Changed appearance of Document Map

[Trilby]

A month or so ago I formatted a letter with headings and subheadings,
and the Document Map view of it was presented quite nicely--just the
heads and subheads.

Today when I formatted a similar type of letter and looked at it with
the Document Map, the map view had the heads and subheads included
along with the first sentences of each of the sections, which was quite
distracting (and unnecessary). Is this the result of something I may
have downloaded (in response to the weekly download updates that pop up
on my screen)? It's ugly!

Any way to change it back to the elegant heads, subheads appearance?
Thanks!

 

[CyberTaz]

Ctrl+Click in the Document Map Pane & select what level you want to display.

HTH |:>)

 

[Trilby]

I did as you suggest, but the Pane does not change. I do not want to
see the first sentence under each heading, and don't understand why
they appear, as they are not, themselves, headings, nor are they
formatted in any way, leading the program to "interpret" them as
headings.

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, I'm just guessing here as I have not experienced the problem, cannot
replicate it, and (as I understand the feature) nothing but Heading Styled
text should show up in the Doc Map. Since the Doc Map seems to be tied to
Outline View in some way, try going into Outline View & see if the 'Show
First Line Only' button is pressed in. If so, click it to pop it out (as
well as the All button next to it) & see if that makes a difference when you
switch back to Page Layout view.

Other than that, I'm at a loss, unless (this is also a reach) your styles
have somehow become 'tangled up'.

Anything else irregular about the doc's behavior? Is it just this one or
_any_ doc?

Regards |:>)

 

[Trilby]

Went to Outline View, but the "Show First Line Only" button was not
pressed in, so that function didn't apply. Clicked the All button, then
switched back to Page Layout view, but nothing in the Document Map
changed.

Can't figure out why the Navigation Pane/Document Map is interpreting
the first lines of each paragraph under a heading/subheading as
sub-subheadings! Messy!

What is meant by styles becoming "tangled up," and how can this be
remedied?

thanks!

 

[CyberTaz]

What I was referring to is that if you applied (accidentally or
intentionally) a Heading style to a para, then directly modified it to turn
off Bold, change font/font size, etc., the H1 style is still applied, but in
a modified form. That would cause it to appear in the Doc Map even though it
doesn't look like the style is applied.

Click in one of the text lines that 'erroneously' appear in the Doc Map &
take a look at the Styles list on the Formatting Toolbar or the Styles in
the formatting palette. If H1, H2, etc. show as selected. If you reformat
them to Normal or Body Text or some non-heading style, or select 'Clear
Formatting' they should disappear from the Doc Map.

HTH |:>)

 

[Trilby]

Hello, CyberTaz, and thank you for the suggestion to select "Clear
Formatting" on the Formatting Toolbar. That has, at least, cleared the
mistaken sub-subheads--i.e., the first lines of each paragraph of
text--from the Document Map pane.

Three questions:
1. Since I didn't do anything to the text by way of intentional or
unintentional formatting, why was the text interpreted as being any
kind of heading? I wonder if this will continue to be the case.
2. Yes, I got rid of the erroneous subheads from the Pane, but now
there are big blank spaces between the genuine heads and subheads. Can
this be changed so that I get a nice, compact little Document Map?
3. Instructions for formatting the Document Map (I was casting around
for answers) at a Microsoft help site say go to View and click on
Document Map. There is no such heading on my View drop-down menu
(Office 2004 for Mac). There IS "Navigation Pane," but clicking on that
is only for making the NP appear or disappear. Do you happen to know
what pathway is available for me for formatting the Document Map?
(Don't know if, even after finding such pathway, this wd. have anything
to do with my problem, but...)

Thanks!

 

[CyberTaz]

Glad you're making progress, but I'm not sure I have all the answers by any
stretch of the imagination. I've inserted below what I've been able to
surmise:

Three questions:
1. Since I didn't do anything to the text by way of intentional or
unintentional formatting, why was the text interpreted as being any
kind of heading? I wonder if this will continue to be the case.

It is possible that the Heading Styles you _are_ using have been modified to
include a 'Style for following paragraph:' being set to another Heading
level rather than Normal or Body Text or some other non-Heading style.

