insert 'Hidden Text' causes problems

[JIP]

When I insert 'Hidden Text' in Word 2008 (Mac), I am getting booted
out to the start of a document. This regularly happens. I use command-
shift-H, which triggers the boot. What seems to prevent the action is
showing paragraphs (command-shift-J). Then I can proceed as normal.
But I shouldn't have to do this work-around.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

I tried it in a Test user log-in, and got the same result, so I can't
say that it's peculiar to some short-cut in my log-in preferences
system wide, nor does this combo of keys do anything else, except in
Safari, where (oddly) it causes Safari to load my home page in google.
not sure why or if that's connected (doubt it).

Thanks.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi James -

I'm completely confused by your message

"Hidden" is a character formatting attribute just as is Bold, Italic,
Underlined, etc. If you apply it without having the non-printing characters
displayed the text you apply it to *will* disappear. You need to turn on the
non-printing characters (¶ button or Command+8) in order to view Hidden
text. It sounds like what you're referring to as "booted out" is simply that
the Hidden text not being displayed is causing your insertion point to
return to the preceding regular text or beginning of the document.

Beyond that I can't follow your keystroke references at all.

The keystroke to apply/remove the Hidden attribute is Shift+Control+H

Shift+Command+H in Word is assigned to Find & Replace. However, any given
keystroke combination might be assigned to any given command in any given
program. In Safari that keystroke is assigned to the Home command, so
apparently you have Google set as your Home Page.

Command+Shift+J is unassigned in Word by default so I have no idea what you
mean by "showing paragraphs" unless you've created a custom assignment of
that keystroke customization... And even if you have, I'm only guessing that
you've unnecessarily assigned it to the Show/Hide ¶ command.

If I'm guessing right it sounds like all is behaving as it should & you're
keystroke is simply toggling the Hidden text On/Off just like the other
hidden characters in the document. If you don't want the Hidden text to
disappear - which is what it's supposed to do - please describe as
accurately as you can what effect you're trying to achieve.

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

 

[JIP]

Hi James -

I'm completely confused by your message

"Hidden" is a character formatting attribute just as is Bold, Italic,
Underlined, etc. If you apply it without having the non-printing characters
displayed the text you apply it to *will* disappear. You need to turn on the
non-printing characters (¶ button or Command+8) in order to view Hidden
text. It sounds like what you're referring to as "booted out" is simply that
the Hidden text not being displayed is causing your insertion point to
return to the preceding regular text or beginning of the document.

Beyond that I can't follow your keystroke references at all.

The keystroke to apply/remove the Hidden attribute is Shift+Control+H

Shift+Command+H in Word is assigned to Find & Replace. However, any given
keystroke combination might be assigned to any given command in any given
program. In Safari that keystroke is assigned to the Home command, so
apparently you have Google set as your Home Page.

Command+Shift+J is unassigned in Word by default so I have no idea what you
mean by "showing paragraphs" unless you've created a custom assignment of
that keystroke customization... And even if you have, I'm only guessing that
you've unnecessarily assigned it to the Show/Hide ¶ command.

If I'm guessing right it sounds like all is behaving as it should & you're
keystroke is simply toggling the Hidden text On/Off just like the other
hidden characters in the document. If you don't want the Hidden text to
disappear - which is what it's supposed to do - please describe as
accurately as you can what effect you're trying to achieve.

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

Thanks. Didn't mean to confuse you. Yes, it looks like I changed the
keystroke combination for this command in Word. But the problem is not
the toggling. It is that after the text is hidden (which I want) and
the toggling (which I also want), the cursor ends up at the beginning
of the document. Every time.

Except when I toggle "Show" first. If I do this, then the cursor stays
in place as it should. Unfortunately, this means two added keystroke
combinations are required to hide text without sending the cursor to
the first position of a document: Show, then un-Show.

I just ran the latest 2008 update, and it made no difference.

Running 10.5.4, word update 12.1.2, and Endnote X1 with plug-in
patches.

Jim P.

 

[JIP]

Thanks. Didn't mean to confuse you. Yes, it looks like I changed the
keystroke combination for this command in Word. But the problem is not
the toggling. It is that after the text is hidden (which I want) and
the toggling (which I also want), the cursor ends up at the beginning
of the document. Every time.

Except when I toggle "Show" first. If I do this, then the cursor stays
in place as it should. Unfortunately, this means two added keystroke
combinations are required to hide text without sending the cursor to
the first position of a document: Show, then un-Show.

I just ran the latest 2008 update, and it made no difference.

Running 10.5.4, word update 12.1.2, and Endnote X1 with plug-in
patches.

Jim P.

Addendum: The same happens simply by formatting a piece of text with
"Hidden": the cursor jumps to the beginning of the document! I tried
trashing my Normal.dot and got the same results too. weird.

 

[Clive Huggan]

Hi James -

I'm completely confused by your message

"Hidden" is a character formatting attribute just as is Bold, Italic,
Underlined, etc. If you apply it without having the non-printing characters
displayed the text you apply it to *will* disappear. You need to turn on the
non-printing characters (¶ button or Command+8) in order to view Hidden
text.

<snip>

Or Preferences => View => check "Hidden text" if, like me, you can't
<twitch, twitch> *stand* the document being cluttered with non-printing
characters (though admittedly I make them visible when re-formatting).

It's OK, Bob, I'm having therapy!

Clive
======

 

[JIP]

<snip>

Or Preferences => View => check "Hidden text" if, like me, you can't
<twitch, twitch> *stand* the document being cluttered with non-printing
characters (though admittedly I make them visible when re-formatting).

It's OK, Bob, I'm having therapy!

Clive
======

I use hidden text as a form of versioning for my own purposes. It is
useful to me when writing articles or book chapters. Anyway, it is a
designed function in Word, and I exploit it. Unfortunately, it is
malfunctioning now. JIP

 

[CyberTaz]

OK, James - I'm better understanding now. In part it was escaping cognition
because - many years ago - I dropped the habit of formatting text as Hidden
without having either the ¶s displayed or the Hidden box ticked as Clive
suggested. I now see what you mean & the behavior is different than it was
in Word 2004. Whether 2008 itself broke it or it's one of the updates I'm
not sure, but I have confirmed it in 12.1.1 & 12.1.2 as well.

I'd suggest you use Help> Send Feedback to make the point directly to MS.
I'll also file a bug from this end. Perhaps it's a minor fix - we'll see.

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

 

[JIP]

OK, James - I'm better understanding now. In part it was escaping cognition
because - many years ago - I dropped the habit of formattingtextasHidden
without having either the ¶s displayed or theHiddenbox ticked as Clive
suggested. I now see what you mean & the behavior is different than it was
in Word 2004. Whether 2008 itself broke it or it's one of the updates I'm
not sure, but I have confirmed it in 12.1.1 & 12.1.2 as well.

I'd suggest you use Help> Send Feedback to make the point directly to MS.
I'll also file a bug from this end. Perhaps it's a minor fix - we'll see.

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

Thanks very much, Bob, for confirming that the problem indeed is
endemic to the program and not specific to my machine. I will report
the issue. Jim P.