Auto-indenting an Outline

J

Jose

In Word 2002, I have an outline numbered scheme and options set to
auto-indent on tabs. Works fine, with one slight inconvenience:

There are times I will be at the first level and have text, and
then go to the second level; for that there is no problem. There
are other times when, for reasons not relevent here, I need to
show the bullet for the first level (it's actually set up to be a
word), but have no text there, and the text starts at the second
level. If I am at the first level--which automatically starts
after the preceding style--and just hit enter, or a space and
enter, that first level bullet disappears. The only way to keep
it and then go immediately to the next level is to type a
character, hit enter, then go back and delete that character.

Is there any other way?
 
S

Shauna Kelly

Hi Jose

No, I don't think there's a better way. For reasons that are hidden in the
mists of time, Word decides that you can't possibly want a bullet or
numbering without any text after it, so it takes away the bullet or
numbering when you hit Enter in the circumstances you describe.

What I find very annoying about this behaviour is that Word maintains the
style that generated the bullet or numbering, but deletes the bullet or
numbering. If you're using styles to format your bullets, you may be able to
use this to your advantage. Once you've pressed Enter twice, you can go back
to where the bullet should be and do ctrl-q. That deletes all direct
paragraph formatting, and reinstates the formatting of the style (which
includes your bullet). You'll still have to go back to do it, but it may be
marginally more convenient.

Hope this helps.

Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP.
http://www.shaunakelly.com/word
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

Also, if you type a single space before pressing Enter, the bullet/number is
preserved.
 
Top