Unbidden toolbar. My first 2004 question

[Elliott Roper]

I like to use Word with minimum decoration. no rulers, no toolbars,
lots of keyboard shortcuts, perma page view.
In Word X, I had to keep a few pixels of the formatting palette on
screen to get cmd-shift-s (change style) to work elegantly. That is
fixed in 2004.
But
(there is always a but)
Whenever I type cmd-shift-s, the standard toolbar leaps onto my screen.
I have pruned it down to just the style selector (removing that stops
cmd-shift-s working at all) and placing the toolbar almost offscreen in
the top right corner with only a few pixels peeping shyly out from
behind the Spotlight button.

Is there a preference or setting or even a macro to let your commands
work without those pesky toolbars littering one's screen?

I work on a 12" Powerbook, and believe me, every pixel is sacred.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Elliott (note the 2 "t"s)

It appears to me that the stroke is designed to access the Style Name Box
normally found on the Formatting Toolbar. That would explain why it summons
whatever toolbar you have it on as well as why it doesn't 'do anything' if
the list box is removed from all bars.

It isn't clear to me what you expect or prefer to have it do, but the stroke
can definitely be reassigned. I.E., if you go to customize Keyboard dialog
box and reassign Cmd+Shift+S to the FormatStyle (instead of the Style
command) command it will open the Styles dialog box and not activate any
toolbars.

Regards |:>)

 

[Elliott Roper]

Hi Elliott (note the 2 "t"s) Way to go!

It appears to me that the stroke is designed to access the Style Name Box
normally found on the Formatting Toolbar. That would explain why it summons
whatever toolbar you have it on as well as why it doesn't 'do anything' if
the list box is removed from all bars.

Yep, I'm getting resigned to that. I don't really understand why it
insists on doing it though.

It isn't clear to me what you expect or prefer to have it do, but the stroke
can definitely be reassigned. I.E., if you go to customize Keyboard dialog
box and reassign Cmd+Shift+S to the FormatStyle (instead of the Style
command) command it will open the Styles dialog box and not activate any
toolbars.

Well, it's for quickly changing the current style from the keyboard. My
most common styles have a short name too e.g. 'body,b' 'list
numbered,ln'
So, when I want to start a numbered list I type cmd-shift-sln<return>

I'd rather I never saw the toolbar during that action. And seeing the
styles box would be worse. My workaround is to hide all but a few
pixels of the toolbar off the edge of the screen and to leave it there
permanently.

Word's new trick of whizzing palettes out from under your nose once you
stop using them has merit. I may try to persuade toolbars to do the
same with a macro.

 

[CyberTaz]

Ah... It becomes a little clearer when you write;

I type cmd-shift-sln<return>

Didn't realize you were using multiple keys, but it is because of the
leading 's' that the list box is being called. That can be 'unassigned', but
I don't think it will solve your dilemma since that key combo relies on the
list being visible in the first place.

Why not just leave out the 's' in your keystroke? Assign the keystroke as
Cmd+Shift+ln directly to the list numbering style. (The key combination will
display in the box as 'Command+Shift+L, Shift+N'.) To use it, hold Cmd+Shift
while you type 'l' first followed by 'n'. No toolbar, no dialog box, and you
can still use Cmd+Shift+S to call the list if you ever want it.

Regards |:>)

 

[Elliott Roper]

Ah... It becomes a little clearer when you write;

It was just an example, I hit command-shift-s to get it in the mood,
then the short or long name of one of my many styles. I couldn't
possibly remember any more key combos than I use already. The are
spilling out my ears every time I shake my head.[1] But the short names
are fairly memorable, and the longer ones even more so..

I'm digging a hole for myself here aren't I? I'll stop digging. The
almost hidden toolbar is working fine.

1. My favourite all time text editor is teco, where all but a very few
of its commands are a single letter, and any valid series of teco
commands is indistinguishable from line noise. That starts to explain
why my head is full of rubbish. e.g. to sequentially number every line
of this post from first principles in teco I'd type.
j0ua<%a\$i $s
$;>0k
which, you must admit, makes vi and emacs look obese. That kind of
stuff is now built into my fingers. It long ago went from brain to
spinal column, back when PDP-10s were still in fashion.

 

[Clive Huggan]

Ah... It becomes a little clearer when you write;

It was just an example, I hit command-shift-s to get it in the mood,
then the short or long name of one of my many styles. I couldn't
possibly remember any more key combos than I use already. The are
spilling out my ears every time I shake my head.[1] But the short names
are fairly memorable, and the longer ones even more so..

I'm digging a hole for myself here aren't I? I'll stop digging. The
almost hidden toolbar is working fine.

1. My favourite all time text editor is teco, where all but a very few
of its commands are a single letter, and any valid series of teco
commands is indistinguishable from line noise. That starts to explain
why my head is full of rubbish. e.g. to sequentially number every line
of this post from first principles in teco I'd type.
j0ua<%a\$i $s
$;>0k
which, you must admit, makes vi and emacs look obese. That kind of
stuff is now built into my fingers. It long ago went from brain to
spinal column, back when PDP-10s were still in fashion.

