Inserting an Em Dash

[akleslie]

Version: 2008
Processor: intel

There is no longer the option to insert symbol from the task bar. I've searched this in Help, but to no avail! How do I insert an em dash into word 2008??

 

[CyberTaz]

I'm afraid you'll need to provide more complete & accurate information in
order for anyone to be able to assist you... for one thing "task bar" is a
feature of the Windows OS, Macs don't have one. If you don't know the
correct term for the source you're looking to please describe it as best you
can - Symbols can be inserted from several different sources.

If this is something that was previously available what has changed since
the lat time you used it?

We also need to know the exact version of your OS X (10.4.9, 10.5.2?)
installation as well as what specific version of Office/Word (12.0, 12.0.1,
12.1.0?).

Try repairing disk permissions & restarting your Mac. If that doesn't clear
it up please post back with the info requested above as well as any other
details you can offer.

 

[akleslie]

I"m using OS X 10.4.11 and my word is the 2008 version (12.0.1). On my previous word application, I could select "Insert" and then "Symbol". This no longer appears in "Insert" from the bar across the top of the screen that lists "File, Edit, View, Insert" etc.

It should be a simple process to insert an em dash into a word document, but I'm unable to find how to do this in my latest version of word. Even when i search for "insert em dash" in help, nothing comes up, except some ways to insert Japanese symbols.

 

[akleslie]

p.s. the "Object" tool bar lists special characters, but no longer contains those like en dash, em dash, etc. which are simple editorial marks.

 

[MC]

I"m using OS X 10.4.11 and my word is the 2008 version (12.0.1). On my
previous word application, I could select "Insert" and then "Symbol". This no
longer appears in "Insert" from the bar across the top of the screen that
lists "File, Edit, View, Insert" etc.

It should be a simple process to insert an em dash into a word document, but
I'm unable to find how to do this in my latest version of word. Even when i
search for "insert em dash" in help, nothing comes up, except some ways to
insert Japanese symbols.

I've got it mapped to Cmd-Shift-0 [zero] -- but I can't remember how it
got there!

 

[Elliott Roper]

I"m using OS X 10.4.11 and my word is the 2008 version (12.0.1). On my
previous word application, I could select "Insert" and then "Symbol". This
no
longer appears in "Insert" from the bar across the top of the screen that
lists "File, Edit, View, Insert" etc.

It should be a simple process to insert an em dash into a word document,
but
I'm unable to find how to do this in my latest version of word. Even when i
search for "insert em dash" in help, nothing comes up, except some ways to
insert Japanese symbols.

I've got it mapped to Cmd-Shift-0 [zero] -- but I can't remember how it
got there!

The standard Macintosh keystroke for an em dash is alt shift hyphen Ñ
in any application Ñ (I'm still on Word 2004, so please check it's good
in 2008.) Have a look at the keyboard viewer for more similar goodness.

For the original poster:-
If you want really esoteric characters, then Apple's Character Palette
should be your weapon of choice. It is a big scary thing at first, but
it is far more versatile than any other insert symbol nonsense.
If you want to insert glyphs from the keyboard frequently, then Word's
autocorrect (possibly consider formatted variation for glyphs only
present in a few fonts) is your friend. Insert glyph in Word doc,
select it *then* get into the autocorrect setup panel.

I did this with all the Apple keyboard symbols for writing howtos. I
found the convention Microsoft starts you off with to be quite neat Ñ
stick something memorable in parentheses e.g. "(up)" for the page up
arrow with the bars across it, or "(cmd)" for that "place of interest
sign" that Apple is so fond of.

 

[Clive Huggan]

I"m using OS X 10.4.11 and my word is the 2008 version (12.0.1). On my
previous word application, I could select "Insert" and then "Symbol". This no
longer appears in "Insert" from the bar across the top of the screen that
lists "File, Edit, View, Insert" etc.

It should be a simple process to insert an em dash into a word document, but
I'm unable to find how to do this in my latest version of word. Even when i
search for "insert em dash" in help, nothing comes up, except some ways to
insert Japanese symbols.

I've got it mapped to Cmd-Shift-0 [zero] -- but I can't remember how it
got there!

The standard Mac-wide keyboard shortcut for an em dash is
Shift-Option-hyphen (and for en dash: Option-hyphen). Up to Word 2004 at
least, it worked in Word.

I don't want to have to hit modifier keys any more than I have to, so I set
up an AutoCorrect item to produce an em dash when I successively hit the
adjacent keys [minus sign] and [equals sign].

For en dashes I hit two minus signs.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the Americas and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
====================================================

 

[CyberTaz]

Thanks for the additional info - that helps narrow things down a lot.

As others have offered, the appropriate keystrokes have long been available
for commonly used special characters, such as ‹ & ­ among others. In fact,
most can be added as buttons on toolbars, but that's just a awkward as
having to go through the menu. However, that doesn't address your original
concern about the errant Symbols listing in the menu. It most certainly
should be there in Word 2008 just as it was in 2004 & X.

To see if we can get it back, go to View> Customize Toolbars & Menus,
Toolbars page. Click on the *name* of the Menu Bar, then click the Reset
button. The menu should be restored when you OK out.

If that doesn't correct it come back for additional suggestions.

