AutoSphae and text box behaviour

[JGM]

Hi there,

Office XP on Windows XP Pro.

I have a template that is based on a table and a bunch of different rows
stored as Autotext entries. There is a dropdown button on a custom toolbar
to insert the desired rows....

Now, my client has asked that 2 particular text items be surrounded by a
border, but not the text border because it is too close to the text itself.
So, in one case, I put a small textbox in the first cell of the autotext
entry, with a MACROBUTTON NoMacro for the user to select and type their own
text. The other one, the client wanted the option of inserting it anywhere,
and she wanted round corners. So I used a rectangular autoshape with rounded
corners and again a MACROBUTON NoMAcro inside...

Both the textbox and the autoshape are aligned on the text so they move with
it and the client does not have to worry with wrapping.

Here is the problem:

When we insert either of these autotext, everything is fine, we click on the
macrobutton, type our text, add other autotext entries and build the
document. Then we save the document. When we reopen it, usually all but one
autoshape (or one textbox ) are no longer aligned on the text, but floationg
over their original positions, and in their places, where they were
originally placed as aligned on text, some kind of nearly invisible shape
which is aligned on the text, has appeared...
Very weird.
The only way to fix it is to move the original shape, select the ghost
under, delete it, replace the shape and reapply no wrapping (as in aligned
on text). But if I close the document and reopen it later, I have to redo
the whole thing...

Very annoying.

Has anyone ever seen this?

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Jgm,

Now, my client has asked that 2 particular text items be surrounded by a
border, but not the text border because it is too close to the text itself.

Border around a cell? And increase the cell padding?

So, in one case, I put a small textbox in the first cell of the autotext
entry, with a MACROBUTTON NoMacro for the user to select and type their own
text. The other one, the client wanted the option of inserting it anywhere,
and she wanted round corners. So I used a rectangular autoshape with rounded
corners and again a MACROBUTON NoMAcro inside...

FWIW, it's not possible to insert a drawing object INTO a table cell. At the
very most, it can be anchored to the table cell. What textwrap formatting have
you applied to these? Which version of Word are we dealing with?

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't know about previous versions, but in Word 2002, AutoShapes can be
made In Line With Text, and then you *can* put them in table cells.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
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all may benefit.

 

[JGM]

Thanks for the reply Cindy,

--
_______________________________________
Jean-Guy Marcil
(e-mail address removed)

Hi Jgm,

Border around a cell? And increase the cell padding?

My client has enough problem dealing with tables, I do not want to give her
a nested table situation! Like I said, the "bordered" text must be
insertable anywhere in the document (inside or outside tables). So, I cannot
use single cell (as I said above), no frames in tables, no border around
text (border is too close to the text itself)... so I am left with either
textboxes or autoshapes with text.

FWIW, it's not possible to insert a drawing object INTO a table cell. At the
very most, it can be anchored to the table cell. What textwrap formatting have
you applied to these? Which version of Word are we dealing with?

You can if the shape is Aligned on the text (I am not sure the exact term
for this, my Word version is French, i.e. "Aligné sur le texte"). Which is
what I have done. But, like you said, normally you cannot place a drawing
INTO a cell, so by aligning it on the text IN the cell (inline shape), I am
bypassing a restriction and Word is fighting back by becoming unstable and a
general pain! I have found a working solution, but I do not like it! I
create the situation as I stated in my previous post, save the document, and
resave until Word generates the "ghost" image. Then I grab my textbox and
the ghost image generated by Word, group them and re-align the group on the
text. Then I create the autotext based on that inline-shaped group. The
problem goes away... But I would like to know if I am missing something...

Like I said in my post, I am using Office XP, or Word 2002.

Thanks again.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Suzanne,

I don't know about previous versions, but in Word 2002, AutoShapes can be
made In Line With Text, and then you *can* put them in table cells.

It only LOOKS that way. In reality, you're still dealing with a "shape".
Take a look at the handles when one is selected: they're white, not black.
And other drawing object stuff is still valid. What you see is only
cosmetic, but Word is not managing them behind the scenes like in-line
graphics.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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[JGM]

Hi Cindy,

Actually, on my computer (Office and Windows XP), in-line autoshapes and
text boxes are no different from floating ones as far has handles are
concerned. In-line autoshapes and textboxes have the same handles as
floating ones, autoshapes even keep their green rotating handle.

Images on the other hand have different handles. I guess word handles
autoshapes and textboxes (which really are a kind of autoshape) diffrently
from images. I guess I am having the problem I described because insist on
doing something illegal, i.e. forcing an autoshape INSIDE a cell by making
it in-line...

Cheers!

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Jgm,

Images on the other hand have different handles. I guess word handles
autoshapes and textboxes (which really are a kind of autoshape) diffrently
from images. I guess I am having the problem I described because insist on
doing something illegal, i.e. forcing an autoshape INSIDE a cell by making
it in-line...

I think that's where Word is getting confused, although I'm not sure I'd term
it as "illegal" since the interface would seem to allow it

I guess I'd try leaving the "boxes" as "floating", either in front or behind
the text, and set them to "move with text". And they're locked to the
paragraph containing the text. This only gets tricky if you're trying to use
any vertical cell alignment within the table cells...

But otherwise, I think you may have no other choice than a nested table.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003)
http://www.mvps.org/word

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