Can't figure how to Automatically fill in frequently typed phrases

[Laverne]

In my previous version of Word XP I was able to type a frequently typed
phrase or difficult to spell word (hepatosplenomegaly for example). I would
type in part of the word or phrase and only hit ENTER to fill in the rest. I
can't find the function in Word 2007 to do this. Anybody have any
suggestions they will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Jay Freedman]

In my previous version of Word XP I was able to type a frequently typed
phrase or difficult to spell word (hepatosplenomegaly for example). I would
type in part of the word or phrase and only hit ENTER to fill in the rest. I
can't find the function in Word 2007 to do this. Anybody have any
suggestions they will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

AutoCorrect is still available. The dialog to manage it is now in the Options
dialog instead of the Tools menu. Go to Office button > Word Options > Proofing
and click the AutoCorrect Options button. You can select any word, phrase,
picture, etc., then go to that dialog and enter an 'alias'. Whenever you type
the alias in a document and follow it with a space or punctuation, it'll be
replaced by the full entry.

What you described is the AutoText feature, which in Word 2007 has become part
of the Building Blocks feature (Insert > Quick Parts > Building Blocks
Organizer). Because Microsoft fumbled this one, it's harder to use than in
previous versions -- the automatic completion tips are gone, and you have to
press F3 to activate the replacement instead of pressing Enter.

 

[Laverne]

Thank you so much, that works okay -- just somethine I'll get used to.
Everything changes and in the great scheme of things, if that's my worst
problem I'm pretty happy about it. Thanks again.

 

[Weyana]

Thank goodness SOMEONE was able to tell me what was going on with this! I am
a medical transcriptionist (Laverne, from your mention of hepatosplenomegaly,
sounds like you are an MT too, or similar!), and this is a major thorn in my
side! I just upgraded this week and decided to try it out tonight on a
couple of brief files that should have taken less than an hour...I was
messing around for THREE hours trying to figure out why AutoText wouldn't
work. Then when I found them in that stupid QuickText Gallery, I needed a
way to not have to go search for one everytime I needed it. (Quicker just to
type it sometimes, you know??)

....And right now, I am trying not to have a panic attack, because in its
glorious splendor, Word seems to have corrupted my Normal.dot, because they
don't even show up in the Gallery now. It would appear every AutoText I ever
created over the years has disappeared, and I'm staring at the screen
wondering what in the world I'm going to do about it.

*headdesk*headdesk*headdesk* I really hate computers sometimes. >:[

 

[Weyana]

n/m. Crisis averted. Had a fairly recent backup that I remembered about,
but slapping Word around a bit got it working right again anyway.
Still...what an inconvenience. I don't know about you, but I don't actually
have the 'titles' of all my AT's memorized, and have relied on that prompt.
I think I may just switch back to XP for transcription and save the new
developer/"PageMaker" format for fiddle-farting around with in my spare time.

Thank you both again for putting heads together to discuss this!

 

[Graham Mayor]

You might consider investigating autocorrect instead as this inserts
immediately.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

But then you have to remember the prompt for the AutoCorrect entries, which
is just as much trouble as remembering the names of the AutoText entries!

 

[Weyana]

Precisely. AutoCorrect can only do so much. AutoText can be far more
powerful. As it turns out, I think the F3 thing may prove a bit easier after
all...as AutoText's AutoComplete suggestion disengages after you type too
many characters. With 2007's QuickParts, it seems you can type more of the
prompt instead of just 6 characters, or whatever.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Not only more but also less. AutoComplete required four unique characters. I
can use F3 after three (and perhaps even fewer).

 

[Graham Mayor]

It depends what you mean by 'more powerful'. I can't off-hand think of
anything that Autotext can hold that Autocorrect cannot. Suzanne is correct
in suggesting that you still have to remember the trigger keys, but it is
not imposible to make logical combinations that are easy enough to remember,
but if you prefer autotext/quickparts that's fine. There is no
'autocomplete' in Word 2007.

