to use the template, click on the corresponding Edit In Microsoft
Word link. When you do, the site's Template Gallery Control (be sure to install this when prompted) creates a new Word document based on the template you selected. At this point, you can edit and save the new document to your specifications.

Omitting text selections from Word's spell checking process (97/98/2000)

If you frequently include macro code listings or other chunks of cryptic information in your documents, Word's spell checker is likely to have a field day pointing out unrecognized words. You can make Word's spell checker skip over code listings and other information that it's likely not to recognize by applying the No Proofing language setting. To do so, select the text you'd like the spell checker to skip. Next, select Tools | Language | Set Language from the menu bar. In the Mark Selected Text As list box, select the (No Proofing) option and then click OK. From now on, the spell checker will skip over the text you selected without flagging any spelling or grammatical errors.

Toggle upper case and current case in Word

You may already know that you can quickly toggle the case of selected text by pressing [Shift][F3]. Each time you press [Shift][F3], the selected text's case cycles from lower case to title case to upper case. A lesser known case-toggling keyboard shortcut you'll be sure to get some use from is the [Ctrl][Shift]A shortcut. When you select text that contains both upper-case and lower-case characters and then press [Ctrl][Shift]A, Word toggles the case of the lower-case characters to upper case. For example, if you select the text "My Dog has Fleas" and press [Ctrl][Shift]A, the text becomes "MY DOG HAS FLEAS." If you press [Ctrl][Shift]A again, the text returns to its initial state. A word of warning: the [Ctrl][Shift]A shortcut works just like the Caps Lock key. If you don't select any text before pressing [Ctrl][Shift]A and then begin typing, your text will all be upper case. To turn the feature off, press [Ctrl][Shift]A again.

Using [Ctrl] to select text in Word

You can use the [Ctrl] key in combination with the mouse to select a sentence. To take advantage of this technique, simply hold down [Ctrl] as you click anywhere in the sentence. Word will highlight the sentence as well as the period and any blank characters after the sentence. To expand the selection one sentence at a time, continue holding down the mouse button and drag through the text you want to highlight. If you use [Ctrl] to select the last sentence in a paragraph, Word won't highlight the paragraph mark, which it treats separately from the sentence. If the sentence contains an abbreviation that includes a period, such as Dr., Word will stop selecting at that point. To continue the selection, just hold down [Shift] and click on the remaining part of the sentence.

Prevent macros from running when you start Word

As you may know, you can customize what happens when you launch Word by creating an AutoExec macro. An AutoExec macro runs automatically each time you start Word. You can use this type of macro to do anything from opening certain files automatically to setting your screen preferences. However, sometimes you might want to prevent an AutoExec or other automatic macro from running when you start Word. You can do so by adding the /m switch to the Target line of a Word shortcut or at the end of the command line in Windows' Run dialog box, but this method can be tedious as it involves a number of steps. To quickly prevent Word from running automatic macros during startup, simply hold down the [Shift] key while you start Word. (Note: If you start Word from the Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar, click Word's shortcut button first, and then hold down the [Shift] key while Word starts.)

Quickly redefining a Word paragraph style

You don't have to access the Style dialog box to modify an existing style in Word; you can easily do so directly from Word's document window. First, apply the style you'd like to modify to a portion of document text. When you do, the style name appears in the Style text box on the Formatting toolbar. Next, modify the document text to reflect the character or paragraph formatting changes you'd like to apply to the existing style. When you've finished making changes, select the text, then click in the Style text box and press [Enter]. When you do, the Modify Style dialog box appears. Select the Update The Style To Reflect Recent Changes option, then click OK. Word then saves the formatting to the style and updates your document text to reflect the style's new settings.

Save or close all Word documents simultaneously (95, 97, 98, 2000)

If you work with many open documents at the same time, saving and closing them all can be a pain in the neck if you use the document window's Close button (X) or the File/Save and File/Close methods. An alternative is to click the application window's Close button (X) or select File/Exit from the menu bar, but there's yet a much better solution. To save or close all open documents simultaneously, press and hold the [Shift] key, and then select File from the menu bar. Because you were pressing [Shift] when you accessed the File menu, Word changes the Save and Close commands to Save All and Close All, respectively. At this point, you can release the [Shift] key and select Save All or Close All, as appropriate, from the File menu.

Display text boundaries in Word (95, 97, 98, 2000)

When you're working on complex publications that contain multiple columns, graphics, funky margins, and other design and layout tricks of the trade, it can be very helpful as you work on your document to know where the document area ends and the margins begin. Working in Print Layout view (Page Layout in earlier versions) can give you a vague idea where these delimiters fall, but displaying your document's text boundaries is much more effective. To display text boundaries, first switch to Print Layout (or Page Layout) view. Select Tools/Options from the menu bar (Tools/Preferences on the Mac), then click on the View tab. In the Print And Web Layout Options area (Show area in earlier versions), select the Text Boundaries check box and then click OK. Now you'll see dotted lines indicating document margins and text columns, as well as inserted objects.

