Style problem (Word 2000)

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Hello all, i’ve got a style problem. The document with the problem is attached. The section 2.1 formation must be a heading 2 but when i select the text and make it heading 2 it still is the style normal. What can i do about this?

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Heading 2 is a paragraph style. If you apply Heading 2 to a part of a paragraph, you are just applying the character settings of the style to the selected text, but the paragraph as a whole will keep its original style. If you click anywhere in the paragraph or select the entire paragraph (including the paragraph marker at the end) and apply Heading 2, this will become the style for the paragraph, but you will lose all manual formatting.

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Heading 2 is a paragraph style. If you apply Heading 2 to a part of a paragraph, you are just applying the character settings of the style to the selected text, but the paragraph as a whole will keep its original style. If you click anywhere in the paragraph or select the entire paragraph (including the paragraph marker at the end) and apply Heading 2, this will become the style for the paragraph, but you will lose all manual formatting.

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A quick way to change a paragraph to a heading style is to press & hold the Alt+Shift keys & tap the left arrow key. This will change it to Heading 1. Alt+Shift+Right arrow will then demote the heading (to Heading 2, Heading 3, & so on).

Also, for the first 3 headings:
Alt+Ctrl+1 = Apply Heading 1
Alt+Ctrl+2 = Apply Heading 2
Alt+Ctrl+3 = Apply Heading 3

Cheers,

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You can insert the no-width optional break from the Insert/Symbol/Special Characters to give a portion of the paragraph the heading 2 style while the remainder stays in normal or body text. But I looked at this document, and I don’t think the numbering is part of the heading 2 style, which it probably should be.

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Hi Diane:
Could you explain that more? How does a no width optional break allow two different paragraph styles in the same paragraph…or did I misunderstand what you were saying?
Thanks,

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No. You are not misunderstanding. It’s me. I am confusing my most recently acquired skills. In fact, it’s the hidden paragraph mark, a tip I got from you here originally (and used with great success in a policy and procedures manual, shortening the manual by some 20 pages). The no width optional break is another recent tip that I had used used extensively in a document that was filled with references to websites (and it worked out just wonderfully for allowing text to be justified without huge gaps). Sorry. I’ll try to check myself on what I want to say before I say it next time.

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Hi Diane:
No problem. Could you tell me how you’ve used the no width optional break; i.e. how it’s useful? I’ve never actually used it before; nor have I used the no width non break & I’m curious as to what they’re used for. Thanks,

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I used the no width optional break in a pleading which contained a lot of names of websites. Our pleadings are justified and we’re required to use 13 pt. font, so a couple of sites like http://www.wopr.com/cgi-bin/w3t within a short distance of each other caused the text to wrap to the next line, before its time, so to speak, and the lines were so spread out they looked ridiculous and were actually hard to read. I created a shortcut key and inserted the no width optional break at several spots within the website addresses so that they could break and wrap, keeping a better flow. I used this method rather than spaces because things get revised (and revised) and I didn’t want to end up with something like http://www.wopr . com / cig – bin/w3t scattered throughout the document when the revisions were done and I needed to get it out the door. I also used it after the slash in plaintiff/counterdefendant, also used frequently in this pleading and the cause of many more lines being spread too far. I try to use as many features as I can so that when the revisions are done and it’s getting late and a document has to be filed with the court, I don’t have too much goofy looking stuff to contend with. I have not used the no width non break either and right off-hand can’t think of how I would.

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Hi Diane:
Thanks for the information. For some reason, on my machine, inserting a no-width optional break from Insert/Symbols/Special characters does nothing. I do have a shortcut key that inserts a no width space & that works to allow the text wrap. I wonder why a no width space works for me, but no a no width optional break.

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I had never heard of non-width breaks before this discussion, but now that I try it (to allow a break after using a / in a phrase like ‘either/or’), like Phil I find that it does not work for me. I have always wondered how to do that and have often resorted to using spaces either side of the / but that doesn’t look very good. So if anyone can help me (and Phil) work out why it doesn’t work for us (I am on Word 2000 SP3) I’d be grateful. Also, Phil, I can imagine what a no-width space is, but how do you get one?

