what is this formatting mark?

[maxwell]

When I turn view paragraph marks on in a particular document, in
addition to the normal paragraph marks, there are also other characters
that I don't recognize. Naturally, I can't paste them into this msg,
so I'll have to try to describe them. They're sort of like an 'o' with
points sticking out at four corners (2 o'clock, 5, 7 and 11). Putting
it differently, it's like there was an 'o' with an 'x' behind it, but
the 'o' covered up all but the ends of the lines forming the 'x'.
They're at the end of paragraphs (if there's a paragraph mark, this
other mark follows on the next line, but they seem to function as well
like a new paragraph.) I can see them in both print layout and in the
"normal" view.

What is it? I don't see it on any of the Microsoft web pages that
describe formatting codes. (And where is there a more complete
description of these formatting marks?)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

Look for the button in your toolbar with a ¶ on it. Click it.

 

[Zilbandy]

When I turn view paragraph marks on in a particular document, in
addition to the normal paragraph marks, there are also other characters
that I don't recognize. Naturally, I can't paste them into this msg,
so I'll have to try to describe them. They're sort of like an 'o' with
points sticking out at four corners...

Are these marks occurring inside a table cell? If so, that's normal.

 

[PeterMcC]

JoAnn Paules [MVP] wrote in

Look for the button in your toolbar with a ¶ on it. Click it.

I think you may have misunderstood the OP.

Is there anywhere that defines the formatting marks such as the one
mentioned?

Incidentally, I've always thought of that one as "end of cell data" in a
table but there's a smaller, unadorned circle that I see in _some_ cells
that precedes the cell data. I just can't work out the criteria for its
use - not that it presents a problem but one likes to know.

And then there's what I've always assumed to be the "end of row" symbol that
looks like a slightly smaller version of the symbol in the OP - again in
tables.

 

[maxwell]

Look for the button in your toolbar with a ¶ on it. Click it.

Yes, I can toggle whether the paragraph marker and the x-o mark appear.
I just don't know what the x-o mark means; it doesn't seem to be
documented anywhere. (Some of the later posters suggested that it
refers to a table cell, which sounds right--but where are these symbols
documented?)

 

[maxwell]

Are these marks occurring inside a table cell? If so, that's normal.

I'm sure it's normal, but what does it mean? End of the table cell?
That makes sense... (I'm using someone else's document, and filling in
text, but it makes sense that they would have used a table to format
it.)

Where are marks like this documented?

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

I've never seen anywhere that has them called out...but then again I never
looked. I just keep them turned on whenever I work.

May I ask why you need that information? I'm just curious.

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

Look for the button in your toolbar with a ¶ on it. Click it.

Yes, I can toggle whether the paragraph marker and the x-o mark appear.
I just don't know what the x-o mark means; it doesn't seem to be
documented anywhere. (Some of the later posters suggested that it
refers to a table cell, which sounds right--but where are these symbols
documented?)

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

That symbol is also used at the end of a text box in Publisher.

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

 

[PeterMcC]

JoAnn Paules [MVP] wrote in

I've never seen anywhere that has them called out...but then again I
never looked. I just keep them turned on whenever I work.

May I ask why you need that information? I'm just curious.



Yes, I can toggle whether the paragraph marker and the x-o mark
appear. I just don't know what the x-o mark means; it doesn't seem
to be documented anywhere. (Some of the later posters suggested that
it
refers to a table cell, which sounds right--but where are these
symbols documented?)

I've never seen anywhere that has them called out...but then again I
never looked. I just keep them turned on whenever I work.

May I ask why you need that information? I'm just curious.

Just curious

 

[maxwell]

I've never seen anywhere that has them called out...but then again I never
looked. I just keep them turned on whenever I work.

May I ask why you need that information? I'm just curious.

Well, I found that I could delete the paragraph marks without changing
the formatting of the text on-screen. That made me wonder what these
marks were, and whether having both them and paragraphs was superfluous
and/or making it difficult to format things the way I wanted (in
particular, the space between paragraphs and what turns out to be rows
in tables).

But in general, I find it very odd that Microsoft allows you to view
formatting marks, but doesn't tell you what they mean!

 

[PeterMcC]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in

Well, I found that I could delete the paragraph marks without changing
the formatting of the text on-screen. That made me wonder what these
marks were, and whether having both them and paragraphs was
superfluous and/or making it difficult to format things the way I
wanted (in particular, the space between paragraphs and what turns
out to be rows in tables).

But in general, I find it very odd that Microsoft allows you to view
formatting marks, but doesn't tell you what they mean!

Yes - particularly in the world of document production where a mark that
performs no function for the reader has little reason to be visible. I
wonder - in my ignorance - if they are there to help Word when exporting to
different formats?

There's a bit of information at:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/assistance/HP030894821033.aspx

 

[maxwell]

There's a bit of information at:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-ca/assistance/HP030894821033.aspx

Thanks, that's what I was looking for! I found a help article with
that title before, but didn't see anything in it about tables. Either
I'm blind in one eye and can't see out the other, or Microsoft updated
their help file to include the information...

 

[PeterMcC]

(e-mail address removed) wrote in

Thanks, that's what I was looking for! I found a help article with
that title before, but didn't see anything in it about tables. Either
I'm blind in one eye and can't see out the other, or Microsoft updated
their help file to include the information...

It had probably just slipped through a little tear into another space-time
continuum. My pens and pencils do it all the time - I put them down and know
that they must be within 2 feet max of where I am but they simply aren't
there.

Ten minutes later they are back.

Yes, that'll have been what happened.

 

[JoAnn Paules [MVP]]

It still doesn't tell you what the little thingamabob is called or what it's
purpose is. ;-)

--

JoAnn Paules
MVP Microsoft [Publisher]

 

[PeterMcC]

JoAnn Paules [MVP] wrote in

It still doesn't tell you what the little thingamabob is called or what
it's purpose is. ;-)

That bit'll still be through the other side of the space-time continuum -
it'll be back

 

[maxwell]

It had probably just slipped through a little tear into another space-time
continuum. My pens and pencils do it all the time

When I was a kid (that was before pencils), I read an article about the
migration of coat hangers. Then when my son said his things
disappeared from where he left them, I asked him whether they had been
beamed up to the Enterprise. I guess my daughter (six years younger)
subscribes to your theory: they go through the Stargate. What a
difference among generations!