Insert Table ?, Insert Date ?

[Norm]

These are Word 2008 basic questions. I've looked at Mactopia, MVP site
and Help and "I" couldn't find answers so......

1. Is there a way to attach spacing before and spacing after the Insert
Table menu selection (Table/Insert/Table)?

2. Is it possible to insert a date in one's preferred format in a one
button selection rather than two steps (Insert and then OK to format)?

Thank you.

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Norm:

Insert spacing on a menu? No, not in Word 2008.

Insert a date in preferred format? The Insert>Date command will always
insert the date in your Default format, so use Insert>Date and Time> choose
a format and click "Default".

Then you can assign a keystroke to the Insert Date command, or drag it to a
toolbar, to get one-click access.

Cheers

These are Word 2008 basic questions. I've looked at Mactopia, MVP site
and Help and "I" couldn't find answers so......

1. Is there a way to attach spacing before and spacing after the Insert
Table menu selection (Table/Insert/Table)?

2. Is it possible to insert a date in one's preferred format in a one
button selection rather than two steps (Insert and then OK to format)?

Thank you.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters 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
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Norm]

Insert spacing on a menu? No, not in Word 2008.

I didn't do a good/complete job of asking that question. I'll try again:

Is there a way to insert a Table in a doc whereby that Table has in its
style a defined spacing before and after such Table?

Insert a date in preferred format? The Insert>Date command will always
insert the date in your Default format, so use Insert>Date and Time> choose
a format and click "Default".

Then you can assign a keystroke to the Insert Date command, or drag it to a
toolbar, to get one-click access.

After I choose the format and and click Default, I'm still getting the
Date dialog and then I must click OK. Is there a way to bypass that step?

Thanks,

Norm

 

[John McGhie]

Hi Norm:

Is there a way to insert a Table in a doc whereby that Table has in its
style a defined spacing before and after such Table?

No. Not without VBA, in any version of Word. It's a design bug.

After I choose the format and and click Default, I'm still getting the
Date dialog and then I must click OK. Is there a way to bypass that step?

InsertDate is a different command from InsertDateTime. Keep looking
InsertDate has a calendar icon.

You need to customise your toolbar/keystroke with InsertDate.

Cheers

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters 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
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[CyberTaz]

<snip>

You need to customise your toolbar/keystroke with InsertDate.

<snip>

Except that the InsertDate button inserts a DATE field rather than
CREATEDATE. I haven't been able to find any way to shortcut the latter.

Any insights?

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

 

[John McGhie]

AutoText

Cheers

<snip>

<snip>

Except that the InsertDate button inserts a DATE field rather than
CREATEDATE. I haven't been able to find any way to shortcut the latter.

Any insights?

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

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters 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
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Norm]

InsertDate is a different command from InsertDateTime. Keep looking
InsertDate has a calendar icon.

You need to customise your toolbar/keystroke with InsertDate.

Got it thanks. But it has a grey background which I think indicates it
is going to always update to the current date.

If that is the case, can I "freeze" it?

Thanks.

 

[CyberTaz]

Click in the DATE field & key Shift+Command+F9 to unlink the field... But
that illustrates my [as yet unmade] point. You're now going to an even more
involved process than what you're trying to avoid You can go with John's
suggestion about AutoText but you may want to consider this:

In the Insert> Date & Time dialog select the format you prefer then click
the Default button. Make sure you do not have the box checked for Update
Automatically, the OK out.

Then, check the keyboard customizations for the InsetDateTime command. I
can't recall whether Control+Option+Command+Right Arrow is assigned by
default but that's what I have here. Regardless, assign a different stroke
if you'd like. You can also put the command on a toolbar if you wish.

From then on just key the stroke or click the button then press return
immediately after. The preferred date format you selected will be inserted
as text instantly & you continue on your merry way.

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

 

[Norm]

From then on just key the stroke or click the button then press return
immediately after. The preferred date format you selected will be inserted
as text instantly & you continue on your merry way.

Thanks for that info.

Thought there was a way to just insert, rather than select and OK, but
the difference is minor.

Thanks.

 

[Norm]

In the Insert> Date & Time dialog select the format you prefer then click
the Default button. Make sure you do not have the box checked for Update
Automatically, the OK out.

I select my preferred format, click Default and then Yes but......

Is there any trick to get the Default date format to hold?

I think I've tried everything, but I guess I haven't, because it keeps
returning to d/mm/yy every time I open a new document.

Thanks.