--
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Graham Mayor - Word MVP


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[Weyana]

Well, for starters, you can use AutoText to insert several formatted
paragraphs (for example) by typing one word that is an abbreviation for that
template. If you use AutoCorrect, then you have to hit 'Undo' or 'Alt-Z' if
you need to refer to that template by name without referring to it.

E.g., a doctor I transcribe for can ask me to jot a note on his log that he
needs to do the 'sodfarm' for Patient X, and then as he's dictating the
report, when he starts that template, I can type "sodfarm" and hit F3 (or
Enter in 2003) to pull up the template. If "sodfarm" were an AutoCorrect for
this 1/2 page long bit, then I would constantly be having to undo the
correction in notes he dictates.

As a general rule, I use AutoCorrect for unique acronyms or
capitalization...mris for MRIs; ncs for nerve conduction studies; clt for
cervical, lumbar, and thoracic; cspine for cervical spine...things that I
would never intend to be left as it is. While on the other hand, as I said,
I use AutoText for phrases that I may or may not intend to insert when I type
its trigger.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

But that's not to say that you couldn't save the "sodfarm" AutoText entry as
an AutoCorrect entry with a different name, such as #sdf.

 

[Graham Mayor]

Indeed. I always use autocorrect with a prefix such as #, %, or @ to avoid
accidental triggering - except for correcting words I have a tendency to
misspell when typing.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP


<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If I were not so clumsy typing on the top row (I have to peek), I'd do that,
too. As it is, I don't really have very many AutoCorrect entries of that
type any more, and they tend to be assigned for specific projects and then
(if I remember) deleted. Sometimes I forget and months later run into an
expansion that completely surprises me!

 

[Weyana]

I might consider doing that, actually...although typing for a living, speed
counts--and symbols slow me down because I have to peek, too. But for a
couple I do have that get messed up when I type something similar, that would
still be quicker than Ctrl-Z and retyping after I realize what I did.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Many users suggest beginning the prompts with a semicolon or slash, which I
would find much easier to type, but I'd be concerned that those might occur
in the text normally at some point.

One caveat about AutoCorrect entries that are just letters. I had not
realized that an optional hyphen would trigger an AutoCorrect. When I'm
laying out a book, I don't use automatic hyphenation, but I scan pages for
loose lines and then insert optional hyphens as needed to tighten up the
lines. One time I inserted a hyphen in the middle of a word without
realizing that the portion of the word before the hyphen was the prompt for
an AutoCorrect entry. This expanded (into several words) without my noticing
it and not only made a mess of the formatting but also made complete
nonsense of the paragraph. Luckily the client noticed it when the proofs
came back from the printer!

This has been reported to MS, and it has been strenuously pointed out that
optional hyphens should not trigger AutoCorrect, but it's a glitch I won't
hold my breath waiting to see corrected.

 

[Weyana]

Ugh...I've done that one. I have one doctor whose favorite word seems to be
"regarding". I need to change that entry from "re" to "reg" or something
else ("reg:" maybe...can't do "re:" since that would get typed intentionally)
because of that very reason...if I type "re-examined", I get
"regarding-examined"..."you're" yields "you'regarding".

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Oh, ouch! That's much worse than my example! But at least your problems are
triggered by an ordinary hyphen and a space, which I can't really object to;
it's treating optional hyphens as "punctuation" that really burns me up,
since you are usually inserting an optional hyphen in the middle of a word
that's already been typed.

 

[Weyana]

Yeah, that's no good. I wonder if there's some random setting that could
fix that...like turning off "correct -- to an em dash". *L*

 

[Laverne]

I have decided to try to use the different ways to see which one will solve
my problem. I'm with you Weyana, being an MT means speed is vital. The BEST
way was the origninal way that prompted me, and I had so many entered. I'm
just now realizing as I'm working that I really miss a lot of them. I guess,
though, that it's just a matter of getting used to it. I just wish we
wouldn't keep having to get used to something new -- Microsoft should find a
way to fix it and bring back the old way and allow it as a FREE download for
new computers. It never occurred to me that I should have to find out if
such basic things are a part of the new 2007. ARRRGH!