Restoring Word's Normal.dot template (95, 97, 2000)

If you've ever unintentionally saved changes to Word's global template, Normal.dot, you've probably gone to any number of lengths to restore it to its original state. The easiest way to restore the Normal.dot template to its original state may surprise you-delete it! When Word can't find the Normal.dot template in the User Templates or Workgroup Templates location (you can determine these locations by selecting Tools/Options from the menu bar and clicking on the File Locations tab) it creates a new Normal template with the standard Word document formats, menu, toolbar, and shortcut key settings.

Ungrouping Word pictures with one click (97/2000)

As you probably know, when you insert clip art or other Windows metafile objects in your Word documents, the rotation tools on the Drawing toolbar aren't available. To use these tools, you must convert the metafile to a Word picture object. You can do so by ungrouping and then regrouping the object; however, this process is tedious. To make this process more efficient, add Word's built-in Disassemble Picture button to the Drawing toolbar. This button is also convenient to use when you want to modify the components of a clip art object. To add the button, first display the Drawing toolbar by selecting View/Toolbars/Drawing from the menu bar. Then select Tools/Customize from the menu bar, and click on the Commands tab. Choose Normal.dot from the Save In dropdown list to save the button for use in the Normal.dot template. Select Drawing from the Categories list box. Finally, locate the Disassemble Picture button in the Commands list box and drag it to the Drawing toolbar. To use the button, select a clip art or other object and click the Disassemble Picture button. Word automatically ungroups the object so you can work with its individual components. To regroup the object, click the Select Objects button on the Drawing toolbar and then select the objects you'd like to group. Then, select Draw/Group from the Drawing toolbar.

ZD Tips™ and ZD Journals Weekly Buzz is a trademark of Ziff-Davis Inc. Copyright (C) 1999 Ziff-Davis Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part, in any form or medium, without express written permission of Ziff-Davis is prohibited. For additional ZD Journals online information, access ZD Journals on the Internet (http://www.zdjournals.com).

Use Word's spell checker corrections with AutoCorrect (2000)

Whether you're a poor speller or a poor typist, Word's AutoCorrect feature houses a collection of common spelling errors and corrections to make your life easier. When the AutoCorrect feature is turned on, Word automatically corrects common spelling errors as you type by referring to the AutoCorrect list. Word 2000 expands on the efficiency of the AutoCorrect list by enabling it to use corrections that are generated by the spell checker's main dictionary. To take advantage of this feature, you must first turn on the AutoCorrect feature. Select Tools/AutoCorrect from the menu bar, then click on the AutoCorrect tab (if necessary). Select the Replace Text As You Type check box, then select the Automatically Use Suggestions From The Spelling Checker text box and click OK.

To test this feature in action, type "meatluaf" in a Word 2000 document (without quotes), followed by a space. When you do, Word consults the AutoCorrect list for the common spelling error "meatluaf". When it doesn't find the error in the AutoCorrect list, it consults the spelling dictionary for a replacement. If it finds a single replacement for the unrecognized word, it makes the correction automatically. The word "meatloaf" is the only suggestion the spelling dictionary offers for the unrecognized word "meatluaf", so the change is made automatically. Keep in mind, however, that if the spelling dictionary offers more than one replacement, no change is made. Instead you must use the standard spell checker correction features.

Quickly determine font and paragraph formatting in Word without dialog boxes

Because Word is a WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) word processor, it hides all formatting codes and displays your document as it will appear when you print it. This is a very convenient feature--until you try to determine the formatting that's been applied to a section of your document. To determine font and paragraph formatting, you could refer to the Style, Font, and Paragraph settings on the Formatting toolbar or in the Format menu, but this method involves a lot of tedious hunting and pecking among numerous menus and dialog boxes. Luckily, there's a much easier way. You can determine the font and paragraph formatting for a paragraph or character using the What's This feature. Simply select Help/What's This from the menu bar or press [Shift][F1]. When you do, the pointer turns into a question mark. Click on the character or paragraph whose formatting you'd like to identify. Word then displays a pop-up message box summarizing the font and paragraph formatting of the text you selected. To close this message box, press [Esc].

Switch panes in Word using the keyboard (95/97/2000)

When you're working with footnotes, endnotes, comments, and other information panes in Word, it can be a hassle to switch between the document pane and the information pane using the mouse. As an alternative, you can simply press [F6]. Other shortcuts that employ the [F6] key are the Next Window and Previous Window shortcuts, which are [Ctrl][F6] and [Ctrl][Shift][F6], respectively.

Access Word's Find And Replace dialog box quickly (95/97/2000) (posted 4/1/00)

When you proofread or revise documents, you frequently need to access the Find And Replace dialog box and its Find, Replace, and Go To tabs. You might need to search for a word or phrase using the Find tab, which you can access by choosing Edit/Find from the menu bar. Or, you may want to replace a word or phrase with something different using the Replace tab, which you can access by choosing Edit/Replace from the menu bar. The Go To tab enables you to jump to a bookmark, comment, or other location in your document, and you can access it by selecting Edit/Go To from the menu bar. However, since the Find, Replace, and Go To tabs are so frequently used, it can be tedious to access them repeatedly from the Edit menu. Instead, try using their built-in keyboard shortcuts. To access the Find tab, press [Ctrl]F; to access the Replace tab, press [Ctrl]H; and to access the Go To tab, press [Ctrl]G.

