AutoFormat feature that can't be turned off

[Larry]

In Word 97, even if you want to use AutoFormat for just one feature, you
cannot turn off the feature that turns dotted lines into a solid
paragraph border. Even if you uncheck all the features in AutoFormat,
and then run AutoFormat, it will still turn a dotted line into a solid
border. So if you don't want dotted lines changed to solid, you can't
use AutoFormat.

This automatic line feature, judging from the newsgroups, has caused
more hassle to more users that just about any thing else in Word. Why
is Microsoft so attached to it that they won't let it be turned off?
Couldn't they have had a simple built-in command that would enable the
user to create a solid line when he wants to create it? What is this
obsession MS has with tricking people with automatic features they don't
even want?

Larry

 

[Charles Kenyon]

It can be turned off. There are _two_ sets of AutoFormat options. One is for
AutoFormat as you type and the second is for AutoFormat. You have to turn it
off in the second set if you are going to use AutoFormat and don't want it
to happen then.

Uncheck the "border lines" option.
--

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.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

And in case that post wasn't crystal clear to you, what Charles meant to say
was "One is for AutoFormat as you type and the second is for AutoFormat As
You Type." The second is the one you want. See
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/TameAutoFormat.htm

 

[RegUK]

Ah, but - I tried this in word 2002 and the OP is correct

even if you turn off the 'replace hyphens with Dash' on both dialogues (AF AYT and AF) AND un-check the 'borders' you still get a dotted line replaced with a solid line when you run format/autoformat - which you can of course reject - but the point stands

Reg

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't believe anyone thought the dash was what the OP was talking about.
We assumed he was talking about automatic borders. It's also unclear what is
meant by "a dotted line."

Ah, but - I tried this in word 2002 and the OP is correct:

even if you turn off the 'replace hyphens with Dash' on both dialogues (AF

AYT and AF) AND un-check the 'borders' you still get a dotted line replaced
with a solid line when you run format/autoformat - which you can of course
reject - but the point stands?

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Just checked it in Word 2003 and you and OP are correct. Sorry. There isn't
the option for borders in the AC options.

If you type a space at the end of the row of dashes, it will prevent the
conversion.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

I accept what your saying but I do think OP has a sort of valid point,

albeit expressed in a confrontational way.

Many, perhaps most, non-power users who want to put a line under a

paragraph would simply type a line of dashes, or if they were really clever
Underline Chars. Autoformat will turn that into a solid para border
regardless of what's checked in the dialogues.

Personally I prefer that but I can see how someone would get wound up if

it was changed without reference and whilst I can accept that such a person
probably should avoid anything with the word 'automatic' in the title I do
think that the autoformat options could be better exposed and more turn on
and offable.

 

[RegUK]

But can you *autoformat* (see OP) without it changing the underline/dashes to a paragraph border? certainly changes it in 2002 regardless of this box' statu

Reg

 

[Dayo Mitchell]

Hi Suzanne,
I think they're saying when you manually run AutoFormat, not AutoFormat as
You Type. I found too that running AutoFormat added borders despite
instructions not to (MacWord 2001)--all that was checked was "preserve
styles". The AutoFormat dialog doesn't have the Borders option, although
AutoFormat As You Type does.

Of course, if you let AutoFormat run wild in your doc, you're asking for
trouble, but it still seems a pretty definite bug. All who are following
this thread, if it's not already been mentioned, you can email
(e-mail address removed) to complain (put Word in the subject line and be sure
your statement of the problem is coherent).

Dayo

I beg to differ (again). The new setting is "Border lines," between
"Automatic numbered lists" and "Tables" (see attached screen shot). I have
all of those disabled, and I can type hyphens or underlines in Word 2003 ad
libitum and press Enter without getting a border.

 

[Reguk]

But it was so much fun :
Reg

 

[Charles Kenyon]

Hi Suzanne,

It is necessary to distinguish between AutoFormat corrections applied as the
person types and AutoFormat applied under the Format menu.

My AutoCorrect Options => AutoFormat dialog has the following choices:
Apply--
Built-in Heading Styles Automatic bulleted lists
List styles Other paragraph styles

Replace --
Straight quotes with smart quotes
Ordinals (1st) with superscript
Fractions (1/2) with fraction character (1/2)
Hyphens (--) with dash (-)
*Bold* and _italic_ with real formatting
Internet and network paths with hyperlinks

Preserve --
Styles

Always AutoFormat --
Plain text WordMail documents

-------------
And when I have a line of dashes (without the suggested space at the end)
and apply AutoFormat under the Format menu, it changes to a line. Word 97,
Word 2000, Word 2003. I haven't figured out which of these choices I should
change to alter this behavior.

Like you, I disable all of the "Apply as you type" options on the
"AutoFormat as you type" dialog.
--

Charles Kenyon

See the MVP FAQ: <URL: http://www.mvps.org/word/> which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

I beg to differ (again). The new setting is "Border lines," between
"Automatic numbered lists" and "Tables" (see attached screen shot). I have
all of those disabled, and I can type hyphens or underlines in Word 2003 ad
libitum and press Enter without getting a border.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Okay, I'm seeing that now, too. I use AutoFormat very sparingly (mostly for
converting URLs to active hyperlinks since I have that feature enabled in AT
but disabled in AFAYT), and I always select text before running it.

Hi Suzanne,
I think they're saying when you manually run AutoFormat, not AutoFormat as
You Type. I found too that running AutoFormat added borders despite
instructions not to (MacWord 2001)--all that was checked was "preserve
styles". The AutoFormat dialog doesn't have the Borders option, although
AutoFormat As You Type does.

Of course, if you let AutoFormat run wild in your doc, you're asking for
trouble, but it still seems a pretty definite bug. All who are following
this thread, if it's not already been mentioned, you can email
(e-mail address removed) to complain (put Word in the subject line and be sure
your statement of the problem is coherent).

Dayo