Large Square Brackets

[RockyRoad]

Now and then, large square brackets appear around a sentence or group of
words in MS Word. They only show on screen and don't print, but I find
them annoying as they are black, not grey like most formatting
characters.

If I delete the sentence and type it again they go away, but I can't
delete them directly.

Can anyone tell me what they are and why they appear?

Thanks.

OSX 10.4.7
MS Word 2004 11.2.3 (060202)

 

[Clive Huggan]

Dear [whoever],

They are bookmarks, which are handy as targets for cross-referencing. Many
people don't know they are there because they don't have their preferences
set to see them (Word menu => Preferences => View). You may find it easiest
to re-set this preference.

Alternatively, to delete a bookmark:
1. Insert menu => Bookmark.
2. Click the name of the bookmark you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================
* SUGGESTION -- KEEP REVISITING AFTER YOU POST: If you post a question, keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete solution
is provided; sometimes you'll be asked for further information. Good tips
about getting the best out of posting are at
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/AccessNewsgroups.html and
http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari you may see a
blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload the current
page" -- two or more times).
============================================================

 

[RockyRoad]

Thank you Clive [I'm David from Sydney]

PS: How are they getting accidently inserted? I'm not intending to add
any.

Dear [whoever],

They are bookmarks, which are handy as targets for cross-referencing. Many
people don't know they are there because they don't have their preferences
set to see them (Word menu => Preferences => View). You may find it easiest
to re-set this preference.

Alternatively, to delete a bookmark:
1. Insert menu => Bookmark.
2. Click the name of the bookmark you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================
* SUGGESTION -- KEEP REVISITING AFTER YOU POST: If you post a question, keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete solution
is provided; sometimes you'll be asked for further information. Good tips
about getting the best out of posting are at
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/AccessNewsgroups.html and
http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari you may see a
blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload the current
page" -- two or more times).
============================================================

Now and then, large square brackets appear around a sentence or group of
words in MS Word. They only show on screen and don't print, but I find
them annoying as they are black, not grey like most formatting
characters.

If I delete the sentence and type it again they go away, but I can't
delete them directly.

Can anyone tell me what they are and why they appear?

Thanks.

OSX 10.4.7
MS Word 2004 11.2.3 (060202)

 

[Clive Huggan]

Hello David,

Lovely place, Sydney! (if that's Sydney NSW). I travelled up there the
other day to thaw out. ;-)

Some components of Word insert them on occasions (John McGhie will probably
be along soon to tell us which; I forget, because I only work on documents
I've created, albeit I circulate them to others).

I insert my own bookmarks quite often in long documents so that when I refer
to something being on page 32, but after that I insert /write more material
and that page becomes 34, I only have to key Command-a to Select All and hit
the F9 key and the cross-references are updated. (Cross-references don't
only work on bookmarks, though.)

If you're interested in other features of "minimum maintenance" documents ­
i.e. documents that need very little repagination etc before you print or
e-mail them, take a look at appendix A (page 149) of some notes on the way I
use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available
as a free download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html).

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Cheers,

Clive
=======

Thank you Clive [I'm David from Sydney]

PS: How are they getting accidently inserted? I'm not intending to add
any.

Dear [whoever],

They are bookmarks, which are handy as targets for cross-referencing. Many
people don't know they are there because they don't have their preferences
set to see them (Word menu => Preferences => View). You may find it easiest
to re-set this preference.

Alternatively, to delete a bookmark:
1. Insert menu => Bookmark.
2. Click the name of the bookmark you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================
* SUGGESTION -- KEEP REVISITING AFTER YOU POST: If you post a question, keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete solution
is provided; sometimes you'll be asked for further information. Good tips
about getting the best out of posting are at
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/AccessNewsgroups.html and
http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari you may see a
blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload the current
page" -- two or more times).
============================================================

Now and then, large square brackets appear around a sentence or group of
words in MS Word. They only show on screen and don't print, but I find
them annoying as they are black, not grey like most formatting
characters.

If I delete the sentence and type it again they go away, but I can't
delete them directly.

Can anyone tell me what they are and why they appear?

Thanks.

OSX 10.4.7
MS Word 2004 11.2.3 (060202)

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

It's the "Clipboard"

The ones you are seeing are probably the bookmarks Word uses to mark the
source of a copy when putting a reference on the clipboard.

I think it happens sort of like this:

When you paste into another application, that application queries the Apple
clipboard, which queries Word, which opens the document, retrieves the text
from the bookmark, then converts it to the appropriate format for the
destination application and hands it over to the clipboard which hands it on
to the destination application which reconverts it to its native format.

Never have figured it out. I am told they do it this way because they
cannot know in advance when you copy what format you will want to paste in.
So they mark what you Copy and figure out what format to convert it to
later.