Find synonyms in Word 2000

When you're writing, be it a letter, novel, or memo, writer's block is always leering just around the corner. Luckily, Word 2000 can help you spruce up your writing with its Synonyms feature. To find synonyms for a word you've typed, simply right-click on it and then choose Synonyms from the resulting shortcut menu. When you do, you'll see a list of synonyms for the word you've selected; simply click on the one you'd like to use, and Word replaces the selected word with the synonym you chose. Occasionally, Word is even able to offer antonyms to the word you select (this will be followed by the word "Antonym" in parentheses). If you don't find a word you like, select Thesaurus at the bottom of the list to access Word's thesaurus.

Recently used file list (posted 2/29/00)

To prevent the recently used file list from being displayed in the File menu, first select Tools/Options from the menu bar, then click on the General tab. Next, clear the Recently Used File List check box. When you've finished, click OK.

On the other hand, if you'd like Word to display the recently used file list, but you're unsatisfied with the quantity of files it displays, you can easily increase or decrease the default number of listed files. To do so, first access the General property sheet as we mentioned earlier. Make sure the Recently Used File List check box is selected, then enter a new value in the corresponding Entries text box. You can enter any value ranging from 0 to 9. (Entering 0 has the same effect as clearing the Recently Used Files check box.) When you've finished, click OK.

A shortcut to Word's Cell Height And Width dialog box (95/97/2000)

When you're working with a table, the Cell Height And Width dialog box (Table Properties in Word 2000) can be one of your most-used tools. This dialog box enables you to specify row height, column width, and table alignment. It also enables you to automatically resize the table to accommodate its contents and specify whether Word should break a row across pages. You may find yourself opening the Cell Height And Width (or Table Properties) dialog box repeatedly as you check or adjust various settings. Although you can choose Cell Height And Width from the Table menu (Table Properties in Word 2000), you may want to take advantage of a shortcut. Just double-click on a column marker on the ruler. Word instantly opens the Cell Height And Width (or Table Properties) dialog box, where you can select the tab containing the options you need.

Entering tab characters in a Word table (95/97/2000) (posted 2/1/00)

When you create a table in Word, the [Tab] key takes on some special functions. First, pressing [Tab] when the insertion point is in the last table cell creates a new row. In addition, pressing [Tab] in any other cell moves the insertion point into the next cell. (You can press [Shift][Tab] to reverse direction.) But what if you want to insert a tab mark within a table? The trick is to hold down the [Ctrl] key as you press [Tab]. Word then enters a tab mark just as if you'd pressed [Tab] outside the table.

Changing Word's AutoRecover frequency (95/97/2000) (posted 1/15/00)

Word's AutoRecover feature (AutoSave in Word 95) helps protect you from data loss by saving information about the current document and template. If you experience a power outage or system failure, Word tries to restore unsaved data and template changes the next time you run the program. By default, Word automatically saves your document for AutoRecovery every 10 minutes. If you don't want Word to interrupt your work this often, you can easily increase the interval between automatic saves. To do so, choose Tools/Options from the menu bar and click on the Save tab. In the Save Options panel, enter the desired AutoRecover frequency in the Save AutoRecover Info Every text box (Automatic Save Every text box in Word 95). You can enter a value from 1 to 120 minutes. If you want to turn off the feature altogether, just clear the corresponding check box. When you've finished, click OK.

Move or remove toolbar buttons quickly (95/97/2000) (posted 1/5/00)

To help you work more efficiently, Word enables you to customize toolbars by creating new toolbar buttons, removing toolbar buttons you don't use, and moving existing toolbar buttons to more convenient locations. When you need to move or remove a toolbar button, you can open the Customize dialog box by selecting Tools/Customize or View/Toolbars/Customize from the menu bar or by right-clicking on a toolbar and choosing Customize from the resulting shortcut menu. Then, while the Customize dialog box is open, you can move a toolbar button by dragging it to a new location on a toolbar, or you can remove it by dragging it to the document area. This method is rather meticulous; fortunately, there's a much quicker method. Simply press and hold down the [Alt] key and then drag the toolbar button to a new toolbar location or to the document area, as appropriate.

This tip was submitted by Maritta Hermens [frost@kayhay.com]

Customize the Document Map (97/2000) (posted 12/15/99)

You can use Word's Document Map feature to obtain a quick outline of your document. To view the Document Map, click the Document Map button on the Standard toolbar or select View/Document Map from the menu bar. When you do, Word opens the Document Map pane to the left of the document workspace. The Document Map displays any items in your document to which you've assigned styles that specify an outline level.

