Tab stop to align text on a specific character

[Serge]

I am typing a series of equations one below the other and I want them to
align the = sign at a tab stop. In WordPerfect I can declare an alignment
character. How do I accomplish this in Word? For example

a = b
ax = c(d*e)
(a-z) = .375(b/ax)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Unfortunately, Word does not offer this feature. The closest you can come is
to insert a right-aligned tab stop where you want the equals sign and a
left-aligned tab stop slightly to the right of it. Tab to the first tab stop
and type the text up to and including the equals sign. Tab again and type
the rest. For efficiency, save this as a paragraph style.

 

[Jay Freedman]

A better alternative would be to use the Equation Editor. Not only
does it automatically italicize the variables and supply the proper
spacing for math, but there's a simple menu item "Format > Align at ="
to make the alignment painless.

If you've never used the Equation Editor, look in the Insert > Object
dialog for "Microsoft Equation 3.0". It might not be in the list, as
it isn't installed by default; you may need to go into the Office
setup program and add it.

Even better is MathType (http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype/).
You can try it free for 30 days -- download at
http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathtype/trial.asp.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the
newsgroup so all may benefit.