Doc Map listing things it shouldn't

[Stefan Blom]

There is a known issue with the Document Map which causes it
to add outline levels as direct formatting to any text that
looks like headings. You can press CTRL+Q to remove the
direct paragraph formatting. But in the long run, it is
probably wiser to use Outline View instead of the Document
Map.

--
Stefan Blom


message

I'm using Word 2003 and working on a very long document.
The document map should only list the heading styles I've used but it's also
listing all captions and loads of lines of normal text as well. I've applied
Normal to the whole document. I tried saving as plain text and then
converting back to word. The Autocorrect options aren't set up any
differently and the Normal style hasn't been modified. I just can't figure
out why this is happening and it's causing big problems

for me.

 

[Tara Keane]

I'm using Word 2003 and working on a very long document.
The document map should only list the heading styles I've used but it's also
listing all captions and loads of lines of normal text as well. I've applied
Normal to the whole document. I tried saving as plain text and then
converting back to word. The Autocorrect options aren't set up any
differently and the Normal style hasn't been modified. I just can't figure
out why this is happening and it's causing big problems for me.

 

[Klaus Linke]

According to the developers, it's a "feature".
I'll keep calling it an "issue" too, though.

<eg> Klaus

 

[TF]

Klaus

I think it was the MPV Summit before last that we were all quite amazed to
discover that DocMap is actually an AutoFormat function. If you directly
format headings without applying a heading style and then open DocMap, Word
will AutoFormat the document and apply the 'correct' styles. Once you
understand that underlying function of DocMap, you can understand what is
happening and how to avoid the pitfalls.

So a 'correctly' formatted document works perfectly with DocMap.

Terry Farrell

According to the developers, it's a "feature".
I'll keep calling it an "issue" too, though.

<eg> Klaus

 

[Klaus Linke]

Hi Terry,

Yes, that's the explanation I heard, and that I objected to...
It's plain wrong of Word to AutoFormat the document if you show Document Map.
And it's not really redeemed by the fact that I might be able to avoid the AutoFormatting if I format my document a certain unspecified "proper" way (say, format all short bold lines as Headings even if they are not) before I show Document Map the first time.

Greetings,
Klaus

 

[TF]

Klaus

I partly agree, but the main point I was making is that once you are aware
of the implications of using DocMaps, it is easy to avoid the problem.

Terry

Hi Terry,

Yes, that's the explanation I heard, and that I objected to...
It's plain wrong of Word to AutoFormat the document if you show Document
Map.
And it's not really redeemed by the fact that I might be able to avoid the
AutoFormatting if I format my document a certain unspecified "proper" way
(say, format all short bold lines as Headings even if they are not) before I
show Document Map the first time.

Greetings,
Klaus

 

[Klaus Linke]

Klaus

I partly agree, but the main point I was making is that once you are aware
of the implications of using DocMaps, it is easy to avoid the problem.

Terry

The only sure way I know would be to avoid Document Map, and that's a shame because it's an otherwise incredibly great feature.

Regards,
Klaus

 

[Klaus Linke]

I hate to sound like a griping old sod... And the damage Document Map does isn't big and can be easily fixed with a macro:

Dim myPara As Paragraph
For Each myPara In ActiveDocument.Paragraphs
myPara.OutlineLevel = _
myPara.style.ParagraphFormat.OutlineLevel
Next myPara

<griping mode>It's just that I'm sick and tired of cleaning up after Word messed with my docs</griping mode>

Klaus

 

[TF]

Klaus

Keep griping!

Terry

I hate to sound like a griping old sod... And the damage Document Map does
isn't big and can be easily fixed with a macro:

Dim myPara As Paragraph
For Each myPara In ActiveDocument.Paragraphs
myPara.OutlineLevel = _
myPara.style.ParagraphFormat.OutlineLevel
Next myPara

<griping mode>It's just that I'm sick and tired of cleaning up after Word
messed with my docs</griping mode>

Klaus

 

[Stefan Blom]

What's in a name? Issue, bug, feature -- it all depends on your
point of view, I guess... <g>

--
Stefan Blom


According to the developers, it's a "feature".
I'll keep calling it an "issue" too, though.

<eg> Klaus

 

[Elbert]

I vote for blunder. I didn't have the problem until after I inserted a TOC,
and spent hours fixing the mess and trying to figure out what I was doing
wrong with the TOC until I noticed something in a post about TOC that led me
to read up on document map.

Phooey.

Elbert

 

[Stefan Blom]

If the problem is with the table of contents only, you could try the
following: Press ALT+F9 to display field codes. The table of contents
will look similar to: { TOC \o "1-3" \h }. If the TOC field code
contains the \u switch, delete it, and then press F9 to update the
field. Finally, press ALT+F9 again to re-display field results.

 

[Elbert]

Hi Stefan,

Thanks for the advice. I did not have a \u flag. I'm pretty sure document
map was causing the problem, it's just that it didn't happen until just after
I inserted a TOC and then changed the TOC style. So I THOUGHT it was TOC, but
now I'm pretty sure it was document map that made a dog's breakfast of my
document.

Elbert

 

[Stefan Blom]

You are right in assuming that the Document Map is the culprit. It
applies outline levels as direct formatting to paragraphs that look
like headings. But the \u switch (if present in the TOC field) adds to
the problem by creating TOC entries for those paragraphs.