Setting The Language For Page Numbers

[Will Simmons]

Running Word 98 under OS 9.2.2 on a beige G3 with 352 MB Built-in memory. I
have attempted to carry out the detailed instructions in John McGhie's
massive response to my plea for aid, in his "Re: Spell Check - No Proofing'
Alert" dated Fri, 27 Jun 2003, 13:52:50 +100, telling how to set the
Language in my Normal template so my spell checker does not throw up the
infamous alert: "Text set to (no proofing) was skipped," etc., requiring a
hunt for such text to see what's up.

But, here it is almost exactly two years later, and I still get the alert,
even though my Normal Template Tools-Language default is English US. When I
set Find to search for Format-Language-(no proofing), it finds my footer
which, when I do the Tools-Set Language shuffle, shows that the page number
is set to "(no proofing)."

When I go to Format Style, set the page number character style to
Language-English US and click the Default button, then save the Normal
template: Guess what ? You got it: the same thing all over again. That is,
when I open a brand new document, type something in, then spell check it, I
get the Great Alert and, when I set Find to "no proofing," it goes right
to my footer page number, which Tools-Language confirms is set to "(no
proofing)."

OK, I can live with having my page numbers set to "no proofing" forever.
But, is there a way at least to avoid the "Language = no proofing" alert
when all that's involved is the doggone page numbers ? It is a massive
waste of time to go through the "No proofing" search in every new document
just to assure that it's nothing more thing. How did this abomination get
this way ?

TIA, as usual.

-- Will --

 

[Daiya Mitchell]

Goodness.

Try this. The character style for Page Number is Default Paragraph Font
plus something.

I believe (though I'm not totally sure) that the underlying Default
Paragraph Font for Page Number is going to come from either the Header or
Footer style, as appropriate. Go to Format Style and make sure English is
part of the definition of those two--or rather, since those two should be
Normal + something, that none of the somethings are (no proofing).

When I go to Format Style, set the page number character style to
Language-English US and click the Default button

Huh? Not that I knew about styles in Word 98, but this sounds
strange--there shouldn't be a default button. Instead you need to check the
"add to template" box in the dialog that comes up when you click Modify.

Alternatively, there's gotta be a way to run a search that looks for (no
proofing) and *not* Page Number style, but I don't know how. I think VBA
would be required.

 

[Will Simmons]

The Page Number character style can have a language set. If it hasn't, it
will inherit it from the properties of the underlying paragraph. If the
underlying paragraph has no language set, it will inherit from the paragraph
style (Footer, in this case). If the Footer style has no language set, it
will inherit from the Normal style. If the Normal style has no language
set, it will inherit from the Document.

So: Follow the change back in that order, ensuring that everything is set
to English US, all the way back to the Document.

Got it. I've now set the Page Number Style as English US in the Normal
template. And, I've written a macro that sets the page numbers by View
Header-Footer, click on Insert page number, then apply Tools-Styles- Page
Number-Format-Language-English US.

But, when I open a new document and run the macro, Find-Formatting-(no
proofing) still jumps right to that new page number. And,
Tools-Language-Set Language confirms that it is indeed (no proofing). Thus,
neither the revised Normal template that generates the new document nor the
macro that produces the page number appears to make the page number
Language anything other than good old Language (no proofing).

You can't actually turn off the No Proofing warning. But if you set the
entire chain of styles to English US, you won't see it. Or, if you set a
style to a language you do not have installed, Word will silently ignore
it.
You *can* (and I do...) perform a Find/Replace for No Proofing in an entire
document and replace it with English US. This sets the formatting as
direct
formatting rather than within the style: not a "nice" way to do it, but it
ensures that the entire document gets checked.

It's the only (and I do mean only) apparent way to get English US page
numbers that stick: forget the macro, forget the Normal template Page
number style, etc. -- just highlight the page number, open
Tools-Language-Set Language and choose and apply English US. Clicking the
Default button and accepting it's warning about converting the Normal
Template, etc., seems to add nothing, inasmuch as the next new document
generated by the "converted" Normal template produces a Tools- Language-Set
Language (no proofing) page number.

In sum, It's probably not worth pursuing this eccentricity further, at
least not in my edition (Word 98). Life's too short.

But, many, many thanks for trying to help once again.

-- Will --

 

[John McGhie [MVP - Word and Word Macintosh]]

Hi Will:

Sounds like you didn't Save something when you made the change.

Note: Changes you make to the Normal template or its styles will apply only
to documents created from that Normal template. Existing documents will
still have the problem.

Note that in addition to an inheritance from the styles, a Language can also
exist as direct formatting. In which case, the direct formatting will
override the style.

Solving language problems like this can be very frustrating, because you
have to look in so many places.

Cheers

Got it. I've now set the Page Number Style as English US in the Normal
template. And, I've written a macro that sets the page numbers by View
Header-Footer, click on Insert page number, then apply Tools-Styles- Page
Number-Format-Language-English US.

But, when I open a new document and run the macro, Find-Formatting-(no
proofing) still jumps right to that new page number. And,
Tools-Language-Set Language confirms that it is indeed (no proofing). Thus,
neither the revised Normal template that generates the new document nor the
macro that produces the page number appears to make the page number
Language anything other than good old Language (no proofing).


It's the only (and I do mean only) apparent way to get English US page
numbers that stick: forget the macro, forget the Normal template Page
number style, etc. -- just highlight the page number, open
Tools-Language-Set Language and choose and apply English US. Clicking the
Default button and accepting it's warning about converting the Normal
Template, etc., seems to add nothing, inasmuch as the next new document
generated by the "converted" Normal template produces a Tools- Language-Set
Language (no proofing) page number.

In sum, It's probably not worth pursuing this eccentricity further, at
least not in my edition (Word 98). Life's too short.

But, many, many thanks for trying to help once again.

-- Will --

--

Please reply to the newsgroup to maintain the thread. Please do not email
me unless I ask you to.

John McGhie <[email protected]>
Microsoft MVP, Word and Word for Macintosh. Consultant Technical Writer
Sydney, Australia +61 4 1209 1410