Why Can't I select the numbers?

[kevs]

A friend sent me a long list where there were lot of number on the left,
which titles after that.

I could select everything but numbers. Why? Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!


OS 10.3.8
Office 2004

 

[matt neuburg]

A friend sent me a long list where there were lot of number on the left,
which titles after that.

I could select everything but numbers. Why?

Because they're not there. It's the paragraphs themselves that are
numbered; the numbers are not characters, they are a feature of the
paragraphs.

What is it that you *really* want to do? m.

 

[kevs]

Matt:
Don't understand. I just did test like
1.9999999999
2.pppppppp
3.uuuuuuuuuu

And everything selects, even the numbers.

On my friends document numbers don't select.
Now in paragraph view, I notice on his document there is an arrow pointing
after the number, is that the problem, what is that?

Thanks!

Because they're not there. It's the paragraphs themselves that are
numbered; the numbers are not characters, they are a feature of the
paragraphs.

What is it that you *really* want to do? m.

OS 10.3.8
Office 2004

 

[Beth Rosengard]

Kevs,

In your test, you typed the numbers, right? Well, in the original document
the numbers were created automatically because a style was being used. Now
if your friend doesn't know anything about styles, then he probably has
"automatic bulleted lists" checked in Tools> Autocorrect> Autoformat as you
Type (it's checked by default). You, on the other hand, probably have that
option unchecked. When it's checked, an automatically generated, numbered
list is created and, in that case, you can't select the numbers. Try it and
you'll see.

--
***Please always reply to the newsgroup!***

Beth Rosengard
MacOffice MVP

Mac Word FAQ: <http://word.mvps.org/MacWordNew/index.htm>
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Entourage Help Page: <http://www.entourage.mvps.org>

 

[matt neuburg]

Matt:
Don't understand.

That doesn't matter. Just answer the question I asked:

You must have some reason for selecting this text. Tell us what it is
and we'll tell how to accomplish that goal. It may be that the fact that
you can't select the numbers is totally unimportant. For example, if it
doesn't prevent you from copying and pasting, then what does it matter?
On the other hand, if you wanted to make the numbers go away, then it's
easy to explain to you how to make that happen. m.

 

[kevs]

Thanks Beth and Matt:

Let me explain why I want to select the numbers.

I received a long list of all the songs for 35 different music cds, and then
maybe I want to then change the font for whole page, well can't do that
cause the numbers wont select.

Or I want to break up each cd listing and paste each one to a new separate
file, which I can't do because numbers wont select.

(actually what I did in meantime was take screen shot of each cd song list)


So...is there anyway to undo, or anything I can do with his file, so that
the numbers will select, given, that he did that bulleted thing you
described.

Thanks!

That doesn't matter. Just answer the question I asked:


You must have some reason for selecting this text. Tell us what it is
and we'll tell how to accomplish that goal. It may be that the fact that
you can't select the numbers is totally unimportant. For example, if it
doesn't prevent you from copying and pasting, then what does it matter?
On the other hand, if you wanted to make the numbers go away, then it's
easy to explain to you how to make that happen. m.

OS 10.3.8
Office 2004

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Let me explain why I want to select the numbers.

I received a long list of all the songs for 35 different music cds, and then
maybe I want to then change the font for whole page, well can't do that
cause the numbers wont select.

Did you test that? cause it sure works for me.

Or I want to break up each cd listing and paste each one to a new separate
file, which I can't do because numbers wont select.

Ditto. Works when I test it.

Experimentation is often a very good way to make things happen in Word.

DM

 

[matt neuburg]

I received a long list of all the songs for 35 different music cds, and then
maybe I want to then change the font for whole page, well can't do that
cause the numbers wont select.

Why not? Edit -> Select All, set the font.

Or I want to break up each cd listing and paste each one to a new separate
file, which I can't do because numbers wont select.

Why not? Triple-click to select a paragraph, shift-click to select any
additional paragraphs, copy, switch to the other file, paste.

m.

 

[Jeff Wiseman]

Thanks Beth and Matt:

Let me explain why I want to select the numbers.

I received a long list of all the songs for 35 different music cds, and then
maybe I want to then change the font for whole page, well can't do that
cause the numbers wont select.