When you select an item in the Document Map, Word automatically jumps to the corresponding location in the document. As you may have noticed, the Document Map's default selection bar color is Dark Blue; when you select an item in the Document Map, it's difficult to see the item through such a dark selection bar. You can change the color of the Document Map's selection bar by modifying the Document Map style. To do so, select Format/Style from the menu bar, then select All Styles from the List dropdown list. Next, select Document Map from the Styles list box, then click Modify. Select Format/Border in the Modify Style dialog box, then click on the Shading tab. Select a color from the Fill color palette, then click OK to return to the Modify Style dialog box. To save the modified Document Map style to the active document template, select the Add To Template check box. Click OK to close the Modify Style dialog box, then click Close to exit the Style dialog box. When you do, the selection bar in the Document Map reflects your changes. (Keep in mind that when you close the active document, you'll be prompted to save changes to the template the document is based on; click Yes to save the changes.)

Remove a document from Word's Recent Files list (95/97/2000) (posted 12/1/99)

If you share a computer with other users, you may find the Recent Files list, located at the bottom of Word's File menu, to be a frequent betrayer of privacy. This list itemizes the four most recently opened documents; and, if you click on an item in the list, Word opens it for you. If you've recently worked on a private document that you don't want others who use your computer to know about, you can remove it from the Recent Files list. To do so, first press [Ctrl][Alt][-]. When you do, the pointer changes to a minus sign. Select File from the menu bar, then click on the item in the Recent Files list that you want to remove. This action removes the item from the list, reducing it to three items; however, the next time you open a new file, it will be added to the list so that the list will again contain four items.

Change Word's default picture editor (95/97/2000) (posted 11/15/99)

As you may know, when you want to edit a picture you've inserted n Microsoft Word, you simply select the picture, right-click on it, and select Edit Picture from the resulting shortcut menu. When you do, Word opens a special editing window in which you can proceed to modify the picture to whatever specifications you desire. However, you may find either Word doesn't offer the editing features that you're looking for, or you're more accustomed to editing pictures using a different application. If either is the case, you can change the default picture-editing program that Word uses to edit imported pictures. To do so, select Tools/Options from the menu bar, then click on the Edit tab. The Picture Editor dropdown list contains picture editors installed on your system that Word can use as its default picture editor. Select the program you'd like to use as Word's default picture editor from the Picture Editor dropdown list, then click OK.

Changing Word's insertion point (posted 11/1/99)

Some users find Word's I-beam-shaped insertion point rather difficult to see. It's so slender that it can easily blend in with surrounding text, especially on laptop computers, which tend to have small screens and low resolution. Luckily, you can change the insertion point from its default I-beam shape to a "splat" symbol, which resembles a four-leaf clover. To do so, simply press [Ctrl][Alt][+] (using the numeric keypad). When you do, the insertion point changes to the easy-to-see "splat" symbol. To return to the default I-beam insertion point, press [Esc].

Entering sample text in a Word document (97/2000) (posted 10/10/99)

Before you use a macro, form, or template with your important documents, it's wise to test it on a sample document to make sure it works correctly. This way, you don't run the risk of damaging an irreplaceable document during testing. You may think that to create a sample document you'll need to spend precious time typing paragraphs of sample text--such is not the case. Using a simple command, you can quickly enter a few paragraphs of the popular alphabet test phrase "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" in your Word document. To do so, type

=rand()

and then press [Enter]. When you do, Word automatically inserts three five-sentence paragraphs of this convenient sample text. If you find that three five-sentence paragraphs of text is either too much or too little, you can specify the number of sentences and paragraphs you'd like Word to insert by typing

=rand(p,s)

where p is the number of paragraphs and s is the number of sentences per paragraph. For example, to enter four six-sentence paragraphs, type

=rand(4,6)

and press [Enter].

Finding VBA equivalents to WordBasic commands (97/2000) (posted 10/1/99)

If you've written macros for Word 95 or earlier, then you're accustomed to using the WordBasic programming language. Though WordBasic proves to be a useful development tool for creating macro solutions in Word 95 and earlier, it doesn't readily support integrated use between Word and other Microsoft Office applications. To optimize integration between Office applications, Microsoft made VBA the standard programming language for all Office applications, beginning with the release of Microsoft Office 97. Hence, WordBasic was replaced by VBA with the release of Word 97. For all of you WordBasic users out there who are still trying to catch up to speed with the VBA equivalents of the WordBasic commands that you're familiar with, check out the Visual Basic Editor (VBE) Help topic called "VBA Equivalents for WordBasic commands."

To access this Help topic, open Word and select Tools/Macro/Visual Basic Editor from the menu bar or press [Alt][F11] to open the Visual Basic Editor (VBE). Press [F1] to open the Office Assistant, then type the word "equivalents" (without quotes) and click Search. Finally, select Visual Basic Equivalents For WordBasic Commands from the search results list. (Note: If you've disabled the Office Assistant, instead select Help/Microsoft Visual Basic help from the VBE's menu bar, then click on the Contents tab. Select Microsoft Word Visual Basic Reference/Shortcut to Microsoft Word Visual Basic Reference from the table of contents, then click on the Find tab. Type "equivalents" (without quotes) in the Type The Words You Want To Find text box, then locate and double-click on Visual Basic Equivalents For WordBasic Commands in the Click A Topic, Then Display list box.)

