aligning decimals in a table

[Florence]

In WordPerfect, there is a way to align numbers within a
table column by the decimal point, so that no matter how
many integers come before or after, the decimal points
line up. Does Word contain a feature like this, and if
so, how do I get it to work?

 

[Anne Troy]

Hi, Florence!

Yes, Word has a decimal alignment tab. The only thing you have to remember
is that you must have a tab, followed by your number.

Try this:

Type a list of numbers, with one tab in front of each and a return after
each. Select the list. Over to the left of the ruler, you'll probably see a
button that looks like an L, click it until it looks like an upside-down T
with a DOT on it. Then, click on the ruler where you'd like the decimal to
align.
<-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*->
Hope this helps!
Anne Troy (better known as Dreamboat)
Author: Dreamboat on Word
Email: Dreamboat*at*Piersontech.com
Web: www.TheOfficeExperts.com
<-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*-><-*->

 

[Charles Kenyon]

You can set a decimal tab either using the ruler or under Format => Tabs...
Either way, you need to be in the cell where you want the decimal tab. To do
it in the ruler click on the L icon on the left side of the rule. It change
to indicate a center tab. Click it again to get it to be a right-tab, and
yet again for the decimal tab. Then click on the ruler where you want the
tab set. If you go through the menus, the dialog box is pretty
self-explanatory.

In a table, you don't have to press the tab key to use a decimal tab if that
is the only tab setting in the table. The tab is assumed. If you do need to
produce a tab, you should press Ctrl-Tab.

Remember that the tab settings are different (or can be different) in each
cell. I would recommend setting a custom style for your decimal tab
settings. The tab settings are measured from the left edge of the cell, not
the right edge.

What follows is some general (rambling) advice for those moving to Word from
Word Perfect. I would advise reading it and the linked pages as soon as
possible to suffer the minimum frustration.

Word and Word Perfect work very differently from one another. Each program's
methods have strengths and weaknesses; but, if you try to use one of these
programs as if it were the other, it is like pushing on a string! You can
easily make a lot of extra work for yourself. If you are unwilling to take
the time to learn to use Word's methods, you should stick to using Word Pad.
You'll have a lot less grief, although you'll miss out on a lot of raw
power.

See <URL: http://www.addbalance.com/word/wordperfect.htm> (in two days)
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WordVsWordPerfect.htm>
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/TipsAndGotchas.htm>
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm>
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/WordPerfectConverters.htm>
<URL:
http://businesssoft.about.com/compute/businesssoft/library/blconvert.htm>
for information on Word for Word Perfect users.

For more:
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart2.htm>
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/CreateATemplatePart1.htm>
<URL: http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm> (in two days)
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Numbering/WordsNumberingExplained.htm>
<URL: http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm> (in two days)
<URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Customization/WhatTemplatesStore.htm>

In Word 2000 (or later) You can get the function keys to display in a
special toolbar at the bottom of the screen if you want (something like
pressing F3 twice in WP). The following macro will do this.
Sub ShowMeFunctionKeys()
Commandbars("Function Key Display").Visible = True
End Sub

Learn about Styles - really learn! <URL:
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm> (also in two days) I
resisted for years and now regret every day of those years because although
that string was still very hard to push, it kept getting longer and longer,
and had some very important projects tied to it!

In Word Perfect macros are often used to reproduce text. In Word you want to
use templates, AutoText and AutoCorrect for this. You can use FILLIN and ASK
fields or UserForms to query the user. For some form documents, Word's
"online forms" work very well. For more about online forms, follow the links
at <URL: http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/FillinTheBlanks.htm>
especially Dian Chapman's series of articles.

--
I would not recommend using converted documents long-term. They will be
filled with formatting anomolies that will get you at the worst time. This
is especially true of any documents containing automatic numbering or
bullets. Try recreating form documents in Word using the following process:

In Word Perfect (if you still have it, in Word if not) save your files as
text files.

Use your converted files as references to show you how you want your
formatting to look.

Create a new document in Word and insert the text from the text file. Save
this new document as a Word template. Format it the way you want using
styles, not direct formatting. Save it again.

To use a template within Word, use File => New and pick your template. This
will create a new document for you.

Hope this helps.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
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from my ignorance and your wisdom.

 

[Florence]

Charles & Anne, thank you so much for your help. You have
no idea how you saved me. We are in the process of
converting a major document with many sub-documents from
WordPerfect to Word. We have created our templates in
Word and are doing well so far. It is just the little
nitpicky things that we are getting stuck on now. Thanks
to the two of you, we are again moving forward.