Ian

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Nonprinting formatting marks must be showing to see the zero-width space symbol (looks like a gray box inside a gray box). Click the Show/Hide icon on the toolbar to toggle marks on/off. You must also select a Unicode font like Arial Unicode MS, then go to the subset General Punctuation (in Insert/Symbols).

Its most useful purpose is to split combination words after the slash or long web site addresses that extend beyond the current line.

Cheryl

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Nonprinting formatting marks must be showing to see the zero-width space symbol (looks like a gray box inside a gray box). Click the Show/Hide icon on the toolbar to toggle marks on/off. You must also select a Unicode font like Arial Unicode MS, then go to the subset General Punctuation (in Insert/Symbols).

Its most useful purpose is to split combination words after the slash or long web site addresses that extend beyond the current line.

Cheryl

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Hi Ian:
I do have a way to break lines at the forward slash. However, it was by using a no-width space, rather than a no-width optional break or no-width non break. The latter two special characters (Insert/Symbol/Special Characters) did nothing for me & I can’t figure out how to use them.

What I did was to insert a no width space, select it, go to Tools/AutoCorrect & type a shortcut for it (I use sp*). Then whenever I want a break between something like either/or
I just type sp* after the slash & AutoCorrect takes over. However, I’ve forgotten the ANSI code that I used to insert the no-width space.

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I just tried the auto-correct option for inserting my no-width optional break and I like it a lot better than the shortcut key I created. That was changing my font from what we use to Times New Roman. Thanks for that idea!

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Hi guys, I know this might sound a bit dim, but how do insert a no width space – I think I must be misunderstanding something

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Hi Darsha:
Here’s an article by Klaus Linke & Dave Rado, both Microsoft MVPs. click here.
Cheers,

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I read this article and then tried a Find/Replace with the no width optional break. It can be ignored. I searched my document for Plaintiffs/Counterdefendants and found all with and without the no width optional break. The break displays almost the same as the no width space. I’m wondering if they are not actually the same thing with Find/Replace working with the no width optional break as it does with an optional hyphen because it is on the Insert/Symbol menu rather than inserted using ASCI text.

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Hi Diane:
Thanks for the information. You’re correct–Find/Replace ignores the 2 special characters, no width break & non break. I still haven’t seen a use for either, as neither one will paste into the Find box & neither will make plaintiff/defendant wrap after the slash. I figured out what I did to get my “no width” space. I inserted a space, then condensed it by some large amount & made it into an autocorrect entry. However, when you do that, you can’t search for plaintiff/defendant…you must search for plaintiff/ defendant.
Cheers,

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I may be confused but the no width optional break will make plaintiff/counterdefendant will wrap after the slash. And I was meaning to convey that you can search for plaintiff/counterdefendant and find all occurrences, those with and without the optional break. The article goes into a wild card method of searching because it will not find plaintiff/defendant with the ASCI no width space in it.

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Well, there must be something different about my setup, but I don’t know what. Something is clearly being inserted when I insert the no width optional break & no break because the cursor will hesitate there when I press the arrow keys. And I can copy & paste it in the main document.. Oh, well…

Reply | Quote

Well, there must be something different about my setup, but I don’t know what. Something is clearly being inserted when I insert the no width optional break & no break because the cursor will hesitate there when I press the arrow keys. And I can copy & paste it in the main document.. Oh, well…

Reply | Quote

I may be confused but the no width optional break will make plaintiff/counterdefendant will wrap after the slash. And I was meaning to convey that you can search for plaintiff/counterdefendant and find all occurrences, those with and without the optional break. The article goes into a wild card method of searching because it will not find plaintiff/defendant with the ASCI no width space in it.

Reply | Quote

Hi Diane:
Thanks for the information. You’re correct–Find/Replace ignores the 2 special characters, no width break & non break. I still haven’t seen a use for either, as neither one will paste into the Find box & neither will make plaintiff/defendant wrap after the slash. I figured out what I did to get my “no width” space. I inserted a space, then condensed it by some large amount & made it into an autocorrect entry. However, when you do that, you can’t search for plaintiff/defendant…you must search for plaintiff/ defendant.
Cheers,

Reply | Quote

I read this article and then tried a Find/Replace with the no width optional break. It can be ignored. I searched my document for Plaintiffs/Counterdefendants and found all with and without the no width optional break. The break displays almost the same as the no width space. I’m wondering if they are not actually the same thing with Find/Replace working with the no width optional break as it does with an optional hyphen because it is on the Insert/Symbol menu rather than inserted using ASCI text.

