Changing the default Paste (command-V) toPaste Special Unformatted Text

[herojig]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

Is it possible to changing the default Paste (command-V) to Paste Special Unformatted Text? I am always telling my pals to use Paste Special when assembling a document to avoid headaches later, and I wish was a way to make this the default paste. thx!
herojig

 

[Michel Bintener]

I don't believe it is. However, you can use AppleScript for that. Open
Script Editor, then paste these lines into the document window:

tell application "Microsoft Word"
paste special (text object of selection) data type paste text
end tell

Save the AppleScript in ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Word Script Menu
Items ("~" stands for your user account). Give it any name you want (Paste
without formatting, for example), but be sure to add "\cV" (without the
quotation marks) to the end of the name. If you now switch to Word, you can
simply hit Ctrl-V to run the script, which will then paste the unformatted
text from the clipboard into your current document. Please note that this is
not my script; kudos to whoever posted it.

It should also be mentioned that you can force Word to use plain text all
the time; to do that, open Word's preferences, switch to the General section
and uncheck the box that reads "Include formatted text in clipboard".

 

[MC]

I don't believe it is. However, you can use AppleScript for that. Open
Script Editor, then paste these lines into the document window:

tell application "Microsoft Word"
paste special (text object of selection) data type paste text
end tell

Save the AppleScript in ~/Documents/Microsoft User Data/Word Script Menu
Items ("~" stands for your user account). Give it any name you want (Paste
without formatting, for example), but be sure to add "\cV" (without the
quotation marks) to the end of the name. If you now switch to Word, you can
simply hit Ctrl-V to run the script, which will then paste the unformatted
text from the clipboard into your current document. Please note that this is
not my script; kudos to whoever posted it.

It should also be mentioned that you can force Word to use plain text all
the time; to do that, open Word's preferences, switch to the General section
and uncheck the box that reads "Include formatted text in clipboard".

My only problem with this script is that it plac es the cursor at the
beginnign of the pasted text.

Here's another script (kudos to the creator) that places the cursor
after the pasted text.

tell application "Microsoft Word"
tell selection
set theClip to string of (the clipboard as record)
set newPoint to (selection start + (length of theClip))
set content of text object to theClip
set selection start to newPoint
set selection end to newPoint
end tell
end tell

 

[MC]

It should also be mentioned that you can force Word to use plain text all
the time; to do that, open Word's preferences, switch to the General section
and uncheck the box that reads "Include formatted text in clipboard".

This odd. I tried that. Created a text using a font I never use.
Selected All. Pasted it into a new document. It pasted with the font I
never use... I would have expected it to use my regular default font.

Damn. I really wish Microsoft would address this Paste issue.

 

[herojig]

MC, thx so much for this tip, however, it does nothing. I have always had the "include formatted text in clipboard" turned off, but that has never stopped word from pasting in structure and format. I don't get it...bug?

Another reason the script may not be working is that I have a strange setup:
<a href="Diane Ross, "All I want to do is to sync Entourage_on _Mac1 to and from Entourage_on _Mac2 all the time!" #11, 27 Feb 2009 11:28 pm </?13@@.59b6d8dd/10>">Diane Ross, "All I want to do is to sync Entourage_on _Mac1 to and from Entourage_on _Mac2 all the time!" #11, 27 Feb 2009 11:28 pm</a>
where my Microsoft Documents dir is actually on a an external drive and not where u would normally expect. Perhaps that's the problem? dunno. But sure would like to figure this out now that ur working on the case!

thx again,
hero

 

[MC]

MC, thx so much for this tip, however, it does nothing. I have always had the
"include formatted text in clipboard" turned off, but that has never stopped
word from pasting in structure and format. I don't get it...bug?

Wasn't me who posted that tip - and I get the same result as you.

 

[herojig]

Ha! sorry 'bout that MC, it was Michel Bintener, MVP that posted that tip. So is this a bug in Mac Word? It's evil if it is. Most of the hosed docs that I see come from places that cut and paste from any source imaginable, filling a doc with all kinds of hidden crazies. But I guess it's a boon for Information Consultants, who get hired to sort it all out! Cheers,
hero
ps. love that quote from FSF.

 

[John McGhie]

Yes: I am not sure what that setting is supposed to do either.

*I* thought that it was supposed to cause Word to place RTF on the
clipboard.

If you "unset" that setting, I thought it caused Word to simply place a
"bookmark" in the document, and a "pointer" in the clipboard.

When any other application requests the content of the clipboard for a
"Paste", Word can then ask it what format it would like, and create the
requested format and deliver that to the destination application.

That causes bookmarks to appear in the document while the pointer remains on
the clipboard, and some users see them and don't like them. So they gave us
a way to turn that off.

That's what I *thought* the setting was for. But Michel is pretty
technical, he may have fully investigated this operation

Cheers

Wasn't me who posted that tip - and I get the same result as you.

--
Don't wait for your answer, click here: http://www.word.mvps.org/

Please reply in the group. Please do NOT email me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP, Word and Word:Mac
Sydney, Australia. mailto:[email protected]

 

[Michel Bintener]

Am I? That's great to hear! ;-) Obviously, if it doesn't work the way I
described it, then I was wrong. I have to admit, I have never really played
around with this setting, as I want formatted clipboard content most of the
time, and if I don't, I can easily get the plain text version instead using
either the SmartTag button or the AppleScript I posted.

So herojig, I would suggest you accept John McGhie's explanation; his wisdom
knows no limits. ;-)

 

[herojig]

am like my dog and will keep digging if there is a bone. the script does not work here. is it supposed to be saved in txt or script format or does it matter? the checkbox in the preferences is immaterial, as it does the same thing checked or unchecked. so my question really is: how do i automate the pasting of unformatted text into a document, ie. do the same thing as Edit/Paste Special/Paste unformatted text but without all those clicks? thx!!!

 

[Michel Bintener]

herojig,

if you send me an e-mail ([email protected]; just remove the words in
capital letters), I will send you the script I am using. It definitely works
for me, so something must not be right on your end. Did you copy the script
from the forum, or did you type it yourself? Just save it in script format
and place it in the folder where it is supposed to be, and it should be
available in Microsoft Word's Scripts menu.

 

[herojig]

Email sent Michel, perhaps u did not get? my email is (e-mail address removed) where, well, u know what to do there. I have tried the forum script in text and script format on the drive holding the microsoft document dir and no go...
thx!!!

 

[Michel Bintener]

Sorry, I did not check my inbox these past few days. You should check yours,
though; I sent you the script about half an hour ago.

Michel