Or I want to break up each cd listing and paste each one to a new separate
file, which I can't do because numbers wont select.

(actually what I did in meantime was take screen shot of each cd song list)


So...is there anyway to undo, or anything I can do with his file, so that
the numbers will select, given, that he did that bulleted thing you
described.

Thanks!

I think I see what you are talking about now. You are concerned
that when you drag across the entire list or do a "select all"
type function, the numbers at the beginning of each item don't
"light up" showing that they are selected, right?

The fact is that you are correct. You CANNOT select those
numbers, and that is exactly the way it should be. You can only
select items that you can directly change. The automatic numbers
at the beginning of each item inherits its attributes from the
paragraph whos style defines it (e.g., font type and size) and/or
where it is located in a document (e.g., the actual value of the
number itself).

The fact that they don't "light up" when you try to select them
is useful information that shows you they are not ordinary text,
but rather they are artifacts created by Word based on other
settings that you've made--in this case the style used for the
paragraph and the position of the paragraph relative to other
paragraphs using that same style.

The numbers are automatic. You are not allowed to change them
directly. If you rearrange a long numbered list of items, do you
want to have to go in and change the number at the beginning of
each item, possibly risking mistakes and mistypings? That's why
this autonumber technique was created. They will all renumber
themselves just as a result of you changing the location of their
attached paragraphs.

To move your CD listings around, in a sense you can just ignore
the number--they will follow the paragraphs that they are
"attached" to. Just select the whole paragraph and copy/cut/paste
it as you normally would. The autonumber will follow it.

Now if you have specific numbers that you don't want to change
regardless of their location, you'll need to assign a different
style to the paragraph (one that does not use these autonumbers),
and then type each number in manually. These will then be just
ordinary text and will behave like ordinary text.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Though I suspect this is not actually needed, I was just looking it up, so:

So...is there anyway to undo, or anything I can do with his file, so that
the numbers will select, given, that he did that bulleted thing you
described.

To transform autonumbering to real numbers in the text:

CAVEAT: this cannot be undone, it will smash your autonumbering and turn it
into static text, you should probably do this *on a copy* in case you ever
want to edit those numbers again.

Hit Tools | Macros, Visual Basic Editor to open the VBA editing window, then
cmd-G to open the
Immediate window. In that window, type or paste this command:

ActiveDocument.ConvertNumbersToText

And hit Enter.

DM

 

[kevs]

Daiya:
Wow: I was gonna get upset with you for even asking, I mean why would I
think doing anything when a critical part of my document is not selecting.

So I just tested that, and not only does the font change etc, but the
numbers do paste into a new file -- even though they are not selected.

So that news on me, something that is not selected can still be copied.

Thanks too, Jeff, excellent explanation on why.

Kevs

Did you test that? cause it sure works for me.

Ditto. Works when I test it.

Experimentation is often a very good way to make things happen in Word.

DM

OS 10.3.8
Office 2004

 

[Jeff Wiseman]

Daiya:
Wow: I was gonna get upset with you for even asking, I mean why would I
think doing anything when a critical part of my document is not selecting.

So I just tested that, and not only does the font change etc, but the
numbers do paste into a new file -- even though they are not selected.

So that news on me, something that is not selected can still be copied.

Actually, No. Technically, you aren't copying the autonumbers.
You are only copying a paragraph with a particular style
associated with it.

It is the style for that paragraph that will automatically create
a new number when the paragraph is placed in the new location.


An analogy:

When a company hires a new software engineer, they do not also
get all of the software programs that engineer produced when he
worked for previous companies. However, that engineer CAN
reproduce those same kinds of software programs, only customized
to the needs of the new company.

- The company is analogous to the location of the paragraph

- The engineer is analogous to the paragraph itself

- The engineer's skill set is analogous to the paragraph's style

- The autonumbers are analogous to the software programs made by
the engineer using his skill set.

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

So I just tested that, and not only does the font change etc, but the

Actually, No. Technically, you aren't copying the autonumbers.
You are only copying a paragraph with a particular style
associated with it.

It is the style for that paragraph that will automatically create
a new number when the paragraph is placed in the new location.

See also an excellent Word-based explanation here, kevs:
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word/styles/FormatOfTextChanges.html

Daiya