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

 

[Kevin Taylor]

Version: 2008
Processor: intel

There is no longer the option to insert symbol from the task bar. I've
searched this in Help, but to no avail! How do I insert an em dash into word
2008??

An em-dash is usually inserted in Word by pressing the dash key twice,
the Auto-Correct feature automatically replaces the two dashes with the
long em-dash. If this doesn't work for you, check the AutoCorrect
preference pane (File/Preferences), that the "Automatically correct
spelling and formatting ..." box is checked at the top, and that the
"AutoFormat as You Type" Pane has "Symbol characters with symbols"
checked about halfway down.

Alternatively, the standard Mac keyboard shortcut is alt-shift-dash for
the em-dash, and then alt-dash for the en-dash. This should work in all
programs, and I can confirm it works in Word 08.

Best
kt

 

[CyberTaz]

Sorry - the stuff before and after the "&" was supposed to be em- and en-
dashes respectively. Didn't think about the characters getting stripped out
in plain text:-}

 

[Phillip Jones]

I alway thought it was option hyphen for en and shift option hyphen for
em for em hyphen?

I"m using OS X 10.4.11 and my word is the 2008 version (12.0.1). On my previous word application, I could select "Insert" and then "Symbol". This no longer appears in "Insert" from the bar across the top of the screen that lists "File, Edit, View, Insert" etc.

It should be a simple process to insert an em dash into a word document, but I'm unable to find how to do this in my latest version of word. Even when i search for "insert em dash" in help, nothing comes up, except some ways to insert Japanese symbols.

--
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Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
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[Phillip Jones]

Its normal mapped as follows:

option key - hyphen is en
shift option hyphen is em

I"m using OS X 10.4.11 and my word is the 2008 version (12.0.1). On my
previous word application, I could select "Insert" and then "Symbol". This no
longer appears in "Insert" from the bar across the top of the screen that
lists "File, Edit, View, Insert" etc.

It should be a simple process to insert an em dash into a word document, but
I'm unable to find how to do this in my latest version of word. Even when i
search for "insert em dash" in help, nothing comes up, except some ways to
insert Japanese symbols.

I've got it mapped to Cmd-Shift-0 [zero] -- but I can't remember how it
got there!

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>

 

[Phillip Jones]

I"m using OS X 10.4.11 and my word is the 2008 version (12.0.1). On my
previous word application, I could select "Insert" and then "Symbol".This
no
longer appears in "Insert" from the bar across the top of the screen that
lists "File, Edit, View, Insert" etc.

It should be a simple process to insert an em dash into a word document,
but
I'm unable to find how to do this in my latest version of word. Even when i
search for "insert em dash" in help, nothing comes up, except some ways to
insert Japanese symbols.

I've got it mapped to Cmd-Shift-0 [zero] -- but I can't remember how it
got there!

The standard Macintosh keystroke for an em dash is alt shift hyphen —
in any application — (I'm still on Word 2004, so please check it's good
in 2008.) Have a look at the keyboard viewer for more similar goodness.

For the original poster:-
If you want really esoteric characters, then Apple's Character Palette
should be your weapon of choice. It is a big scary thing at first, but
it is far more versatile than any other insert symbol nonsense.
If you want to insert glyphs from the keyboard frequently, then Word's
autocorrect (possibly consider formatted variation for glyphs only
present in a few fonts) is your friend. Insert glyph in Word doc,
select it *then* get into the autocorrect setup panel.

I did this with all the Apple keyboard symbols for writing howtos. I
found the convention Microsoft starts you off with to be quite neat —
stick something memorable in parentheses e.g. "(up)" for the page up
arrow with the bars across it, or "(cmd)" for that "place of interest
sign" that Apple is so fond of.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>

 

[Elliott Roper]

On apple Keyboard Alt key is also know as Option Key.

Phillip, have you got a museum full of ancient Macintoshes?
Even my 10 year old Bondi Blue iMac keyboard is labelled 'alt' along
with the ineluctable picture of a railway siding gone wrong.
ps Clive
Do I get extra points for 'ineluctable'?

 

[Phillip Jones]

I could send you a a picture of my keyboard the one I use on my G4-500
is a MacAlley iKey extended keyboard (ice colored).

and the PowerBook 17" laptop I have. both have the key double labeled.

*option* in bigger print.

and above the word option in finer print is *Alt*

and as for the Clover leaf key That is the Command key.

The reason its done this way is because Apple was always think something
about Windows and you could actually use an Apple design extended
keyboard in a pinch on a windows machine as long as it would accept a
USB Keyboard.

My iKey Keyboard has the typical typing keys

an escape key left just above the tilde accent key. Then a space,
Then F1 through F15 with a space between every 4 Key

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

then there is a cluster of keys:

ins/help home Page/up
del/x end page/down

then a set of arrow keys:

↑

â†â†“→


Then a complete numeric keypad

with a clear/num lock key and a enter key to make up the compliment.

Phillip, have you got a museum full of ancient Macintoshes?
Even my 10 year old Bondi Blue iMac keyboard is labelled 'alt' along
with the ineluctable picture of a railway siding gone wrong.
ps Clive
Do I get extra points for 'ineluctable'?

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>