Style separator

[Pierre1940]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel Does anyone know if the style separator command exists in Word 2008 or if there is a work-around to create one.

In WinWord 2003 and subsequent, a style separator command can be inserted in the toolbar which permits separating a heading style from a body text style in the same paragraph. This is useful in legal documents for separating numbered outline headings from body text so that the body text does not appear in a table of contents.

 

[John McGhie]

It doesn't, and you shouldn't use it in other versions of Word either.

Microsoft realised it was not a good idea, because it lead to document
corruption.

Instead, select the text you want to apply the style to, then apply the
style. Word will handle the condition for you without needing a Style
Separator.

Word creates a "Linked Style", which is a Character Style linked to the
paragraph style you applied. The Linked Style applies only the Character
properties of the applied style: you don't need a style separator.

Cheers

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.6 (Snow Leopard) Processor: Intel
Does anyone know if the style separator command exists in Word 2008 or if
there is a work-around to create one.

In WinWord 2003 and subsequent, a style separator command can be inserted in
the toolbar which permits separating a heading style from a body text style in
the same paragraph. This is useful in legal documents for separating numbered
outline headings from body text so that the body text does not appear in a
table of contents.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]

 

[Pierre1940]

This doesn't appear to work with numbered heading styles. The style is applied to the entire paragraph, even if only a portion of the paragraph text is selected. But perhaps I'm going about it the wrong way.

While I don't doubt your assertion that style separators cause file corruption in Word Mac documents, Microsoft doesn't appear to have deprecated the command in Win Word. It still is available in Word 2010 Beta.

 

[John McGhie]

Well, it "works", but it's very complex: read on...

Yeah, the command is still there, it has to be, to support old documents.

And if you use it, you will get problems as you will soon discover

The "Numbering" in heading styles is a property of the List Template, which
in turn is a property of the List Style, which associates the Heading
paragraph styles as its properties. The Heading paragraph styles are in
turn Linked Styles, which have character styles as properties. It's a hell
of a long and complex chain with nine sub-levels in each.

Linked Styles works fine with Heading styles, but the numbering is a
property of the paragraph, not the font formatting. So if you apply the
linked Character portion of a Heading style, you won't get the numbering,
because font formatting does not support numbering.

It's a bit of a mess.

You can work your way around it by creating a "HeadingNumbering" list style
that contains the numbering but has NO styles associated with it. You can
then apply the numbering to any text you like.

However, you must then be careful to REMOVE the numbering from your Heading
styles, otherwise you will overwrite your numbering when you apply the
Heading style.

This is not a great way to code a document: if you send it to any other
user, the result will be destruction of Armageddon proportions, because
other users will never figure out what's going on.

Normally, I do not get to run-in headings before Level 4, and I remove the
numbering from Level 4 headings. I can then apply the Character portion of
Heading 4 as a linked style and all is good.

I suppose you could create your own "Style Separator" -- it's simply a
paragraph mark with the "Hidden" font property applied as direct formatting.
But I put this technique in the same bucket as Base Jumping: just because we
"can" does not mean we "should" and the results are often messy and painful.

The issue is that Word does not take kindly to paragraphs appearing and
disappearing in the text while it is trying to paginate. If you add tracked
changes to the mix, document corruption is almost guaranteed (which is why
Microsoft deprecated the command).

Your call.

Cheers

This doesn't appear to work with numbered heading styles. The style is applied
to the entire paragraph, even if only a portion of the paragraph text is
selected. But perhaps I'm going about it the wrong way.

While I don't doubt your assertion that style separators cause file corruption
in Word Mac documents, Microsoft doesn't appear to have deprecated the command
in Win Word. It still is available in Word 2010 Beta.

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:[email protected]