Toggling hidden text hides normal text. Why?

[Neil Humphries]

I have the following text in a document:

1. GENERAL
1.1 APPLICATION
THIS PARAGRAPH IS MARKED HIDDEN
A. First line of next paragraph text.
B. First line of second paragraph text.

If I toggle hidden text off, I end up with:
1. GENERAL APPLICATION First line of next paragraph text.
B. First line of second paragraph text.

As I just discovered, when copying the text here, I ended up with the second
condition even after pasting even when hidden text is visible in the document.

I am using Word 2007 on 64 bit XP Pro.

Why is this happening?

 

[Stefan Blom]

Clear the "Hidden" formatting from the affected paragraphs (orthe affected
paragraph style).

Whether hidden text will paste into another application is up to the
application in question.

 

[Neil Humphries]

Thanks for the response, but it misses the mark. I just happened to notice
the same behaviour when I copied the text as what occurs in the document. The
list markers 1.1 before, and A. after, along with their paragraph markers are
disappearing with the hidden text.

I use the hidden text to provide users with editing instructions. Once
edited, the user turns off the hidden text and prints the document. This is
the first time I am seeing this behaviour. Usually just the hidden text
disappears.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If a paragraph mark is formatted as Hidden, any paragraph numbering will
also be hidden (this applies to other font formatting as well). Select just
the paragraph mark and clear the Hidden formatting.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Neil Humphries]

The paragraph marks for the list elements before and after the hidden text
are not marked as hidden. The list element designators 1.1 and A. disappear,
along with the paragraph marker preceeding them, but the text of the list
elements remains visible although on the wrong lines.

Any other suggestions?

 

[Stefan Blom]

Your description supports what Suzanne suggested in her reply. A hidden
paragraph will cause the paragraph text to seemingly "merge" with the
following paragraph (assuming that hidden text is not displayed, of course).

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Are you sure? Select just the paragraph mark and press Ctrl+Shift+H. Do you
see any difference?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
http://word.mvps.org

 

[Neil Humphries]

To try to illustrate again what is happening:
With hidden text visible, this is what I see:

1. GENERAL
1.1 APPLICATION
THIS PARAGRAPH AND ONLY THIS PARAGRAPH IS MARKED HIDDEN
A. First line of next paragraph text.
B. First line of second paragraph text.

What I expected to see when hidden text was turned off is:

1. GENERAL
1.1 APPLICATION
A. First line of next paragraph text.
B. First line of second paragraph text.

What actually happened was:

1. GENERAL APPLICATION First line of next paragraph text.
B. First line of second paragraph text.

If I select all the text on the page except the one paragraph, the hidden
attribute box is clear. If I select the one paragraph, the hidden attribute
is checked.

This behaviour occurs in more than one location in the document.

I just selected the whole page and cleared the hidden attribute, then
reapplied it to the one paragraph. Now that page displays as expected. The
other occurances are still messed up and still show only the one paragraph as
being hidden.

It looks to me like the document is corrupted. I guess I'll have to reformat
the whole thing.

Having done that on a copy, the first problem is resolved, but I now get the
following:

With hidden text visible:
(This occurs part way down a page.)
4. Sequence of Finish Installation: Construction scheduling/sequencing
requirements and procedures necessary to optimize Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
levels for the completed Project are specified in Section SD 01 35 13.14
Sequence of Finish Installation.
C. Waste Management: It has been established that this Project shall
minimize the creation of construction and demolition waste on the job site,
as specified in Division 1 “Section SD 01 74 19 Construction Waste Management
and Disposal†Section.
1.3 REFERENCE

With hidden text turned off:

4. Sequence of Finish Installation: Construction scheduling/sequencing
requirements and procedures necessary to optimize Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
levels for the completed Project are specified in Section SD 01 35 13.14
Sequence of Finish Installation.
C. Waste Management: It has been established that this Project shall
(The to of the page is here now because the hidden text is off.)
4. Sequence of Finish Installation: Construction scheduling/sequencing
requirements and procedures necessary to optimize Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)
levels for the completed Project are specified in Section SD 01 35 13.14
Sequence of Finish Installation.
C. Waste Management: It has been established that this Project shall
minimize the creation of construction and demolition waste on the job site,
as specified in Division 1 “Section SD 01 74 19 Construction Waste Management
and Disposal†Section.
1.3 REFERENCE

The same duplication shows up after scrolling up and down the document, and
shows up in print preview. If I try to select something in the first
occurance of paragraph C, the cursor appears in the second occurance. It does
however print correctly.

Ask me why I find Word frustrating.

Thanks to both of you for trying.

 

[Stefan Blom]

Your description supports what Suzanne suggested in her reply. A hidden
paragraph will cause the paragraph text to seemingly "merge" with the
following paragraph (assuming that hidden text is not displayed, of
course).

Correction: hidden paragraph *mark* (not hidden paragraph).

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

 

[Stefan Blom]

Paragraphs that behave in a strange fashion might indicate document
corruption; that is correct. Take a look at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/CorruptDoc.htm.

 

[Neil Humphries]

There was no visible change to the display except a toggling of the Words
tally in the status bar.

It did correct the behaviour though. If the paragraph marker is flagged as
hidden and you select the whole paragraph, the Home/Font group dialog box
shows the hidden attribute as unchecked. If you select just the paragraph
marker, it shows as checked.

I would have expected selecting the whole paragraph to show the hidden
attribute as checked but grayed out indicating that some but not all the
selection was flagged as hidden.

Now that I know what is happening, I can see it being useful for inserting
inline multiparagraph notes with white space around for emphasis and than
having them disappear for printing.

How does MS expect the average user to figure this stuff out?

Thanks again for your help.