 

[CyberTaz]

By Golly, it sure seems to have lost its stickum. I'm not sure when that
came to be ‹ I've honestly not used it for some time but I know it 'used' to
work. When the stroke opens the dialog double-clicking the preferred format
will still work, though.

It now looks like the Default only gets set for the AutoComplete feature,
which is yet another option. If the default is set for '7 February 2010' for
example, you can just start typing the date & press return when the
AutoComplete Tip appears.

Sorry for the misdirection 8-}

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

 

[Norm]

By Golly, it sure seems to have lost its stickum. I'm not sure when that
came to be ‹ I've honestly not used it for some time but I know it 'used' to
work. When the stroke opens the dialog double-clicking the preferred format
will still work, though.

For me, it only keeps its stickum for that session. Quit and launch Word
and it is back to Word 2008's default date format.

It now looks like the Default only gets set for the AutoComplete feature,
which is yet another option. If the default is set for '7 February 2010' for
example, you can just start typing the date & press return when the
AutoComplete Tip appears.

That works, though I need to press return twice, once for the month and
once for the day and year if I have it set for February 8, 2010.

Is that correct?

Sorry for the misdirection 8-}

No problem. Thanks for the help.

 

[CyberTaz]

Well, not really -- if you just keep typing the AutoComplete tip will update
once you type the first character of the day value... Press return then.

Unfortunately that really doesn't lessen the number of keystrokes,
especially when dealing with the longer month names, does it? It's
faster to just use:

Shift+Control+D, Left Arrow, Shift+Command+F9, Right Arrow (or End)

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

 

[Norm]

Well, not really -- if you just keep typing the AutoComplete tip will update
once you type the first character of the day value... Press return then.

Unfortunately that really doesn't lessen the number of keystrokes,
especially when dealing with the longer month names, does it? It's
faster to just use:

But thanks for the info.

 

[John McGhie]

Hmmm... You're right... They've broken it again.

OK, you'll have to force it.

1) Insert a date in a document (any document) in your preferred format.

2) Make sure you check "Update Automatically" so you get a field, not text.

3) Reveal Field Codes

4) Change the field code from
DATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy" to
CREATEDATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy"

5) Toggle the field codes off

6) Select just the date

7) Add it as an AutoText

8) Use Customise to assign a keystroke or toolbar button to that AutoText.

Each time you hit it, that will bring in a field that will report the date
the document was created initially, with a field code that expresses it in
your preferred date style.

Hope this helps

By Golly, it sure seems to have lost its stickum. I'm not sure when that
came to be ‹ I've honestly not used it for some time but I know it 'used' to
work. When the stroke opens the dialog double-clicking the preferred format
will still work, though.

It now looks like the Default only gets set for the AutoComplete feature,
which is yet another option. If the default is set for '7 February 2010' for
example, you can just start typing the date & press return when the
AutoComplete Tip appears.

Sorry for the misdirection 8-}

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

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters 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
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Norm]

Hmmm... You're right... They've broken it again.
:-(



OK, you'll have to force it.

1) Insert a date in a document (any document) in your preferred format.

2) Make sure you check "Update Automatically" so you get a field, not text.

3) Reveal Field Codes

Only got to step #3 before stumped.

Looked high, and low, for a Reveal Field Codes. Nothing. And nothing in
Mactopia or Help that I found.

Need a clue to that treasure.

Thanks.

 

[Rob Schneider]

I think he means "toggle field codes" to toggle viewing the field
definitions, or the value of the field. Right mouse click on the field
to reveal this option. I think "reveal field codes" is nomenclature
from the past.


--rms

www.rmschneider.com

 

[Norm]

I think he means "toggle field codes" to toggle viewing the field
definitions, or the value of the field. Right mouse click on the field
to reveal this option. I think "reveal field codes" is nomenclature
f

Thanks. That works.

But couldn't get the rest of it to but...... no biggee.

Appreciate.

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm not sure what you mean by:

But couldn't get the rest of it to but...

But...

If you're referring to displaying all field codes at once rather than
singly, don't select anything or rt-clk. Just use the keystroke Option+F9 to
toggle the field codes on/off in the document.

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

 

[Norm]

If you're referring to displaying all field codes at once rather than
singly, don't select anything or rt-clk. Just use the keystroke Option+F9 to
toggle the field codes on/off in the document.

What I was trying to do was to follow John's steps to achieve a toolbar
button that would insert today's date in preferred format with one click.

I rt-clk and then entered his suggested commands but I couldn't get that
to work.

When I follow your Opt+F9, it inserts a pair of parenthesis.

Thanks for the help. I'm going to leave it as is.