How do I use "Styles" to make only the first sentence bold?

[Barry Fung]

I have seen someone program a style such that the first sentence in a
paragraph is bold and underlined, and the following sentences have the bold
and underlined turned off. He also has "numbering" turned on so that by
applying this "style", he is quickly able to produce an itemized list of
paragraphs, with each paragraph having its own emphasized heading (which is
the first sentence in the paragraph). Can anyone tell me how this can be
done?

Thanks,
Barry

 

[Stefan Blom]

You can apply a character style to format the first sentence
differently. But, unlike some page layout software, Word cannot apply
the formatting automatically.

For help on numbering, see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/numbering/OutlineNumbering.html.

If you need a run-in sidehead, see
http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/RunInSidehead.htm.

For more on styles in Word, see
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/TipsOnStyles.html.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message
news:[email protected]...

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

For lists, you can get some of what the OP wants. Tools - AutoCorrect
Options - AutoFormat as You Type tab. Tick "Format beginning of list item
like the one before it". This done, Word will attempt to repeat the
formatting pattern applied to the first list item to the rest of the items
in the list. This is keyed to sentence punctuation, though. So, if the first
item is:

1. Hello. My name is Harry.

....and Hello is italicized, then the first "sentence" in each numbered item
will be italicized, too. However, done this way:

1. Hello, my name is Harry.

If Hello is italicized, then Word will use italics for all of the remaining
list items.

 

[Sharpeyes]

Thanks for the info, everybody. However, while I am able to make use of the
"Format beginning of list item
like the one before it" feature to make each paragraph start out with a
bold/underlined first sentence, this info is not retained when I name a
style after it.
Specifically, although I can store the paragraph as a style, when I activate
the style, the toggling between bold/underlined to non-bold/non-underlined
does not happen, and all the sentences I type end up being bold (instead of
just the first sentence). What am I doing wrong? By the way, I am using
Word 2000.

Barry

 

[Stefan Blom]

Interesting! I didn't realize you could use the "Format beginning..."
option this way. I think I'd prefer keeping it un-checked, though.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message

 

[Stefan Blom]

I'm seeing the same thing; the "Format beginning of list item..." option
seems to work reliably only when you are using it with the "Automatic
numbered lists" option (Tools | AutoCorrect dialog box, AutoFormat As
You Type tab). Therefore, I'd stick to manually applying bold
formatting. It will be safer than having Word generate numbered lists
automatically.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


in message

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Word seems to change the rules when you deviate even slightly from the
"program" when using the bullets/numbering tools... part of what makes Word
users' lives "interesting" (interesting being a euphemism for
"aggravating").

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word 2007 Bible
Blog: http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com

 

[Barry Fung]

Thanks again, everybody.

So Herb, are you telling me that I cannot create a style such that I can toggle the bold/underline feature to make only the first sentence of a paragraph highlighted? I really hope there is a way as I am a physician who has to write a lot of letters containing diagnoses, and I want to be able to have a template so that I can list them in the following manner (the following is in rich text):

1. Cataract Right Eye. This is the reason for the patient's poor vision.
2. Migraine Headache. This is the reason for the patient's pain. The treatment is...
3. Diabetes Mellitus. This is the reason for the patient's high blood glucose....

Anyways, you get the idea. I would really appreciate any suggestions.

Sincerely,
Barry

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Unless I need the opening bit in a TOC, I just apply a character style to
that part. To include it in a TOC, see
http://sbarnhill.mvps.org/WordFAQs/RunInSidehead.htm.



Thanks again, everybody.

So Herb, are you telling me that I cannot create a style such that I can
toggle the bold/underline feature to make only the first sentence of a
paragraph highlighted? I really hope there is a way as I am a physician who
has to write a lot of letters containing diagnoses, and I want to be able to
have a template so that I can list them in the following manner (the
following is in rich text):

1. Cataract Right Eye. This is the reason for the patient's poor vision.
2. Migraine Headache. This is the reason for the patient's pain. The
treatment is...
3. Diabetes Mellitus. This is the reason for the patient's high blood
glucose....

Anyways, you get the idea. I would really appreciate any suggestions.

Sincerely,
Barry

 

[Herb Tyson [MVP]]

Well... I hadn't tried it with a style, but figured like most numbering
things, your experience wasn't surprising. However, just now I decided to
try it using a style, and it's working for me. Mind you, you will need to
manually format the bold/underlined part on the first item in the list.
However, each subsequent item in the list should copy the formatting from
the first item.

Because the setting is a "do what I do" setting, you can't make the style
remember "bold/underline the first part of each item". The only easy way I
can think to automate that aspect would be to use an AutoText or AutoCorrect
item to set up a template, of sorts, for the first list item. So, for
example, you might set up the first item, including the style and initial
bold/underline and post period non-bold/underline, select it, then create
either an AutoText or AutoCorrect item. Then, when you want to type a list,
type your shortcut, expand it (using F3 or AutoComplete if it's an autotext,
or by pressing any word separator if it's an autocorrect), and you're off
and running.

Of course, you could write a macro to do something similar, but I suspect
that the AutoText/AutoCorrect method ends up being just as easy to use.

--
Herb Tyson MS MVP
Author of the Word 2007 Bible
Blog: http://word2007bible.herbtyson.com
Web: http://www.herbtyson.com


Thanks again, everybody.

So Herb, are you telling me that I cannot create a style such that I can
toggle the bold/underline feature to make only the first sentence of a
paragraph highlighted? I really hope there is a way as I am a physician who
has to write a lot of letters containing diagnoses, and I want to be able to
have a template so that I can list them in the following manner (the
following is in rich text):

1. Cataract Right Eye. This is the reason for the patient's poor vision.
2. Migraine Headache. This is the reason for the patient's pain. The
treatment is...
3. Diabetes Mellitus. This is the reason for the patient's high blood
glucose....

Anyways, you get the idea. I would really appreciate any suggestions.

Sincerely,
Barry