text wrapping break vs. manual line break

[Klaus Linke]

Hi all,

Is there any difference between a "text wrapping break" (Insert > Break
....) and a manual line break (Shift+Enter)?

The formatting character for the "text wrapping break" (if you display
those with Ctrl+* / Ctrl+Shift+8) has vertical lines on both sides of the
arrow.
But it seems to act just the same as a manual line break?

Regards,
Klaus

 

[Klaus Linke]

Well, I found the answer after all (using Google, and thanks to a post by
Bob S / Suzanne Barnhill):
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=255521

If you have text wrapping around a picture or frame, a manual line break
goes to the next line but continues wrapping the text, a "text wrapping
break" goes to the next line *below* the picture/frame. Duh! Never ran into
that, but looks useful.

Rgds,
Klaus

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I was glad that I *had* run into this discussion previously, as I had to use
this critter for the first time in a project last month. I don't use
graphics much, especially floating ones, but this project called for them,
and I was having the devil of a time getting the text to go where I wanted
it. The text wrapping breaks helped, though I can't claim yet to understand
how "Distance from text" and "Space Before" were warring and fighting me. I
finally bludgeoned the thing into submission by trial and error (on a tight
deadline, of course).

 

[Klaus Linke]

Hi Suzanne,

It's very interesting (and reassuring) to hear that you usually avoid
floating pictures, too

Luckily, I don't need pictures in most of my docs, except some bullet-type
inline pictures now and then.

In the rare cases I have to include pictures, I usually define a "Picture"
paragraph style with a frame (set to "Test wrapping: none" and some default
width, together with "single" line spacing and some sensible "Format >
Paragraph > Space before/after").
I then format an empty paragraph in the "Picture" style, and put the
picture inline.

This seems to work pretty well.
For one, all inserted pictures get the frame's width automatically, which
means that most times I don't have to worry about scaling them properly. In
addition, it's easy to change the alignment and space before/after through
the style. And if necessary, it still allows to set the frame to "Text
wrapping: around", or to fix the frame's position relative to the page, if
needed.

If "Text wrapping: around" is used, the "text wrapping break" will be
useful...
I'd have guessed that it might have been better design to make the "text
wrapping break" act like a paragraph mark (so the first paragraph below the
picture/frame/table could get a different style). It would be interesting
to know what the designers had in mind when making it act like a manual
line break.

Most documents (> 90%, I'd bet) with pictures that I get from others show
lots of empty lines where some picture ought to be, while the picture sits
on some other page messing up or covering the text, or even hangs around
completely outside the text area. Not sure whether that means that floating
pictures are a mess to deal with, or that just about nobody is clever
enough to use them properly. From personal experience [= possibly from
conceit], I'd assume the former ;-)

Floating pictures (and probably the drawing canvas, too) may be something
that is useful in DTP programs (page oriented, fixed fonts, fixed layout,
fixed printer drivers ...), but it does seem badly adapted to a "text
reflow" program such as Word.

Regards,
Klaus

 

[Robert M. Franz (RMF)]

Hi Klaus

In the rare cases I have to include pictures, I usually define a "Picture"
paragraph style with a frame (set to "Test wrapping: none" and some default
width, together with "single" line spacing and some sensible "Format >
Paragraph > Space before/after").
I then format an empty paragraph in the "Picture" style, and put the
picture inline.

Interesting. That means you keep a frame around all your pictures:
visible or not? Depending on document type I guess?

This seems to work pretty well.
For one, all inserted pictures get the frame's width automatically, which
means that most times I don't have to worry about scaling them properly. In
addition, it's easy to change the alignment and space before/after through
the style. And if necessary, it still allows to set the frame to "Text
wrapping: around", or to fix the frame's position relative to the page, if
needed.

The scaling effect works only if the picture is too large I reckon?

If "Text wrapping: around" is used, the "text wrapping break" will be
useful...
I'd have guessed that it might have been better design to make the "text
wrapping break" act like a paragraph mark (so the first paragraph below the
picture/frame/table could get a different style). It would be interesting
to know what the designers had in mind when making it act like a manual
line break.

Yes indeed! I tried out that thing when I stumbled over it, and got rid
of the idea of using it on the same day just beceause it's the same
paragraph. The idea is fine, but it should have been executed via a
paragraph property comparable to "keep with next" etc. – IMHO.

2cents
..bob
...Word-MVP

 

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

Hi, would you mind if I step in the discussion?
Replies as follows:

Hi Suzanne,

It's very interesting (and reassuring) to hear that you usually avoid
floating pictures, too

Me too.
Floating pictures are horrible. Quite a lot of problems can occur. But if we
just use inline pictures, it doesn't mean perfect. At least we lose some
customization about the location of a picture.

But if I wish my picture to float, I will do the following:
- add a canvas to embed the picture in
- try to do this at the very last moment

The reasons are:
- a canvas can effectively avoid the problem of covering text and related
problems
- to do this at the very last moment, you can avoid further unintentional
changes made by Word. It can be very troublesome if you intend to alter the
documents (eg delete and add some texts, paragraphs) after the embedding of
floating pictures.

Thanks for your attention.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I agree that inserting pictures (whether inline or wrapped) when editing is
complete saves a lot of hassle.

 

[0-0 Wai Wai ^-^]

I agree that inserting pictures (whether inline or wrapped) when editing is
complete saves a lot of hassle.

Did you make a typo?
Sorry that can't really get what you mean?

Did you wish to say:
I agree that inserting pictures (whether inline or wrapped) AFTER editing THE
WHOLE DOCUMENT is...

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

"When editing is complete" means when the text of the document is in its
final form (no more text editing will be done).