Copying character and paragraph formatting (95/97/2000) (posted 9/22/99)

In a recent tip, subscriber Joao Ribeiro explained how to change paragraph formats in Word by copying and pasting the paragraph symbol of one paragraph to another. You can also copy paragraph formatting, as well as character formatting, using Word's Format Painter feature.

To copy paragraph formatting using the Format Painter, first place the insertion point anywhere within the paragraph whose formatting you'd like to copy. Next, click the Format Painter button in the Standard toolbar. Finally, click in the paragraph to which you'd like to apply the formatting. To copy character formatting, first select the text whose formatting you'd like to copy. Click the Format Painter button, then select the text to which you'd like to apply the formatting. If you'd like to apply the formatting to a single word, there's no need to select it; simply click on the word, and the new formatting will be applied. To apply formatting to multiple selections, select the item whose formatting you'd like to copy, then double-click the Format Painter button. Proceed to apply the formatting as applicable, then click on the Format Painter button to turn it off.

Using the keyboard to move Word table rows (95/97/2000) (posted 9/15/99)

When you create a table in Word, you may find that after you've finished, you'd like to rearrange the order of the table rows. You can do so by selecting the table row you'd like to move and then dragging it to the new location. However, if you're working with a large table, this technique can be tricky if you have to scroll through numerous screens and pages to reach the new location. As an alternative, you can add a new, blank row to the table and then use the cut-and-paste technique to relocate the original row, but this method involves a tedious number of steps. In this type of situation, you'll find it much more convenient to move table rows using the keyboard. To do so, first select the rows you'd like to move. (If you want to move only one row, simply click in it; there's no need to select the entire row.) Then, press [Alt][Shift] and use the up and down arrow keys to move the row(s) to the desired position.

A unique way to change paragraph formats in Word (95/97/2000) (posted 9/1/99)

In a Word document, you can quickly format entire paragraphs by assigning a paragraph style. Word's Normal template contains a collection of predefined paragraph styles, as well as character styles, that you can create, modify, and apply using the Style dropdown list on the Formatting toolbar. You can also create, modify, and apply styles using the Style dialog box, which you can access by selecting Format/Style from the menu bar. However, when you want to apply the style of one paragraph to another but you haven't defined the paragraph's formatting as a style, try this workaround.

You can change the formatting of one paragraph to match the formatting of another by replacing the paragraph mark of one paragraph with a copy of the paragraph mark of the other. To do so, select the paragraph mark following the paragraph whose formatting you'd like to apply, then press [Ctrl]C to copy it to the Clipboard. (To display paragraph marks if they aren't displayed already, click the Show/Hide button on the Standard toolbar.) Next, select the paragraph mark following the paragraph you'd like to modify, then press [Ctrl]V to paste the paragraph mark you copied. When you do, the paragraph formatting of the first paragraph is automatically applied to the second. (Please note that this technique copies only paragraph formatting, and not character formatting.)

Discover Word's hotspots (posted 6/26/99)

If you rely on the right-click method to display shortcut menus, then you'll find that displaying dialog boxes, windows, or other items by double-clicking on certain hotspots is another alternative method to using Word's menu options.

For example, to access the Paragraph dialog box, double-click on any indent marker located on Word's ruler. If you double-click in the empty space to the left of the ruler indent markers or in the empty space to the right of the ruler indent markers, Word displays the Page Setup dialog box. If you've set tabs, just double-click on a tab marker on the ruler and Word opens the Tabs dialog box. If you want to jump to another page of your document, double-click on the page or section number in the status bar, located at the bottom left of the application window. This action opens the Go To dialog box. There are more hotspots hidden within Word. Try double-clicking on Section Breaks or footnote reference marks and see what you uncover.

Displaying Windows 98's Easter Egg (posted 6/6/99)

In order to uncover Windows 98's Easter Egg you'll need to have on hand a world atlas. To begin, double-click the clock display in the system tray. When the Date/Time Properties sheet appears, select the Time Zone tab. Now, hold down the [Ctrl] key and click your left mouse button on the approximate location of Memphis, Egypt. Next, while still holding down the [Ctrl] key, imagine that you're dragging an object across the ocean and drop it on approximate location of Memphis, Tennessee. Don't release the [Ctrl] key. Then, click on the same imaginary object and drag it across the United States and drop in on Redmond, Washington. You can now release the [Ctrl] key. When you do so, a dialog box will appear containing a list the Microsoft Windows 98 developers. You'll also see a slide show of pictures from the Microsoft campus accompanied by the great music from the Welcometo Windows 98 screen you saw after you installed Windows 98. Be patient, you'll probably have to repeat the steps again several times to get it right.

Apply a template to an open document (95/97) (posted 6/6/99)

If you'd like to create a document using one of Word's templates but aren't sure which one to use, don't sweat it. You can always create a document first, then apply a template to it later. Or, if you apply a document template and decide later that you're unhappy with it, simply apply a different template. To do so, open the document you want to modify, select Format/Style Gallery from the menu bar, then select a template from the Template list box. When you do, you'll see a preview of what your document will look like with the new template in the Preview Of pane. If you like the results, click OK and Word applies the template to your document text.

