Section Breaks versus Page Breaks

[RPMitchal]

Word 2003

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am trying to convince the Word users within my company that using Section
Breaks is preferable to using Page Breaks within a document. Thus far I have
been able to get users to understand that the use of Section Breaks affords
the ability to change page setups and formats between one page and another,
but I'm convinced that there are perhaps other reasons.

I would like to present them with an article, link or some further
explanation which may assist me is driving home the point of using Section
Break versus Page Breaks.

Are any of you able to present me with an article, a link, or even a series
of reasons that I can use to help further my cause?

I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks - Rod

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

If the document at hand does not need the functions that a Section Break
provides, then a Page Break is preferable. Use the right tool for the
right function rather than trying to say one is always better.

 

[Melody Mitchum]

And, unless you are quite familiar/comfortable with headers and footers in
document with section breaks, it could "lead you to drink" when trying to
keep things straight.

 

[RPMitchal]

I guess that will teach me to deal in "absolutes" with regard to Word. For
the life of me, I can't remember where I got the idea that section breaks
were generally preferable to page breaks unless the situation expressly calls
for them.

I'll take your advice to heart in disseminating information in the future.
Now that we're on the subject, any words of wisdom with regard to the use of
double paragraphs between paragraphs as opposed to setting up a style with
space either above and/or below? I would hate to once again suggest
misleading "rules of thumb" to this group.

As always, thanks so very much for your very timely and informative
responses.

Rod

 

[Beth Melton]

Are you for space before/after instead of empty paragraph marks? (f you are
for empty paragraphs then perhaps you shouldn't read this. <wink>

Seriously, though, it really depends on whether or not you want to use Word
like a typewriter or if you want to take advantage of all the features Word
has to offer. Here are a few examples I give the students in my Word
computer classes so they can decide.

If you are happy with:

- Inserting manual page breaks, deleting them when the document repaginates,
and adding them back again. Or better yet, you painstakingly get the layout
just right and email it to someone. Invariably they email it to back and
tell you "It's all messed up!". You open it and see nothing wrong and think
they are either losing their mind or are just trying to make your job more
difficult.

- Adjusting the font size to force text to "fit to" or span a specific
number of pages.

- Adding extra steps when editing such as Cut/Copy/Paste, you know, delete
the extra paragraph mark and insert it elsewhere.

- Sorting paragraphs, deleting all the empty paragraph marks at the top only
to re-insert them back between the paragraphs.

- Cursing Word because it reformats text on you such as when you:
* Paste a paragraph on a "blank" line and it suddenly reformats.
* Type on a "blank" line only to find the format is not what you expect.

- Posting to the newsgroups with problems that end up being due to using
empty paragraphs. <grin>

Then by all means use Word like a typewriter.

If you use formatted space between paragraphs then you can:

- Use the Pagination features found in Format/Paragraph/Line and Page Breaks
to control where the text falls on a page and practically do away with
manual page breaks. For example it does little good to keep a paragraph with
the next one, when the next paragraph is an empty one.

- Adjust the space between paragraphs to control how much text fits on a
page, or "tweak" a couple paragraphs directly when needed.

- Cut/Copy/Sort a paragraph and the space goes with it. Or my favorite, use
<Alt Shift Up/Dn> to move the paragraph.

- Have better control over the formatting. Paragraph marks hold formatting -
even empty ones.

- Spend your time in the newsgroups learning and sharing.

Another good reason for using formatting space is if you plan on upgrading
to Word 2007 the new defaults add space between paragraphs. While that can
be changed it's easier to adapt to formatted space now instead of later.

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton
Microsoft Office MVP

Coauthor of Word 2007 Inside Out:
http://www.microsoft.com/MSPress/books/9801.aspx#AboutTheBook

Word FAQ: http://mvps.org/word
TechTrax eZine: http://mousetrax.com/techtrax/
MVP FAQ site: http://mvps.org/

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

If what you want is space between paragraphs, than space before/after
*is* the right tool for the job. Using an empty paragraph is taking
something designed to hold text and be its own entity and futzing it
around to get space between paras--which leads to everything Beth said.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I'll second everything the others have said and add that what you may be
remembering is a general Page Breaks = Bad When Unnecessary vs. Section
Breaks = Good When Necessary stricture. There are times when manual page
breaks are required, and they're *all* that's required. There's no reason to
add a section break (with all the added complexity it brings) if a page
break will do. (If a section break is required, then nothing less will
suffice.)

But there's also no reason to insert a "hard" page break if you can
influence where the "soft" page break will fall by other means. For example,
if a specific heading level should always start a new page, then format it
as "Page break before." Or if, in a given situation, you want specific
paragraphs to stay together, format them as "Keep with next" and/or "Keep
lines together" as needed. If there's room for them on a given page, they'll
stay on that page; if there's not room for all of them, they'll all move
together to the next page.

The fact that Word's Headings 1 through 4 are formatted as "Keep with next"
is one reason you should avoid empty paragraphs. If the heading just stays
with the empty paragraph following it and not the text-filled paragraph
after that, then it's likely to be orphaned at the bottom of a page anyway.

 

[CyberTaz]

As a genral "rule of thumb" I go by personally & advocate to students:

In a standard business letter or other doc of a "one & done" nature where
font size & line spacing will be consistent throughout, pressing Enter twice
to start a new para can be "acceptable". Even at that, styles presented in a
template for that type of document is preferable in a corporate/professional
setting.

Anywhere else, controlling docs through the use of styles is the *only* way
to use Word effectively & efficiently as well as ensure consistancy &
stability... to include spacing between paras.

All this is IMHO, but is based on what I've learned from others far more
knowledgeable & eperienced than I. If I've misinterpretted I'm sure they'll
let me know rather quickly

 

[RPMitchal]

Wow you guys.

If I ever had any doubts about soliciting answers from this forum (which I
never have or will) your collective responses in this instance would most
certainly dispel them!

There are times when I find myself doing some particular function without
really knowing why or remembering the reasoning behind it. It's terrific to
be able to reach out to any and all of you knowing that your response(s) will
be based upon expertise, experience and research.

As always thanks so much to each and every one of you. I appreciate you
more than I could ever put into words.

Rod

 

[Beth Melton]

You'll never find a shortage of opinions in the newsgroups. LOL

Please post all follow-up questions to the newsgroup. Requests for
assistance by email cannot be acknowledged.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Beth Melton