The bookmarks are "hidden", if you disable "Hidden Bookmarks" you won't see
them.

cheers

Hello David,

Lovely place, Sydney! (if that's Sydney NSW). I travelled up there the
other day to thaw out. ;-)

Some components of Word insert them on occasions (John McGhie will probably
be along soon to tell us which; I forget, because I only work on documents
I've created, albeit I circulate them to others).

I insert my own bookmarks quite often in long documents so that when I refer
to something being on page 32, but after that I insert /write more material
and that page becomes 34, I only have to key Command-a to Select All and hit
the F9 key and the cross-references are updated. (Cross-references don't
only work on bookmarks, though.)

If you're interested in other features of "minimum maintenance" documents ­
i.e. documents that need very little repagination etc before you print or
e-mail them, take a look at appendix A (page 149) of some notes on the way I
use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available
as a free download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html).

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Cheers,

Clive
=======

Thank you Clive [I'm David from Sydney]

PS: How are they getting accidently inserted? I'm not intending to add
any.

Dear [whoever],

They are bookmarks, which are handy as targets for cross-referencing. Many
people don't know they are there because they don't have their preferences
set to see them (Word menu => Preferences => View). You may find it easiest
to re-set this preference.

Alternatively, to delete a bookmark:
1. Insert menu => Bookmark.
2. Click the name of the bookmark you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================
* SUGGESTION -- KEEP REVISITING AFTER YOU POST: If you post a question, keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete solution
is provided; sometimes you'll be asked for further information. Good tips
about getting the best out of posting are at
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/AccessNewsgroups.html and
http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari you may see a
blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload the current
page" -- two or more times).
============================================================




On 31/7/06 12:56 PM, in article
(e-mail address removed), "RockyRoad"

Now and then, large square brackets appear around a sentence or group of
words in MS Word. They only show on screen and don't print, but I find
them annoying as they are black, not grey like most formatting
characters.

If I delete the sentence and type it again they go away, but I can't
delete them directly.

Can anyone tell me what they are and why they appear?

Thanks.

OSX 10.4.7
MS Word 2004 11.2.3 (060202)

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 (0) 4 1209 1410

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Hi David,

In addition to John's explanation, there are also a few glitches that can
help create them. For instance, a utility called You Control has a
Pasteboard module (multiple cut and pastes) that makes Word create them for
some reason. I don't think we've tied other clipboard utilities to them.
Butler doesn't cause them, I know. Previous discussion turned up a couple of
other weird conditions.

In simple documents, they'll do no harm. Use Word | Preferences | View to
hide them if you like. If you are using bookmarks for other reasons (e.g.,
Table of Contents), or converting your documents into webpages, they could
get in the way.

Here's a good previous discussion of this with a couple macros for deleting
them wholesale:
<http://groups.google.com/group/microsoft.public.mac.office.word/browse_frm/
thread/e155875af11246d7/5c121c1c98cb0215>

Daiya

Thank you Clive [I'm David from Sydney]

PS: How are they getting accidently inserted? I'm not intending to add
any.

Dear [whoever],

They are bookmarks, which are handy as targets for cross-referencing. Many
people don't know they are there because they don't have their preferences
set to see them (Word menu => Preferences => View). You may find it easiest
to re-set this preference.

Alternatively, to delete a bookmark:
1. Insert menu => Bookmark.
2. Click the name of the bookmark you want to delete, and then click Delete.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================
* SUGGESTION -- KEEP REVISITING AFTER YOU POST: If you post a question, keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete solution
is provided; sometimes you'll be asked for further information. Good tips
about getting the best out of posting are at
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/AccessNewsgroups.html and
http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari you may see a
blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload the current
page" -- two or more times).
============================================================

Now and then, large square brackets appear around a sentence or group of
words in MS Word. They only show on screen and don't print, but I find
them annoying as they are black, not grey like most formatting
characters.

If I delete the sentence and type it again they go away, but I can't
delete them directly.

Can anyone tell me what they are and why they appear?

Thanks.

OSX 10.4.7
MS Word 2004 11.2.3 (060202)

 

[RockyRoad]

Thank you - I have read a little "Bend Word to your Will" and hope to
find some time to read more. It has helped with the way I use styles.

(Yes Sydney NSW)

Hello David,

Lovely place, Sydney! (if that's Sydney NSW). I travelled up there the
other day to thaw out. ;-)

Some components of Word insert them on occasions (John McGhie will probably
be along soon to tell us which; I forget, because I only work on documents
I've created, albeit I circulate them to others).

I insert my own bookmarks quite often in long documents so that when I refer
to something being on page 32, but after that I insert /write more material
and that page becomes 34, I only have to key Command-a to Select All and hit
the F9 key and the cross-references are updated. (Cross-references don't
only work on bookmarks, though.)