This technique works better with some documents and templates than it does with others, so you'll want to experiment accordingly. For best results, create a document based on a template similar to the one you'd like to apply. Templates that share the same types of styles and form fields interchange with one another quite effectively.

Cycle through open documents (95/97) (posted 5/12/99)

If you work with many documents at once, switching from one to another can be a hassle if you use the Window menu. Fortunately, Word provides keyboard shortcuts that make this task quicker and easier. To cycle between open document windows, simply press [Ctrl][F6] to switch to the next document in the Window menu's open document list, or press [Ctrl[Shift][F6] to move to the previous window in the list.

Aligning a table on a page (97 only) (posted 4/25/99)

Working with tables can often be tricky, especially when it comes to positioning the table on the page. Word 97 allows you to align a table on a page using the Align Left, Center, and Align Right buttons; however, to do this successfully, you must first select the entire table. If you select only a portion of the table, Word only aligns the table's contents. To align a table on a page using Word's alignment buttons, first select Table/Select Table from the menu bar, or press [Alt]5 using the numeric keypad. Then click the alignment button of your choice on the Formatting toolbar.

An alternative method to change case (95/97) (posted 4/1/99)

You can quickly cycle through three case options by pressing [Shift]+[F3]. Here's how it works. Select the text you wish to modify and press [Shift]+[F3]. If the text is all lower case, it changes to title case. If you want to make it all caps, all you have to do is press [Shift]+[F3] again. To return the text to its original state, press [Shift]+[F3] a third time. If the text is already title case, [Shift]+[F3] changes it to all caps the first time you press the keys and to lowercase the second time you press them.

Viewing recent actions (95, 97) (posted 3/5/99)

Word's Undo feature actually watches you as you work, recording several of your most recent actions. Because of this, it also lets you undo multiple actions. To see a list of your most recent actions, click the down arrow associated with the Undo button on the Standard toolbar. This displays a list of actions that Word can undo. To reverse an action all you have to do is select one or more of them from the list. You'll notice that the names of the Undo choices change as you work.

Edit in Print Preview (95, 97) (posted 2/15/99)

When you click the Magnifier button on the Standard toolbar, you'll see your document as it will appear when printed. This is a great function in Word because you have the opportunity to look at your document layout to make sure everything is positioned correctly. But, what if you find something you want to change? Well, you don't have to leave Print Preview to fix it. Simply click the Magnifier tool on the Print Preview toolbar to toggle to the editing mode. Then, make your document edits just as you would in a normal Word view. You can enter and format text, size tables, move objects, resize graphics, adjust drawings, and so on. The great advantage to making edits in Print Preview is that you see the print results immediately. When you're done, you can either print the document or switch back to a normal view.

Edit text in print preview:

1. In print preview, display the page you want to edit.

2. Click the text in the area you want to edit.

3. Click Magnifier. When the pointer changes from a magnifying glass to an I-beam, make your changes to the document.

To return to the original magnification, click Magnifier, and then click the document.

Unique options for underlining text (97)

The Underline button on the Formatting toolbar is one that is used quite often. But did you know that Word 97 offers some unique choices for underlining text which are just as easy to apply? To add one of these new underlining formats, select the text you wish to underline and choose Format/Font. Then, click the dropdown arrow in the Underline list box (directly below the Font list box) and select an option, such as dotted, dash, and wave. The selection appears in the Preview window. Once you've made your selection, click OK to apply the formatting and dismiss the Font dialog box.

Change text direction with a click (97 only) (posted 1/15/99)

Word 97's ability to change the direction of text in a table allows you to manipulate table space without compromising the overall look or readability of the table. By selecting a table cell and choosing Format/Text Direction you can open the Text Direction dialog box. However, there is a quicker alternative. Simply display the Tables And Borders toolbar, select the text, and then click the Change Text Direction button on the toolbar. Each time you click it, Word changes the direction of the text and the button images changes to reflect the current position (vertical down, vertical up, or horizontal).

Fixing incorrect font cases (95, 97) (posted 12/30/98)

With the [Shift] key located directly below the [Caps Lock] key, it's very easy to accidentally hit [Caps Lock] when you actually mean to hit [Shift]. When you do, you'll get the following result: uSE THE sHIFT kEY, NOT THE cAPS lOCK KEY. When this happens, there are two ways to fix it.

The first method allows you to fix these occurrences as they happen. Simply select the word or words that you wish to change, choose Format/Change Case from the main menu, and then select the tOGGLE cASE option and click OK. Word then switches uppercase to lowercase and lowercase to uppercase.

If you'd rather avoid these occurrences all together, choose Tools/AutoCorrect, click the AutoCorrect tab (no tabs in version 95), select the Correct Accidental Usage Of cAPS lOCK Key, and then click OK to commit the change and exit the AutoCorrect dialog box. When you select this option, Word automatically corrects case errors as you type. (This is the default setting and should already be selected unless you have deselected it.)

