Making a "Columns" Style

[Tonya Marshall]

Is there a way to make a style called, "Columns," and be able to select
the text I want to be in the columns then select the style and have
Normal style follow? I want to be able to have a preset spacing between
the columns rather than the default .5" setting. This is for Index cards
for which I already have a template.

I expect I'll have to do it with a macro.

 

[Graham Mayor]

You can't save column information in a paragraph style.

You can set the columns in the document template, or you could apply the
columns to a selected block of text with a macro eg the following sets two
columns with a one inch gap

Sub ColumnsOneInch()
With Selection.PageSetup.TextColumns
.SetCount NumColumns:=2
.EvenlySpaced = True
.LineBetween = False
.Spacing = InchesToPoints(1)
End With
End Sub

I would however, be tempted to use a three column table. Remove the borders
and use the centre column as the spacing.

Setup the table as required and save it as an autotext entry. You can then
easily insert a pre-formatted table where you wish.


--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

Web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site www.mvps.org/word
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>>< ><<>

 

[Tonya Marshall]

You can't save column information in a paragraph style.

You can set the columns in the document template, or you could apply the
columns to a selected block of text with a macro eg the following sets two
columns with a one inch gap

Sub ColumnsOneInch()
With Selection.PageSetup.TextColumns
.SetCount NumColumns:=2
.EvenlySpaced = True
.LineBetween = False
.Spacing = InchesToPoints(1)
End With
End Sub

I would however, be tempted to use a three column table. Remove the borders
and use the centre column as the spacing.

Setup the table as required and save it as an autotext entry. You can then
easily insert a pre-formatted table where you wish.

Graham.
I ended up recording a macro to do what I wanted. The index cards are
for recipes and I wanted only the ingredients to be in columns so I
select the ingredients and run the macro.
Looking at your macro, I like it better as it's much shorter than mine,
so I'm going to use it. I will change the space between the columns to
0.1" tho, as those index cards are skinny. I appreciate your reply
and, especially, your macro.
Thank you.

 

[Robert M. Franz (RMF)]

Hi Tonya

Tonya Marshall wrote:
[..]

I ended up recording a macro to do what I wanted. The index cards are
for recipes and I wanted only the ingredients to be in columns so I
select the ingredients and run the macro.

Are the 2 columns of the same, ahem, "order"? I.e., have you ingredients
in both columns, with the possibility that some are added later on which
might change the recipes, and hence say the formerly lowest ingredient
in the left column is supposed to flow over into the right one? That
would be the only case when "overhead" that comes with the columns seems
justified.

If OTOH you have an ingredient on the left "column" and its amout on the
left, you really have the perfect opportunity for a table.

2cents
..bob
...Word-MVP

 

[Tonya Marshall]

Hi Tonya

Tonya Marshall wrote:
[..]

I ended up recording a macro to do what I wanted. The index cards are
for recipes and I wanted only the ingredients to be in columns so I
select the ingredients and run the macro.

Are the 2 columns of the same, ahem, "order"? I.e., have you ingredients
in both columns, with the possibility that some are added later on which
might change the recipes, and hence say the formerly lowest ingredient
in the left column is supposed to flow over into the right one? That
would be the only case when "overhead" that comes with the columns seems
justified.

If OTOH you have an ingredient on the left "column" and its amout on the
left, you really have the perfect opportunity for a table.

2cents
.bob
..Word-MVP

What I did was kind of combine the two. I don't want to put a table on
the index card. Most of the recipes are copied and pasted from people
who send them to me, web pages, etc., and I paste them to the index card
and have styles set to click for the various parts of it. What happens
is I select the ingredients, run the column macro and it makes balanced
columns with continuous section breaks before and after. Then the
instructions can be written below the columns and the title remains
where it is at the top. It's a quick do, anyway. Saves a lot of time..

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I would just set up a template with a title MacroButton field ("[Click here
and type title]"), an ingredient field (in a two-column section), and an
instructions field. If you paste the ingredients onto the [Click here and
type ingredients] field, they'll be formatted in columns.

Hi Tonya

Tonya Marshall wrote:
[..]

I ended up recording a macro to do what I wanted. The index cards are
for recipes and I wanted only the ingredients to be in columns so I
select the ingredients and run the macro.

Are the 2 columns of the same, ahem, "order"? I.e., have you ingredients
in both columns, with the possibility that some are added later on which
might change the recipes, and hence say the formerly lowest ingredient
in the left column is supposed to flow over into the right one? That
would be the only case when "overhead" that comes with the columns seems
justified.

If OTOH you have an ingredient on the left "column" and its amout on the
left, you really have the perfect opportunity for a table.

2cents
.bob
..Word-MVP

What I did was kind of combine the two. I don't want to put a table on
the index card. Most of the recipes are copied and pasted from people
who send them to me, web pages, etc., and I paste them to the index card
and have styles set to click for the various parts of it. What happens
is I select the ingredients, run the column macro and it makes balanced
columns with continuous section breaks before and after. Then the
instructions can be written below the columns and the title remains
where it is at the top. It's a quick do, anyway. Saves a lot of time..

 

[Tonya Marshall]

I'll give that a try and see how I like it.

Right now, I copy and paste the whole recipe rather than parts of it and
have macros on a toolbar to apply the styles. The clipboard lets me
match the destination formatting style and then I apply the other styles
which aren't many: Title and body text.

It would make sense to do it with the MacroButtons when I type a recipe
rather than copying and pasting it though.
--
Tonya Marshall
tonz AT harborside DOT com

I would just set up a template with a title MacroButton field ("[Click here
and type title]"), an ingredient field (in a two-column section), and an
instructions field. If you paste the ingredients onto the [Click here and
type ingredients] field, they'll be formatted in columns.

Hi Tonya

Tonya Marshall wrote:
[..]
I ended up recording a macro to do what I wanted. The index cards are
for recipes and I wanted only the ingredients to be in columns so I
select the ingredients and run the macro.

Are the 2 columns of the same, ahem, "order"? I.e., have you ingredients
in both columns, with the possibility that some are added later on which
might change the recipes, and hence say the formerly lowest ingredient
in the left column is supposed to flow over into the right one? That
would be the only case when "overhead" that comes with the columns seems
justified.

If OTOH you have an ingredient on the left "column" and its amout on the
left, you really have the perfect opportunity for a table.

2cents
.bob
..Word-MVP

What I did was kind of combine the two. I don't want to put a table on
the index card. Most of the recipes are copied and pasted from people
who send them to me, web pages, etc., and I paste them to the index card
and have styles set to click for the various parts of it. What happens
is I select the ingredients, run the column macro and it makes balanced
columns with continuous section breaks before and after. Then the
instructions can be written below the columns and the title remains
where it is at the top. It's a quick do, anyway. Saves a lot of time..