If you're interested in other features of "minimum maintenance" documents ­
i.e. documents that need very little repagination etc before you print or
e-mail them, take a look at appendix A (page 149) of some notes on the way I
use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available
as a free download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html).

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Cheers,

Clive
=======

Thank you Clive [I'm David from Sydney]

PS: How are they getting accidently inserted? I'm not intending to add
any.

Dear [whoever],

They are bookmarks, which are handy as targets for cross-referencing. Many
people don't know they are there because they don't have their preferences
set to see them (Word menu => Preferences => View). You may find it
easiest
to re-set this preference.

Alternatively, to delete a bookmark:
1. Insert menu => Bookmark.
2. Click the name of the bookmark you want to delete, and then click
Delete.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================
* SUGGESTION -- KEEP REVISITING AFTER YOU POST: If you post a question,
keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete
solution
is provided; sometimes you'll be asked for further information. Good tips
about getting the best out of posting are at
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/AccessNewsgroups.html and
http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari you may see a
blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload the current
page" -- two or more times).
============================================================




On 31/7/06 12:56 PM, in article
(e-mail address removed), "RockyRoad"

Now and then, large square brackets appear around a sentence or group of
words in MS Word. They only show on screen and don't print, but I find
them annoying as they are black, not grey like most formatting
characters.

If I delete the sentence and type it again they go away, but I can't
delete them directly.

Can anyone tell me what they are and why they appear?

Thanks.

OSX 10.4.7
MS Word 2004 11.2.3 (060202)

 

[Clive Huggan]

Don't read through it, David -- you'll make me feel guilty for the
anaesthesia I'll cause. It's a dictionary (more or less), not a novel .
Read through and you'll go blind <shades of Aunty Jack>.

I have it on the Work menu: open the document, pull down the Work menu ->
Add to Work menu.

Cheers,
CH
Cbr
ACT
Still freezing
======

Thank you - I have read a little "Bend Word to your Will" and hope to
find some time to read more. It has helped with the way I use styles.

(Yes Sydney NSW)

Hello David,

Lovely place, Sydney! (if that's Sydney NSW). I travelled up there the
other day to thaw out. ;-)

Some components of Word insert them on occasions (John McGhie will probably
be along soon to tell us which; I forget, because I only work on documents
I've created, albeit I circulate them to others).

I insert my own bookmarks quite often in long documents so that when I refer
to something being on page 32, but after that I insert /write more material
and that page becomes 34, I only have to key Command-a to Select All and hit
the F9 key and the cross-references are updated. (Cross-references don't
only work on bookmarks, though.)

If you're interested in other features of "minimum maintenance" documents ­
i.e. documents that need very little repagination etc before you print or
e-mail them, take a look at appendix A (page 149) of some notes on the way I
use Word for the Mac, titled "Bend Word to Your Will", which are available
as a free download from the Word MVPs' website
(http://word.mvps.org/Mac/Bend/BendWordToYourWill.html).

[Note: "Bend Word to your will" is designed to be used electronically and
most subjects are self-contained dictionary-style entries. If you decide to
read more widely than the item I've referred to, it's important to read the
front end of the document -- especially pages 3 and 5 -- so you can select
some Word settings that will allow you to use the document effectively.]

Cheers,

Clive
=======

Thank you Clive [I'm David from Sydney]

PS: How are they getting accidently inserted? I'm not intending to add
any.


Dear [whoever],

They are bookmarks, which are handy as targets for cross-referencing. Many
people don't know they are there because they don't have their preferences
set to see them (Word menu => Preferences => View). You may find it
easiest
to re-set this preference.

Alternatively, to delete a bookmark:
1. Insert menu => Bookmark.
2. Click the name of the bookmark you want to delete, and then click
Delete.

Cheers,

Clive Huggan
Canberra, Australia
(My time zone is 5-11 hours different from the US and Europe, so my
follow-on responses to those regions can be delayed)
============================================================
* SUGGESTION -- KEEP REVISITING AFTER YOU POST: If you post a question,
keep
re-visiting the newsgroup for several days after the first response comes
in. Sometimes it takes a few responses before the best or complete
solution
is provided; sometimes you'll be asked for further information. Good tips
about getting the best out of posting are at
http://word.mvps.org/Mac/AccessNewsgroups.html and
http://word.mvps.org/FindHelp/Posting.htm (if you use Safari you may see a
blank page and have to hit the circular arrow icon -- "Reload the current
page" -- two or more times).
============================================================




On 31/7/06 12:56 PM, in article
(e-mail address removed), "RockyRoad"

Now and then, large square brackets appear around a sentence or group of
words in MS Word. They only show on screen and don't print, but I find
them annoying as they are black, not grey like most formatting
characters.

If I delete the sentence and type it again they go away, but I can't
delete them directly.

Can anyone tell me what they are and why they appear?

Thanks.

OSX 10.4.7
MS Word 2004 11.2.3 (060202)