2. Yes, I got rid of the erroneous subheads from the Pane, but now
there are big blank spaces between the genuine heads and subheads. Can
this be changed so that I get a nice, compact little Document Map?

My guess here is that you are pressing 'Return' twice at the end of a
paragraph in an attempt to get spacing between paragraphs, and that the
"empty paragraphs" have a Heading style applied to them... IOW, this & the
above issue are related. If you get rid of the empties (or at least remove
the Heading style from them, they will disappear from the Doc Map also. (BTW
- to control spacing between paragraphs, use Format>Paragraph>Spacing
Before/After instead of double-tapping the Return key... Preferably as a
part of your Styles.)

3. Instructions for formatting the Document Map (I was casting around
for answers) at a Microsoft help site say go to View and click on
Document Map. There is no such heading on my View drop-down menu
(Office 2004 for Mac). There IS "Navigation Pane," but clicking on that
is only for making the NP appear or disappear. Do you happen to know
what pathway is available for me for formatting the Document Map?
(Don't know if, even after finding such pathway, this wd. have anything
to do with my problem, but...)

I don't know where you're finding this info, but in MacWord the View Menu
listing is for Navigation Pane. It has 2 panels represented by a list at the
top of the Pane, one of which is Document Map, the other being Thumbnails.

The formatting info doesn't pertain to formatting the Document Map listing,
itself, but is meant to suggest that you can click an item in the Doc Map,
then select a Style which is actually applied to the corresponding paragraph
in your text without having to click back into the doc.

Regards |:>)

 

[Clive Huggan]

This is an interesting thread for people like me who have not used Document
Map for a long time because of problems that include some of Trilby's. It
was rumoured (at least on the Windows Word NG) that Document Map had
improved in recent versions, though I hadn't bothered to look (I just use
Outline View for my needs).

In particular: in the past, Document Map used to apply "heading" status to
one-line paragraphs that only went part-way across the page. Maybe that
still applies.

Maybe it hasn't improved ­ I just don't know (although I think CyberTaz has
inferred the main reason you're experiencing problems, Trilby).

<Ahh: Just did a "Document map" search on Google newsgroups and found this
post by John McGhie:>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Document Map uses a rather complex algorithm for stuffing up your document


You are quite correct: it will guess that any paragraph that is less than a
complete line is a heading. Just how it goes about that has been fine-tuned
a bit from version to version of Word, and is further modified by the
settings in Tools>AutoCorrect.

I believe that in versions of Word 2000 and up, it is relatively safe to use
Document Map if the document has a recognisable regular structure using the
built-in Heading styles.

In other words, if it's a technical manual or report formatted the way a
technical writer or web master would format it, Document Map will probably
take the author's word for it and leave it alone (at least, it's supposed
to...)

The last time I actually used it in Word 11, it seemed to function very
well, and it's a handy little tool when it works right. Word XP/11 users
are coming to rely on it as a view for posting public documents on the
corporate intraweb, and it's becoming quite valuable.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, Trilby, adding a couple of minor points to CyberTaz's excellent
advice:

1. You may find that opening the Style Area (from Normal view only) to show
the styles applied gives you a quicker understanding of which paragraphs
have what styles. To reveal the Style Area, choose the Word (or Edit in
earlier versions) menu => Preferences => View => in the field titled "Style
area width" enter say 2.5 cm => OK. You can double-click in the Style Area
(on the name of the style you want to modify) and the Modify styles window
will appear with that style selected (saving the need to go Format menu =>
Style => Modify => select).

2. If you want more information on management of styles, including "Style
for following paragraph" and the advantages of applying space above/below
paragraphs as part of the style ("leading"), have a look at 'Styles and
templates ‹ the keys to consistency and saving time' starting on page 81 of
some notes on the way I use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your
Will", which are available as a free download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/Bend/BendWord.htm).

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Cheers,
Clive Huggan
============

 

[Trilby]

Thank you, Clive, for your suggestions. The mystery continues--even
paragraphs starting with normal-length sentences (no short, one-line
paragraphs) are being designated as sub-heads.