Reply | Quote

Hi Darsha:
Here’s an article by Klaus Linke & Dave Rado, both Microsoft MVPs. click here.
Cheers,

Reply | Quote

Hi guys, I know this might sound a bit dim, but how do insert a no width space – I think I must be misunderstanding something

Reply | Quote

Hi Ian:
I do have a way to break lines at the forward slash. However, it was by using a no-width space, rather than a no-width optional break or no-width non break. The latter two special characters (Insert/Symbol/Special Characters) did nothing for me & I can’t figure out how to use them.

What I did was to insert a no width space, select it, go to Tools/AutoCorrect & type a shortcut for it (I use sp*). Then whenever I want a break between something like either/or
I just type sp* after the slash & AutoCorrect takes over. However, I’ve forgotten the ANSI code that I used to insert the no-width space.

Reply | Quote

I had never heard of non-width breaks before this discussion, but now that I try it (to allow a break after using a / in a phrase like ‘either/or’), like Phil I find that it does not work for me. I have always wondered how to do that and have often resorted to using spaces either side of the / but that doesn’t look very good. So if anyone can help me (and Phil) work out why it doesn’t work for us (I am on Word 2000 SP3) I’d be grateful. Also, Phil, I can imagine what a no-width space is, but how do you get one?

Ian

Reply | Quote

Hi Diane:
Thanks for the information. For some reason, on my machine, inserting a no-width optional break from Insert/Symbols/Special characters does nothing. I do have a shortcut key that inserts a no width space & that works to allow the text wrap. I wonder why a no width space works for me, but no a no width optional break.

Reply | Quote

I used the no width optional break in a pleading which contained a lot of names of websites. Our pleadings are justified and we’re required to use 13 pt. font, so a couple of sites like http://www.wopr.com/cgi-bin/w3t within a short distance of each other caused the text to wrap to the next line, before its time, so to speak, and the lines were so spread out they looked ridiculous and were actually hard to read. I created a shortcut key and inserted the no width optional break at several spots within the website addresses so that they could break and wrap, keeping a better flow. I used this method rather than spaces because things get revised (and revised) and I didn’t want to end up with something like http://www.wopr . com / cig – bin/w3t scattered throughout the document when the revisions were done and I needed to get it out the door. I also used it after the slash in plaintiff/counterdefendant, also used frequently in this pleading and the cause of many more lines being spread too far. I try to use as many features as I can so that when the revisions are done and it’s getting late and a document has to be filed with the court, I don’t have too much goofy looking stuff to contend with. I have not used the no width non break either and right off-hand can’t think of how I would.

Reply | Quote

Hi Diane:
No problem. Could you tell me how you’ve used the no width optional break; i.e. how it’s useful? I’ve never actually used it before; nor have I used the no width non break & I’m curious as to what they’re used for. Thanks,

Reply | Quote

No. You are not misunderstanding. It’s me. I am confusing my most recently acquired skills. In fact, it’s the hidden paragraph mark, a tip I got from you here originally (and used with great success in a policy and procedures manual, shortening the manual by some 20 pages). The no width optional break is another recent tip that I had used used extensively in a document that was filled with references to websites (and it worked out just wonderfully for allowing text to be justified without huge gaps). Sorry. I’ll try to check myself on what I want to say before I say it next time.

Reply | Quote

Hi Diane:
Could you explain that more? How does a no width optional break allow two different paragraph styles in the same paragraph…or did I misunderstand what you were saying?
Thanks,

Reply | Quote

You can insert the no-width optional break from the Insert/Symbol/Special Characters to give a portion of the paragraph the heading 2 style while the remainder stays in normal or body text. But I looked at this document, and I don’t think the numbering is part of the heading 2 style, which it probably should be.

Reply | Quote