autocorrect capitalize not consistent in outlines/numbered lists?

[C. Dyk]

One of the users at our company pointed out that the
autocorrect doesn't always capitlize the first letter of
the first word in some numbered list formats. This occurs
in Microsoft's default ones as well as custom ones that
we have created.

For example when I use Word's standard 1), 2), 3) list,
the first letter of the first word is capitalized
automatically, but when I use the 1., 2., 3. list, the
first letters of the first words are not capitalized.

Has anyone else run into this? Is there a fix?

Thanks for any answers you can provide.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Not only does AutoCorrect not fire after 1., 2., 3. in lists; it doesn't
work in running text either: if you end a sentence with a number, the first
letter of the following sentence will not be corrected. In such situations
it is helpful to remember that there are two Shift keys on every keyboard,
and sloth (laziness) is one of the Seven Deadly Sins. <g>

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[C. Dyk]

Thanks for your response... It's just hard for users to
understand why it works in other numbered lists/outlines
(the 1), 2), 3) style list and in the roman numeral style
lists for example), but not in the 1., 2., 3. list...
They certainly can and do know how to use the shift keys,
but it's the seeming inconsistency which is frustrating
for them.
Thanks again for your time.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

My analysis of the situation is as follows:

1. Earlier versions automatically corrected the beginning of numbered list
items either consistently or based on a consistent rule: if the previous
sentence ended in a period, then the numbered list item would begin with a
capital. If the introductory sentence ended in a colon, or the previous list
item ended in a semi-colon, the next list item might not be capitalized.

2. Some users complained that they didn't always want numbered list items
capitalized, and they were wasting keystrokes undoing the correction.

3. Word's developers, in attempting to address this complaint, went too far
and disabled AutoCorrection after *all* numbers followed by periods.

4. Either it didn't occur to them to attack other types of numbered lists,
or they concluded that trying to address all of them (including ones that
use letters) would be too drastic. That is, if you don't capitalize after
a., b., c., then what happens when those letters fall at the end of a
sentence? Same for a), b), c), etc. So the change was implemented unevenly.

This analysis is entirely speculative and may be way off base, but I suspect
that something along those lines is the explanation, and the bottom line is
that there isn't much we can do about it.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.