prevent Word 97 adding tab stop

[cayce]

How can I prevent Word 97 from ADDING a tab position to a numbering style I
have created. It happens whenever I tell Word to restart the numbering when a
numbered list is separated from a previous numbered list by intervening
paragraphs of a different style. The result is the 1st line of the paragraph
is indented slightly more than the rest of the lines in the paragraph which
are controlled by the hanging indent tab.

Secondly, when a tab stop is defined in a paragraph style, what is the exact
reference point it is using to measure from? Does this reference point vary
whether defining a hanging indent versus first line indent?

Any ideas on this would be helpful.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Indents in numbered styles must be set in the Numbering dialog, not in the
Paragraph dialog. Make sure that the indent (or tab stop) in your numbered
paragraphs is set the same as the unnumbered paragraphs.

First-line and hanging indents are not "tab stops." The position of all tab
stops is set relative to the left margin, irrespective of any paragraph
indent. You can most easily see how Word treats measurements in first-line
and hanging indents by dragging the appropriate markers on the ruler and
then looking at the settings in the Paragraph dialog.

 

[cayce]

Thanks for the information. I am still having a problem with Word inserting a
tab. Here's what I did to the offending style.
1st, changed the left alignment setting to 0 in the paragraph dialog (it had
been set to match the number position in the outline numbering dialog of .95)
2nd, changed the hanging indent under special to none (it had been set to
the match the text position in the outline numbering dialog of 1.15)
3rd, went to the tabs dialog and said clear all
4th, verified in the numbering> outline numbering> customize dialog that the
number position (.95) and text position (1.15) were still set to what they
had been previously defined. They were.
5th, went back to the paragraph dialog and saw that the hanging indent I had
set to none in step 2 was back and was set to .2 ( this .2 measurement isn’t
the actual distance from the left margin, but IS the correct distance when
measured from the number position set in the outline numbering)

The result was Word added a left tab stop at 1.2 (slightly to the right) of
the left indent and hanging indent.

How can I prevent Word from doing this.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

There's a compatibility option (Tools | Options | Compatibility) "Don't add
automatic tab stop for hanging indent." Would that help? Note, too, that you
don't really have to clear the Paragraph dialog, just be aware that any
settings you make there will be overridden by the settings in the Numbering
dialog.

 

[cayce]

I looked and that setting was not checked under compatibility.

For grins, I just pulled the Word added tab off the ruler in the offending
paragraph. I then added below the problem paragraph another non-numbering
style parapraph followed by a numbered style paragraph. When I set the
newest numbered parapragh to restart numbering, the tab was added in again by
Word.

Any other places this might be defined that allows Word to keep doing this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Well, you would need to *check* that compatibility option for it to help.
But see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/TOCJasonTabs.htm

 

[cayce]

Suzanne:

I went back and re-read the compatibility wording and you are absolutley
right. It needed to be checked. I did this and then reset numbering again and
got the same problem.

I went the the article you provided a link for. As this article talks about
TOC tabs, it isn't quite the same situation I am facing. But, bottom line, it
sounds like I am dealing with a bug in software. Is that a safe assessment?

Finally, what in the heck are Jason tabs anyhow (mentioned in article)?

thanks again for helping to educate me.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Jason tabs are tabs that keep coming back (reference to some horror movie or
other--I can never remember whether it's "Friday the Thirteenth" or
"Nightmare on Elm Street" or some other--okay, Google says it's "Friday the
Thirteenth").

 

[cayce]

Ok. Jason tabs= Friday the 13th.

The other question I had is do you think what I am experiencing is a bug in
software? I reset the compatibility option (Tools | Options | Compatibility |
Don't add automatic tab stop for hanging indent). I then reset numbering
again and got the same problem of Word creating a tab.

I do not know where else to look.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

It's definitely a bug in the software, as the article says at the outset.
The article states the only known workarounds/solutions.

 

[cayce]

thanks Suzanne once again.

Namaste

It's definitely a bug in the software, as the article says at the outset.
The article states the only known workarounds/solutions.

 

[cayce]

thanks Suzanne once again.

Namaste

It's definitely a bug in the software, as the article says at the outset.
The article states the only known workarounds/solutions.