Keyboard shortcut for super & subscript (posted 12/10/98)

ctrl + '=' (sub)
ctrl + '+' (super)

Entering tabs in a table (posted 11/20/98)

When you create a table in Word, the [Tab] key takes on some special functions. First, pressing [Tab] when the insertion point is in the last table cell creates a new row. In addition, pressing [Tab] in any other cell moves the insertion point marker into the next cell. But what if you want to insert a tab mark within a table? The trick is to hold down the [Ctrl] key as you press [Tab]. Word will then enter a tab mark just as if you'd pressed [Tab] outside the table.

Keyboard shortcuts for multicolumn layouts (95, 97) (posted 10/30/98)

If you want to move quickly from column to column, you can take advantage of a few keyboard shortcuts. To move the insertion point marker from one column to the top of the next, press [Alt]+the down arrow key. To move from one column to the top of the previous column, press [Alt]+the up arrow key. If you press [Ctrl][End], Word will take you to the end of your document--that is, to the end of the last column. Pressing [Ctrl][Home] places the insertion point marker at the beginning of your document. These shortcuts work the in Normal and page layout View.

Activating a document from the Window menu (posted 10/15/98)

When you work with several open documents, trying to activate a particular window can be time consuming. Granted, you can cycle through open documents by pressing [Ctrl][F6], but you might want to zero in on a document without having to activate several other documents first. The quickest way to accomplish this is to choose the document name from the Window menu. If you don't want to leave the keyboard to make this selection with your mouse, just press [Alt]W to display the Window menu and then press the number that corresponds to the document you want to open. For example, if you're working with seven documents and you want to go to the third document on the Window menu, simply press 3. Word will then take you right to that document.

Using [Ctrl] to select text (posted 9/28/98)

You can use the [Ctrl] key in combination with the mouse to select a sentence. To take advantage of this technique, simply hold down [Ctrl] as you click anywhere in the sentence. Word will highlight the sentence as well as the period and any blank characters after the sentence.

To expand the selection one sentence at a time, continue holding down the mouse button and drag through the text you want to highlight. If you use [Ctrl] to select the last sentence in a paragraph, Word wont highlight the paragraph mark, which it treats separately from the sentence. If the sentence contains an abbreviation that includes a period, such as Dr., Word will stop selecting at that point. To continue the selection, just hold down [Shift] and click on the remaining part of the sentence.

Shortcut key (posted 9/5/98)

Shortcut keys allow you to perform a variety of tasks without having to search through the menu options to find what you are looking for. Word has many such keys already assigned to a function and they can be used in all types of documents. Shortcut keys make it especially easy to move around in a table. The following is a list of keys and their functions you may find useful when working in a table:

Tab	Moves the insertion point right by one cell or inserts a new row if in the last cell (bottom-right) of the table
Ctrl+Tab	Sets a tab
Shift+Tab	Moves the insertion point left by one cell
Arrow key	Moves the insertion point character by character and into the next cell
Alt+Home	Moves the insertion point to the first cell of the first row
Alt+End	Moves the insertion point to the last cell of the last row
Alt+Page	Up Moves the insertion point to the top cell of the column
Alt+page	Down Moves the insertion point to the bottom cell of the column

Retrieving data from a Web site and displaying it in an Excel 97 workbook (posted 8/15/98)

Excel 97's Web Query feature allows you to grab information from a particular Web site and display it in your workbook. The program includes some sample Web queries you run can right away. To demonstrate, open a new workbook and issue the Data/Get External Data/Run Web Query... command. The Run Query dialog box will appear, displaying a list of predefined queries.

Select the one named Detailed Stock Quote by PC Quote, Inc.iqy and then click the Get Data button. In the next dialog box, choose Existing Sheet radio button, type A1 in the text box, and click OK. When the dialog box appears, type the symbol for the stock in question. For instance, to query data for Ziff-Davis' stock, type ZD, then click OK. Wait a moment while Excel connects to the Internet and grabs the statistics for that stock. Once it's finished, you'll see formatted price information appear in your worksheet. Try experimenting with the other queries in the Run Query dialog box. To learn how to create your own Web Query (.iqy) files, refer to the Microsoft Knowledge Base article at

http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/q157/4/82.asp

To learn more about queries, refer to the information at the Microsoft site

http://www.microsoft.com/excel/webquery/

Autosummarize feature (posted 8/1/98)

Managing multiple documents can be frustrating when you can't remember what each document is about. But you can make your job easier by using Word's AutoSummarize feature. This feature automatically summarizes the key points in a document. Word analyzes your document, determines the most important sentences, and gives you a custom summary based on this analysis. To open the AutoSummarize dialog box, choose Tools/AutoSummarize... and select one of the four summary options. You can highlight the key points, insert a summary at the top of the document, create a new document and paste the summary there, or you can hide everything but the summary without leaving the document. You can also customize the length of the summary and update the document statistics so you can access the summary through File/Properties.

Opening multiple documents (posted 7/15/98)

If you need to work with more than one document at a time, Word makes it easy to open multiple files at once. Just click the Open button on the Standard toolbar (or choose Open... from the File menu). Then, hold down [Shift] and click on the names of the files that you want to open. If the filenames aren't next to each other, use the [Ctrl] key instead of [Shift] to select them. (If you accidentally click on the wrong filename, continue holding down [Shift] or [Ctrl] and click on the filename again to deselect it.) Once you've selected all the files you want to open, click Open. You can also open the files in another way--just right-click on the files once you have selected them and choose Open from the shortcut menu.