G'day Elliott,

Just a thought (furiously busy at present and haven't had time to think
deeply):

How about getting say Command-Shift-d (because d is next to s) to make the
toolbar on which you have the styles pop-down to toggle as appear/disappear?
Then you would:

Hold down Command-Shift
Hit d
Hit s
Let go Command-Shift
Key the style's abbreviation
Return
Command-Shift-d

I have a button that hides/shows my toolbars on the second screen (where I
do most of my work, often with no toobars; but toolbars are almost always
visible on the smaller PowerBook display, so I don't have any problem
invoking Command-Shift-s). In case you're interested, I use the following
macro (all the toolbars are my own, since I need to have some different
buttons on the main toolbars that can't be backed up via Organizer**; and
"2" is just the 2nd, identical, copy of the original customized toolbar in
each instance):

** Elliott knows this, but for anyone watching, this is described in more
detail on page 42 of some notes on the way I use Word for the Mac, titled
"Bend Word to Your Will", which are available as a free download from the
Word MVPs' website (http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/Bend/BendWord.htm).

Sub Hide2ndToolbarSet()
'
' Hide2ndToolbarSet Macro
' Macro recorded 26/3/05 by Clive Huggan
'
CommandBars("C bkmark, x, fn 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C colour text 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C formatting 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C heading styles 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C nontoc hdg styles 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C standard 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C paste-in factors 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C styles 2").Visible = False
CommandBars("C show 2nd toolbars").Visible = True
CommandBars("C hide 2nd toolbars").Visible = False
End Sub
Sub Show2ndToolbarSet()
'
' Show2ndToolbarSet Macro
' Macro recorded 26/3/05 by Clive Huggan
'
CommandBars("C bkmark, x, fn 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C colour text 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C formatting 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C heading styles 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C nontoc hdg styles 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C paste-in factors 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C standard 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C styles 2").Visible = True
CommandBars("C hide 2nd toolbars").Visible = True
CommandBars("C show 2nd toolbars").Visible = False
End Sub

Maybe some of this could stimulate an idea (um, probably not...)

Cheers,

Clive
======

 

[Elliott Roper]

On 18/10/05 12:49 AM, in article 171020051549577511%[email protected],

<snip original query - how to change style on the keyboard alone
without bringing up the toolbar that contains the styles button>

G'day Elliott,

Just a thought (furiously busy at present and haven't had time to think
deeply):

How about getting say Command-Shift-d (because d is next to s) to make the
toolbar on which you have the styles pop-down to toggle as appear/disappear?
Then you would:

Hold down Command-Shift
Hit d
Hit s
Let go Command-Shift
Key the style's abbreviation
Return
Command-Shift-d

That's no good, except for the last bit. The toolbar leaps up
automatically, so I don't need the first cmd-shift-d. But throwing the
toolbars away at the end is appealing. I'll adapt your macro for those
rare senior moments when I do want to bring up a toolbar (f'rinstance
when I have forgotten the baroque shortcuts I use for track changes
orgies).

The workaround I settled on was to rip everything out of the standard
toolbar except the style button, then park it almost offscreen. Once
you learn the first few keyboard shortcuts, the standard toolbar is
never needed again, so that is no great hardship.

I guess my almost mouseless working method is a long way from that
which Word's designers imagined. You know I hate to say anything nice
about Word, but it is a great strength of the program that because
there are so many ways of doing the same thing, that you can use it all
day without getting bored. (That's part of the reason I spend so much
time in this group. I need a break every now and then)

"Bend Word to Your Will", which are available as a free download from the
Word MVPs' website (http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/Bend/BendWord.htm).

which is definitely the most compact practical advice for becoming
better than a beginner in Word.

 

[Clive Huggan]

<snip original query - how to change style on the keyboard alone
without bringing up the toolbar that contains the styles button>

That's no good, except for the last bit. The toolbar leaps up
automatically, so I don't need the first cmd-shift-d.

Well done, Sgt Wilson -- spotted my deliberate error straight away. That's
the spirit we need in these times of trial, chaps ...

But throwing the
toolbars away at the end is appealing. I'll adapt your macro for those
rare senior moments when I do want to bring up a toolbar (f'rinstance
when I have forgotten the baroque shortcuts I use for track changes
orgies).

The workaround I settled on was to rip everything out of the standard
toolbar except the style button, then park it almost offscreen. Once
you learn the first few keyboard shortcuts, the standard toolbar is
never needed again, so that is no great hardship.

I guess my almost mouseless working method is a long way from that
which Word's designers imagined. You know I hate to say anything nice
about Word, but it is a great strength of the program that because
there are so many ways of doing the same thing, that you can use it all
day without getting bored. (That's part of the reason I spend so much
time in this group. I need a break every now and then)

That's a *real* worry! Did you change brands of vin rouge tres ordinaire on
your last journey across the channel? ;-)

Cheers,
Clive
========

 

[Elliott Roper]

That's a *real* worry! Did you change brands of vin rouge tres ordinaire on
your last journey across the channel? ;-)

It's youse louts that give Queanbeyan a bad name.