My document is an author letter to a writer on whose work I'm doing a
developmental edit. The letter contains lst-level heads such as
"THEME," "ORGANIZATION," NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE." The subheads are such
things as "Pacing," "Language." (There is rarely a need for level-3
heads.)

When I finish a letter, I use the Document Map to make sure that the
headings provide the author with a coherent pathway through the letter.
This function has been great--in one little compact list to the left of
the document (the letter), I can see at a glance whether my choice of
topics is prioritized in a harmonious way.

I followed the suggestions of CyberTaz about clicking "Clear
Formatting" after highlighting the "heads" that were actually first
sentences of my paragraphs. This got rid of them in the Doc Map, but
left huge spaces in the Map between, say, "THEMES" and "ORGANIZATION."
The Doc Map for the letter before this current project contains no big
empty spaces--just a tight, clear list of heads and subheads. The
earlier project was styled the same way as the current one, because
that's the way I always style the letters.

A further mystery--even the font in the current Doc Map is different!
The Map for the earlier author letter uses a serif font; the Map for
the current project uses a sans serif--and, since I have no idea how to
reformat a Document Map's appearance, I know that I didn't do anything
to change this. (Supposedly, according to Microsoft's online help site,
I can go to View > Document Map > Format > Styles and Formatting >
Custom (Category List: All styles > Styles to be Visible > Document Map

OK...but on my View drop-down, there is no such heading as "Document Map," so I cdn't get past step 1. Haha.

Regards,
Trilby

 

[Trilby]

Hello, CyberTaz:

Thank you for getting back to me. This continues to be a mystery--I did
go into my document and eliminate some spacing between paragraphs, but
this nudged the headings in the Map up only one or two spaces. There's
still a wide blank gap between headings.

My document is an author letter. I'm doing some developmental editing
on several essays. I send an author letter to the writers that is
organized by headings, such as "THEME," "ORGANIZATION," "NARRATIVE
TECHNIQUE." Subheadings might be things like, "Pacing," "Language," and
so forth.
The discussion under each head or subhead is in normal
text--single-sentence paragraphs.

My current author letter is the one where everything suddenly changed.
The previous project's Doc Map is a compact little thing--heads and
subheads one right under the other, no blank lines between them and
certainly no huge gaps. I always write author letters in the same
style, so I know I didn't do anything differently.

The mystery includes a font change, as well, in the Map. All previous
project Maps show up in a serif font. The current project's Map shows
up in a sans serif font. Since I have no idea how to format, let alone
reformat, my Document Map, I am innocent of this font change!

By the way, the instructions for formatting the appearance of the
Document Map came from a Microsoft online help site that I found by
doing a Google search under "Document Map." There were several steps:
1. View > Document Map
2. Format > Styles and Formatting
3. Custom > in Category List, click on All Styles
4. Styles to be visible > Document Map > OK
5. Styles + Formatting Task Pane (pick formatting to apply) > Document
Map (click arrow) > Modify Format > Font...

As I mentioned, I could not get past step #1, as "Document Map" is not
on my View drop-down menu (and Navigation Pane is only about getting
the Map to appear or disappear).

(I love the former appearance of my Document Map, because, before
sending out an author letter, I could see at a glance how
well-organized the flow of topics was. This obviously is equally
important to any writer receiving the letter.)

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Hi Trilby,

Since this odd behavior is relatively new, I'm wondering if you could
possibly be dealing with a corrupt document or Normal template.

When you start a new letter, is the document created from a custom template
that you've made for the purpose, or do you just open the last such letter
you wrote, do a Save As and then work with the copy? If the latter, then
the document(s) may have become corrupt over time.

To see if this is the case, copy all but the last paragraph mark in the
problem doc (turn on Show/Hide formatting so you can see what you're doing)
and paste into a blank new Word doc. Any help?

If not, try this: Quit Word and navigate to your Normal template. If
you're in Word 2004 (you didn't say), you'll find it in Documents>Microsoft
User Data. Otherwise see here:
<http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/MacWordNormal.htm>
(If using Safari, hit Refresh once or twice; better yet, use another browser
for this site.)

Rename Normal (Old Normal will do) and relaunch Word. Now go through the
procedure in the third paragraph above again and see if it makes any
difference. If none of this works, just quit Word again and restore
OldNormal by renaming it to Normal.

--
***Please always reply to the newsgroup!***

Beth Rosengard
MacOffice MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/index.htm>
(If using Safari, hit Refresh once or twice ­ or use another browser.)
Entourage Help Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org>

 

[Clive Huggan]

Comment inline below.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================

* A SUGGESTION -- WAIT FOR CONSIDERED ADVICE: If you post a question, keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete solution
is proposed; sometimes you'll be asked for further information so that a
better answer can be provided. Good tips about getting the best out of
posting are at http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari
you may see a blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload
the current page" -- a few times).

* AVOID SPAM: To avoid spam directed at contributors of newsgroups, you can
set up a "send-only" dummy e-mail account. Full guidelines are at
http://www.entourage.mvps.org/tips/tip019.html

============================================================

Thank you, Clive, for your suggestions. The mystery continues--even
paragraphs starting with normal-length sentences (no short, one-line
paragraphs) are being designated as sub-heads.

BTW: No need to go to the extra trouble of responding separately to me and
CyberTaz, especially since we are overlapping and my comments were
supplementary.

My document is an author letter to a writer on whose work I'm doing a
developmental edit. The letter contains lst-level heads such as
"THEME," "ORGANIZATION," NARRATIVE TECHNIQUE." The subheads are such
things as "Pacing," "Language." (There is rarely a need for level-3
heads.)

When I finish a letter, I use the Document Map to make sure that the
headings provide the author with a coherent pathway through the letter.
This function has been great--in one little compact list to the left of
the document (the letter), I can see at a glance whether my choice of
topics is prioritized in a harmonious way.

Seeing Cybertaz's capable hands are dealing with the main problem and my
comments were supplementary, I think I'll just suggest that if I were doing
a comparable task, I'd just go to Outline view, which never mangles
documents!

But I will still keep an open mind on Document Map. Well, sort of ...

 

[CyberTaz]

Just confirmed - the instructions you found pertain to WinWord 2002 -
2003 (am not certain about earlier versions). In the Windows version,
Document Map & Thumbnails are 2 separate views listed in the View Menu
& don't appear as selectable variations in a single Navigation Pane as
they do in MacWord.

Also, the Document Map style is segregated as a Custom style that only
appears in the Task Pane/Styles List _if_ you designate it to do so
through the instructions you cited.

Regards |:>)

 

[Trilby]

Hello,CyberTaz:

I, too, found that pathway that you offer in your 2/5 message (although
I have no idea how I did it). At this point, I will back out of the
cyber-room, bowing and tugging at my forelock, with many thanks to you
and to Clive Huggan.

Trilby

 

[Trilby]

Dear Beth:

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm using Office 2004 for Mac, and
start each document fresh (no template).

A couple of other people responded with some helpful hints, which I'm
trying out now, and I managed somehow to find, in my program, the
pathway to modifying the look of the Document Map (though that does not
address the problem of the Map interpreting the first sentence of each
paragraph as a sub-subhead).

Anyway, I will try everyone's ideas, and see how that goes.

Thank you, again,
Trilby

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

I haven't read this entire thread very closely, but no-one seems yet to have
mentioned that Document Map works on the "Outline Level" applied to the
paragraphs.

Outline Level is a Paragraph property, and can be independent of the Style
applied to the paragraph.

The reason we recommend using Headings 1 to 9 in documents to be subjected
to Document Map view is that in the built-in Headings 1 to 9, the Outline
Level property is correctly set and hard-coded so it cannot change.

However, if you were to go to Format>Paragraph>Outline Level and change the
setting for a paragraph to something other than Body Text, that paragraph
would appear in Document Map, regardless of the style applied to it.

Cheers

Dear Beth:

Thank you for your suggestions. I'm using Office 2004 for Mac, and
start each document fresh (no template).

A couple of other people responded with some helpful hints, which I'm
trying out now, and I managed somehow to find, in my program, the
pathway to modifying the look of the Document Map (though that does not
address the problem of the Map interpreting the first sentence of each
paragraph as a sub-subhead).

Anyway, I will try everyone's ideas, and see how that goes.

Thank you, again,
Trilby

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410