Missing Setting - don't paste formatting from other applications

[Fuzzyman]

Hello all,

Word for Windows has a setting "don't paste formatting from other
applications", which is extremely useful. This setting is missing from
Word for Mac.

It is exacerbated by the fact that even pasting what you think is
plain text (for example a URL from the Firefox address bar) carries
formatting with it!

I have found an Applescript script (from the MVP's site I think - many
thanks!) that gives me a keyboard shortcut for 'Paste unformatted',
and the flexible toolbars (great) mean I have 'Paste Special' as a
toolbar icon - but I still miss this Word configuration option.

Michael Foord
http://www.ironpythoninaction.com/

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Michael -

Hello all,

Word for Windows has a setting "don't paste formatting from other
applications", which is extremely useful. This setting is missing from
Word for Mac.

Unfortunately Mac Word doesn't have that setting but I'm not sure what
you're asking for in the next paragraph...

It is exacerbated by the fact that even pasting what you think is
plain text (for example a URL from the Firefox address bar) carries
formatting with it!

What kind of formatting "cares with it"? Paste Special> Unformatted Text
should cause the pasted content to pick up the formatting of the paragraph
into which you paste it. For example:

I just copied a URL in Firefox, then pasted into Word in 3 ways;

The first was a regular Paste which resulted in a font of Lucida Grande &
when I spaced or tabbed the URL became a hyperlink.

The second I used Unformatted Text which resulted in the URL in my default
font of Adobe Caslon Pro.

The third time I changed the font to Arial Unicode first, then pasted as
Unformatted Text which resulted in that font being used.

In each of the latter cases the content was also rendered as a Hyperlink.

If it's the Hyperlink formatting you're objecting to, that can be turned off
in Tools> AutoCorrect> AutoFormat As You Type - clear the check for Internet
& Network Paths with Hyperlinks.

If that doesn't help please be a bit more descriptive of what formatting you
mean.

I have found an Applescript script (from the MVP's site I think - many
thanks!) that gives me a keyboard shortcut for 'Paste unformatted',
and the flexible toolbars (great) mean I have 'Paste Special' as a
toolbar icon - but I still miss this Word configuration option.

Michael Foord
http://www.ironpythoninaction.com/

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

 

[Clive Huggan]

On 13/5/08 9:22 AM, in article C44E4987.3AE31%[email protected],

If it's the Hyperlink formatting you're objecting to, that can be turned off
in Tools> AutoCorrect> AutoFormat As You Type - clear the check for Internet
& Network Paths with Hyperlinks.

And to turn on / turn off an individual hyperlink, you can select the URL
and key Command-k

Ain't Word an amazing creature? ;-)

Clive Huggan
============

 

[Hayley_K]

Is there a shortcut for paste special- unformatted text? To avoid going to the edit menu, then paste special, then unformatted text every time?

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

What version of Word?

Word 2008, see here:
http://word.mvps.org/mac/Scripts/PasteTextAS.html

Word 2004 and earlier, see here:
http://word.mvps.org/mac/PasteText.html

 

[Fuzzyman]

Hi Michael -




Unfortunately Mac Word doesn't have that setting but I'm not sure what
you're asking for in the next paragraph...




What kind of formatting "cares with it"? Paste Special> Unformatted Text
should cause the pasted content to pick up the formatting of the paragraph
into which you paste it. For example:

Cares with it???

What I mean is that I copy a URL onto the clipboard from the Firefox
address bar (something you would assume puts plain text on the
clipboard). Pasting then pastes the URL in a different font to the one
I am typing in - which seems perverse.

Going to the menu and having to select past-special-> unformatted text
is more fiddly than just cmd-V.

Hyperlink formatting is fine (desired), but why should pasting plain
text use a different font to the one I'm currently working in...

I'm aware of (and using) the 'paste unformatted' script from the MVPs
site (and thanks). It seems to work most of the time...

Michael Foord

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

What I mean is that I copy a URL onto the clipboard from the Firefox
address bar (something you would assume puts plain text on the
clipboard). Pasting then pastes the URL in a different font to the one
I am typing in - which seems perverse.

Complain to Firefox. This doesn't happen with Safari or Opera, which
suggests that for some random reason, Firefox *is* putting formatted
text on the clipboard and your assumption is incorrect. FF is being
perverse here. Applications often put multiple formats of text on
the clipboard.

Word doesn't know you copied this from an address bar--it pastes with
formatting because it's coded to believe all formatting is important and
should be pasted by default. No one here can change the way Word is
coded--you'll have to use Help | Send Feedback in Word to send a message
to MS about it. Don't just ask for a preference, but describe the
problems you are running into that cause your request.

Personally, I think a "don't paste formatting from other apps" setting
is a bad way to handle it, too absolute for issues that are really going
to be case-by-case--you might want formatting for some stuff pasted from
Firefox but not other stuff. I'd much rather be able to set Paste Match
Destination Format as the default for the Paste command, and easily
override it by having built-in commands for Paste Unformatted and Paste
Formatted that I could put on a toolbar or set up keyboard shortcuts
for, instead of having to install a script or use the Paste Options
clipboard.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Michael -

Perhaps not a completely satisfying option, but better than going through
Paste Special - perhaps worth a try if you haven't discovered it yet.

When you Paste click the Paste Options (little Clipboard) button that
appears at the end of what you pasted & select Keep Text Only.

As Daiya wrote I've only noticed having to do so when copying from FF. The
same content copied from Safari's addy bar pastes using the document font.

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