Control+Shift+M Problems

[Debra Ann]

MS Word 2003

I have a template which I use.

Page 1: Table Form (multiple fields are merged)
Page 2: Table of Contents
Page 3 and forward: Body of Document

The body of the document contains an outline. Within the outline I have
separate numbering lists as shown below:

1.0 Background

2.0 Description

Type pararagraph as follows:

1. Item 1
2. Item 2

3.0 Purpose

etc.

When I assign the `1, 2, 3, it indents (as MS Word always does) but our
template is not suppose to indent. If I highlight both Items 1 and 2 and use
Control+Shift+M, it shifts the entire document to the left .5". It messes up
the entire table with each row being different widths. Even when I do
"undo", the table stays messed up.

Do you know how I can stop this from happening?

Thanks,

Debra Ann

 

[Gordon Bentley-Mix]

Instead of just trying to manually shift the margins to the left, either
modify the numbering format or, better yet, create a numbered style.
Auto-numbering rarely provides what is needed and direct formatting of
entire paragraphs usually just leads to misery - as you have discovered. ;-P

See http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html for more
information.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Ctrl+M and Ctrl+Shift+M make use of the default tab stops (specified in the
Tabs dialog box), that is, pressing Ctrl+M indents text to the next default
tab stop (and Ctrl+Shift+M outdents). You can change the defaults. However,
assuming that you are using auto numbering, it will be safer to set it up
using styles, as Gordon suggested.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Actually, I believe that those shortcuts use whatever tab stops are
available, so if you have explicitly set tab stops, then those will be used.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Stefan Blom]

Yes, of course, custom tab stops always override the default ones. I should
have explained that I was thinking of a scenario where no custom tab stops
have been defined.

 

[Mi Tasol]

Yes, of course, custom tab stops always override the default ones. I should
have explained that I was thinking of a scenario where no custom tab stops
have been defined.

Hi Debra Ann

If you select one paragraph at a time in a table the Cntl-M and Contl-
Shift-M keys will work - slow but it works

I have often had same problem even within styles because word
regularly makes the default overrides the style and and persistently
overrides style Tab settings with the default - eg I have removed the
6.5 and 12.7mm tabs in every place I can find yet they still re-offend
almost daily. It is the penalty of having to use shoddy software and
I thank my lucky stars every day for these MVPs for saving not just my
but also other peoples sanity.

It is ironic that Microsoft call people who provide free expertise to
create Linux and similar software communists but depend so heavily on
the MVPs to provide free expertise to solve users problems with its
buggy products

 

[Stefan Blom]

I'm unaware of any general issues with tab stops in Word. You are right that
Ctrl+M and Ctrl+Shift+M are more difficult to use within a table cell,
because you have to make sure to select text rather than the actual cell.
The shortcuts still indent (outdent) to the next (previous) tab stop,
though.

More importantly, the general suggestions made by Gordon are still true in a
table cell: use a style (possibly a numbered one); that way, you will get
control over the formatting.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Yes, of course, custom tab stops always override the default ones. I
should
have explained that I was thinking of a scenario where no custom tab stops
have been defined.

Hi Debra Ann

If you select one paragraph at a time in a table the Cntl-M and Contl-
Shift-M keys will work - slow but it works

I have often had same problem even within styles because word
regularly makes the default overrides the style and and persistently
overrides style Tab settings with the default - eg I have removed the
6.5 and 12.7mm tabs in every place I can find yet they still re-offend
almost daily. It is the penalty of having to use shoddy software and
I thank my lucky stars every day for these MVPs for saving not just my
but also other peoples sanity.

It is ironic that Microsoft call people who provide free expertise to
create Linux and similar software communists but depend so heavily on
the MVPs to provide free expertise to solve users problems with its
buggy products