Although this technique is handy, keep in mind that it has a catch: All the files must be in the same directory. You can't select a couple of files in one directory and then change to a different directory and select additional files.

Precise Page Numbers (posted 7/1/98)

To insert page numbers at the outside margin, select Insert/Page Numbers and choose Outside in the Alignment box. To start page numbering with a specific number, select Insert/Page Numbers, click on Format, then type a number in the Start At box.

A Fast Way to Pick Up Where You Left Off (posted 6/15/98)

Nothing is more frustrating than being interrupted while you're in the middle of a major word processing project. It's bad enough that you lose your concentration-you may also lose your place in the document.

While Word can't help you mentally regroup, it can take you back to the text you were working on before you closed your document. When you reopen the document, press [Shift][F5] before you do anything else. The shortcut executes Word's Go Back command, which moves the insertion point marker to your most recent editing location.

Deviated Dictionary (posted 6/1/98)

If you've inadvertently added a misspelled word to the custom dictionary, open the CUSTOM.DIC file, remove the word (and the entire line) and save the file. You can use Notepad or any flat file editor.

In Your Own Words (posted 5/17/98)

Custom dictionaries are ASCII files that can be created with Word. To make your own dictionary, type the words you want to include--one per line--then use Save As and select Text with Line Breaks. Before saving, change the file extension from TXT to DIC. (Be sure to put your file name within quotation marks so Word doesn't automatically add the TXT extension.) You can then use the Custom Dictionaries button under Tools/Options/Spelling to add your list to the dictionary.

The Wizard of Odds (posted 5/1/98)

To begin a document section on an odd-numbered page (so it always appears on the right when you print on both sides of a page), select Insert/Break, and then choose Odd Page. To remove a section break, click on the break line and press the Delete key.

A fast way to clear a table (posted 4/12)

Do you use Word's table feature to organize or format information? If so, you may sometimes need to delete everything within a table but preserve the empty table and all its formatting. Selecting a table and pressing [Backspace] will delete only the contents of the first cell in the selection. And if you select a table and click the Cut button, Word will delete the entire table.

To remove the contents of all the cells in a table, select the table and press [Delete]. Alternatively, you can choose Clear from the Edit menu. Either way, Word will leave the table structure intact but delete everything within it. You can also use this approach to delete the contents of selected cells instead of every cell in a table.

Returning to an insertion point (posted 4/5/98)

To return the insertion point to any of the last three locations where an action occurred, press Shift+F5. Each time Shift+F5 is pressed, the insertion point moves to the immediately preceding place of action. Press Shift+F5 a fourth time and the insertion point returns to the location where it started. Pressing Shift+F5 after opening a document returns the insertion point to the location where the last revision was made before saving and closing the document.

Go To a % (posted 4/3/98)

From the Go To tab, to jump to an approximate location in a document, type % followed by a number, or a number followed by a % in the Enter Page number box. For example, 50% would move you to the middle of the document.

Previewing your merge results (posted 3/27/98)

When you're setting up a main document for a mail merge operation, it's sometimes hard to envision exactly what the finished product will look like--especially if you've used a lot of fields rather than actual text to set up the document. To help you monitor the appearance of your merge documents, Word enables you to selectively view merge results before you actually perform the merge.

To take advantage of this feature, activate the main document and click the View Merged Data button on the Mail Merge toolbar. (Be sure you don't have Word set to display field codes, or this won't work.) When you click the View Merged Data button, Word will display information from the first record in your data source for each merge field in the main document. You can view information for a particular record by entering its number in the Go to Record text box or by using the First Record, Previous Record, Next Record, and Last Record buttons to display the record you want.

When you view data in this fashion, bear in mind that you can't edit it. If you discover a mistake in your data, click the Edit Data Source button to access the record itself and make the necessary correction.

Create powerful, tailored resumes with Resume Wizard (posted 3/21/98)

A great resume organizes your skills, education, and experience in a way that's customized for the job you're seeking. Word makes it easier for you to build a specific resume for each job-and it can assist you in creating a cover letter and even guide you through sending the resume and cover letter by e-mail or fax.

To activate the wizard:

1. From the File menu in Word, click New.

2. Click the Other Documents tab.

3. Double-click Resume Wizard, and follow the steps of the wizard.

Note: If you don't see Resume Wizard when you open the New dialog box, you need to run Office Setup to install it (see "Install/Remove Individual Components" in the Word Help menu).

Create electronic batch mailings of your resume and cover letter
(posted 3/21/98)

You may have used the Word Mail Merge feature to create printed mass mailings, but did you know that it can also help you generate electronic mailings? For example, use Mail Merge to send your resume and cover letter online to several potential employers at once.

1. From the Tools menu, choose Mail Merge.

2. Complete the process for the first two steps to Create the merge document, and Get Data.

3. Click Merge, click the down arrow in the Merge To box, and select Electronic Mail.