How to Customize Formatting Palette

[amphioxus]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel Is there any patch to go back to the 2004 layout, or to customize the formatting palette, without going back to Word 2004?

I just updated to Office 2008 (on Mac 10.6), from Office 2004. (I may go back.) Immediately I saw that Word 2008's approach to toolbars and the formatting palette violated two rules of usability:
First: 2008's toolbars use up more screen space for the same tasks.
Second: 2008 requires more keystrokes to use the same commands.

Toolbars using up more screen space: Duplicating the toolbars in the header of each document window (even in two windows of the same document) uses up a lot of vertical space. I'm writing a complicated document, so I value the vertical space, even with my two 24" monitors.

More keystrokes required for the same commands: Since the toolbars are limited to the width of each document window, I have to use the arrows to expand the toolbar, if I want a command to the right of what shows.

Third, the formatting palette doesn't appear to be customizable. I could wipe out the toolbars in the document, and just use the formatting palette, If I could stuff the commands I use into it.

Any answers?

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, you've raised several points here so see the in-line responses;

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
Is there any patch to go back to the 2004 layout, or to customize the
formatting palette, without going back to Word 2004?

No to the first question, 'kinda' to the second. There's a bent arrow button
at the right end of the Toolbox title bar (the Formatting Palette is a part
of the Toolbox). Clicking that button flips the Toolbox over so you can
choose which panels display by way of checkboxes. However, you can't pick &
choose individual controls to include/exclude. That's what custom toolbars
are for, so...

I just updated to Office 2008 (on Mac 10.6), from Office 2004. (I may go
back.) Immediately I saw that Word 2008's approach to toolbars and the
formatting palette violated two rules of usability:
First: 2008's toolbars use up more screen space for the same tasks.
Second: 2008 requires more keystrokes to use the same commands.

No argument from me on the "rules of visibility", but they're Apple's rules
as stipulated in the OS X interface guidelines. MS software is simply
complying with those guidelines ‹ which were changed after the development
of Office 2004. I'm not sure what you mean by "More keystrokes", though,
because the controls on toolbars & palettes are designed for mouse clicks in
order to obviate keystrokes in the first place.

Toolbars using up more screen space: Duplicating the toolbars in the header of
each document window (even in two windows of the same document) uses up a lot
of vertical space. I'm writing a complicated document, so I value the vertical
space, even with my two 24" monitors.

Again, this is in compliance with OS X guidelines. There is a capsular
button at the right end of the window's title bar which can be used for
minimizing/restoring the 'Drawer' where Docked toolbars are located.

More keystrokes required for the same commands: Since the toolbars are limited
to the width of each document window, I have to use the arrows to expand the
toolbar, if I want a command to the right of what shows.

As I wrote above, I don't understand where 'keystrokes' come into play here,
but only the Standard toolbar must remain Docked. Right-click any other
toolbar that's Docked & select "Dock Toolbar in Window" to remove the check
in order to convert it to Floating. Only Docked toolbars replicate in each
open document window, Floating toolbars do not.

By creating one or more custom floating toolbars of your own design &
minimizing the Drawer all of these issues could be resolved

Third, the formatting palette doesn't appear to be customizable. I could wipe
out the toolbars in the document, and just use the formatting palette, If I
could stuff the commands I use into it.

That's true, the Toolbox cannot be customized ‹ it's something that can't be
changed other than noted above.

Any answers?

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor:
Intel Is there any patch to go back to the 2004 layout, or to customize
the formatting palette, without going back to Word 2004?

I just updated to Office 2008 (on Mac 10.6), from Office 2004. (I may go
back.) Immediately I saw that Word 2008's approach to toolbars and the
formatting palette violated two rules of usability:
First: 2008's toolbars use up more screen space for the same tasks.
Second: 2008 requires more keystrokes to use the same commands.

Toolbars using up more screen space: Duplicating the toolbars in the
header of each document window (even in two windows of the same
document) uses up a lot of vertical space. I'm writing a complicated
document, so I value the vertical space, even with my two 24" monitors.

More keystrokes required for the same commands: Since the toolbars are
limited to the width of each document window, I have to use the arrows
to expand the toolbar, if I want a command to the right of what shows.

Third, the formatting palette doesn't appear to be customizable. I could
wipe out the toolbars in the document, and just use the formatting
palette, If I could stuff the commands I use into it.

Any answers?

Hey, I'm with you! Bob is polite about this. I think it's just part of
conspiracy to dumb-down everyone and every thing.

I've heard several explanations for the reason why the standard toolbar
is now locked into the window and repeated on each window. I've heard
that it's for the convenience of those with multiple monitors, that it's
part of the new user interface guidelines from Apple, etc.

I say baloney!

It's all the fault of the grad students who made Mosaic, the first
GUI-style web browser. They did it as a project for a class. Making good
toolbars, menus and their customization is hard, so they skipped that
part. Mosaic went on to become Netscape and Internet Explorer and a
bunch of other browsers. No one along the way seemed keen on making a
good customizable toolbar for browsers. Browsers are pretty simple,
anyway, so why make them complex? Eventually, everyone is spending lots
of time in browsers. Product managers then conclude everyone wants all
their software to look and work like web browsers. That led to the big
fad that we see the consequences of in Apple and Microsoft current
products as companies try to force complex software fit into a simple
GUI model.

Fortunately, you can turn off the standard and format toolbars and
create your own toolbars using the Customize Menus and Toolbars
capability of Word. I have my own custom toolbar docked at the top of
the screen. It has my most used commands on it, and they stay put so I
can click on them almost without looking.

-Jim

PS - Bob & John - stop laughing!

 

[John McGhie]

Oh, *I'm* not laughing. I always discard the Microsoft toolbars and make my
own.

The Microsoft toolbars are designed to encourage users in a voyage of
self-discovery and free expression.

By the time they come to work for me, I expect staff to have discovered
exactly who and what they are, and our company style guide expresses with
great precision what we are required to accomplish

Cheers

Hey, I'm with you! Bob is polite about this. I think it's just part of
conspiracy to dumb-down everyone and every thing.

I've heard several explanations for the reason why the standard toolbar
is now locked into the window and repeated on each window. I've heard
that it's for the convenience of those with multiple monitors, that it's
part of the new user interface guidelines from Apple, etc.

I say baloney!

It's all the fault of the grad students who made Mosaic, the first
GUI-style web browser. They did it as a project for a class. Making good
toolbars, menus and their customization is hard, so they skipped that
part. Mosaic went on to become Netscape and Internet Explorer and a
bunch of other browsers. No one along the way seemed keen on making a
good customizable toolbar for browsers. Browsers are pretty simple,
anyway, so why make them complex? Eventually, everyone is spending lots
of time in browsers. Product managers then conclude everyone wants all
their software to look and work like web browsers. That led to the big
fad that we see the consequences of in Apple and Microsoft current
products as companies try to force complex software fit into a simple
GUI model.

Fortunately, you can turn off the standard and format toolbars and
create your own toolbars using the Customize Menus and Toolbars
capability of Word. I have my own custom toolbar docked at the top of
the screen. It has my most used commands on it, and they stay put so I
can click on them almost without looking.

-Jim

PS - Bob & John - stop laughing!

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Jim;

<snip>

I say baloney!

-Jim

PS - Bob & John - stop laughing!

<snip>

No laughing matter In fact, you basically echo my suggestion re custom
toolbars. And as John responded it seems that those who use Word most
effectively rely very little on toolbars in the first place.

The main difference between your response & mine is that I only go so far as
to relay what I've learned from fairly reliable sources about the UI
guidelines. I long ago gave up any attempt to speculate about the rationale
(if any) behind the decisions that are made ;-)

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jim Gordon Mac MVP]

The main difference between your response& mine is that I only go so far as
to relay what I've learned from fairly reliable sources about the UI
guidelines. I long ago gave up any attempt to speculate about the rationale
(if any) behind the decisions that are made ;-)

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Thanks for allowing me to have some fun.

Custom toolbars rock.

-Jim

 

[amphioxus]

Fortunately, you can turn off the standard and format toolbars and

> create your own toolbars using the Customize Menus and Toolbars
> capability of Word.

I have my own custom toolbar docked at the top of

> the screen.
> --
> Jim Gordon
> Mac MVP
> Co-author of Office 2008 for Mac All-in-One For Dummies
> http://tinyurl.com/Office-2008-for-Dummies
>

Aha! Great. What I didn't get as that &quot;New&quot; under &quot;Customize Menus and Toolbars&quot; creates a toolbar in the screen, rather than in a document window.

So I also turned off the standard toolbars in the document window, and built mine at the top of the screen, with the commands I use.

Thanks, Jim