Tool Bars To Stretch

[rjkjunkmail]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

In Windows Word, the toolbars are docked on the left and aligned so that the underlying windows are obscured and the Word toolbars are aligned and clean from left to right.

In Mac Word 2004, all the underneath stuff shows because the toolbars do not stretch and it looks like debris underneath.

Is there an easy way to fix the appearance so the desk top looks neat with stretched and properly aligned toolbars?

This lack of stretching and bad appearance looks confusing. Did no one thing about making this "cleanup" obvious or as a default? Why do such obvious things need to be fixed and the fixing cannot be found?

 

[CyberTaz]

It's true that in Office 2004 the toolbars are not docked within the
document window, but that is a difference between OS X & Windows. They dock
just below the Menu Bar similar to - but not exactly the same as - in the
Windows version. I'm afraid there's nothing you can do about that.

It isn't really clear what the source of your further dissatisfaction is.
The default location for Win Word's toolbars is at the *top*, not on the
left - similar to Mac Word as mentioned above.

Likewise, Win Word's toolbars cannot be "stretched" to be any larger than
required based on the bar's controls. The toolbars in Mac Word work the same
way. Those that are fully extended horizontally can be dragged using their
left edge. As in Windows the lower right corner can be used to change their
proportion & they can be docked on either side or at the bottom of the
screen when fully extended vertically.

Have you looked at Word Help on the subject of Move or Resize a Toolbar?

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Jim Gordon MVP]

Version: 2004
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

In Windows Word, the toolbars are docked on the left and aligned so that the underlying windows are obscured and the Word toolbars are aligned and clean from left to right.

In Mac Word 2004, all the underneath stuff shows because the toolbars do not stretch and it looks like debris underneath.

Is there an easy way to fix the appearance so the desk top looks neat with stretched and properly aligned toolbars?

This lack of stretching and bad appearance looks confusing. Did no one thing about making this "cleanup" obvious or as a default? Why do such obvious things need to be fixed and the fixing cannot be found?

Hi,

In Windows, each program that's running is locked into its window boxes.
On the Mac, there's a higher degree of freedom and applications are "see
-through" so that you can simply click on an any part of an application
to bring that window and application to the front instantly.

That said, in Mac Word you can dock many of the toolbars to the extreme
top, left, right, and bottom of the Word application window. Just drag
them to one of the edges and they should dock themselves.

Dockable toolbars can be made to "float" by dragging them from their
docked positions by the "handle" part. Floating toolbars can be reshaped
by dragging the lower right corner.

Although you can't stretch toolbars, you can move commands around
easily, so that you could have one big long toolbar across the top or
down a side. To move commands around, use View > Toolbars > Customize
Menus and Toolbars. When that dialog box is open you can drag commands
around from one toolbar and/or menu to another.

Some toolbars can not be reshaped, docked or customized. The formatting
palette and the toolbox are like that. But you can create your own
regular toolbars with the above method, and those can be docked,
customized and reshaped.

-Jim

--
Jim Gordon
Mac MVP

MVPs are independent experts who are not affiliated with Microsoft.


Visit my blog
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-i7JMeio7cqvhotIUwCzaJWq9

 

[Richard J Kemmer]

I want to thank all the people who responded to my question. After almost two hours of cutting and pasting various icons, I now have two full toolbars that fill the upper portion of my screen and there are no underlying windows showing through.

This raises the question of why I had to go through this exercise and why no one at Microsoft thought of including an option to "space fill" that part that would simply fill in the difference between where a toolbar ended and the right side of the screen as, apparently it is done, in the Windows version.

This strikes me as a lack of detail: to leave a ragged edge with underlying windows showing through.

Moreover, why should a user need to spend two hours doing this kind if work? Is there no one at Microsoft that understands the value of user time? I would gladly have had three partial toolbars with space fill than two full toolbars one of which has excess and superfluous icons only because they are needed as "fill."

Simply, why should I have had to spend two hours laboriously cutting and pasting icons so that the top of my screen is "even"?

Why did the designers not think of this in the first place, especially since this was not a new application?

Surely other must have noticed the ragged and unfinished appearance of the Mac Word screen.

 

[CyberTaz]

Sorry Richard, but this has nothing to do with MS. Mac OS is *not* Windows
OS - there are differences, and this is one of them. Virtually all Mac
programs are designed the same way & always have been. The behavior of
Office apps in this respect conforms to Apple guidelines.

I have no idea why you feel compelled to fill screen space with toolbars.
Most everyone I know would prefer to take advantage of that real estate for
expansion of the document window, but to each his own

Good Luck |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac