Paragraph formatting

  • Thread starter Thread starter Laurel
  • Start date Start date
L

Laurel

I've tried various combinations of attributes for the first line and hanging
lines, and have experimented with bullets. I thought I once had a set up
that would do what I wanted, but now I think I may be mis-remembering, and
it just isn't possible. This is what I would like to do. This format would
suit my purposes in a number of situations. Could someone either verify
that it can't be automated with Word, or else tell me the steps to do it?
Note - I'm sure that at some point entering a <return> + <dash> in such a
document would automatically line it up under the preceding dash.

Abstract description of format:

<Label with no indentation> <some sort of symbol, like a dash> <first line
of text, one space away from separator>
<remaining lines of text indented to line up under first line of
text>
<separator lines up under separator>

Example #1

10/05/2004 - Put all the plants to bed before the first frost
comes, expected in mid November.
- Pruned the trees
- Drained the hoses

10/6/04 - Shut down the house
- Came home
 
Fri said:
I've tried various combinations of attributes for the first line and hanging
lines, and have experimented with bullets. I thought I once had a set up
that would do what I wanted, but now I think I may be mis-remembering, and
it just isn't possible. This is what I would like to do. This format would
suit my purposes in a number of situations. Could someone either verify
that it can't be automated with Word, or else tell me the steps to do it?

Abstract description of format:

<Label with no indentation> <some sort of symbol, like a dash> <first line
of text, one space away from separator>
<remaining lines of text indented to line up under first line of
text>
<separator lines up under separator>

Example #1

10/05/2004 - Put all the plants to bed before the first frost
comes, expected in mid November.
- Pruned the trees
- Drained the hoses

10/6/04 - Shut down the house
- Came home
Click to expand...

Hmm... Your dashes don't line up. From your text I assume you mean
them to, so that's what I'll give you here.

I've done this a zillion times, but I don't think we can paste usable
Word styles into a newsgroup so what follows is from memory.

Make two paragraph styles, which I'll call First and Second. You may
need to adjust the numbers in my example below.

Style 'Second' has Indent Left: 1.5" and First-Line: hanging 0.4",
and space-before 0.

Style 'First' is based on 'Second' but change space-before to 12pt
(or watever you choose to separate your lists) and First-Line: to
Hanging 1.5" (same number as left indent, so the first line actually
starts at the (visual) left margin). Add a tab stop at 1.1" (which is
the difference between the First-line settings in 'First' and
'Second'). To save a little work, set the following style to
'Second'.

Now, to make your example you start a new paragraph and apply the
'First' style. Type the date, hit Tab, and type the list item. Line
wrap will work automatically to create a visual indent for
continuation lines.

Hit the Enter key, and the new paragraph automatically has 'Second'
style. Type your list item -- line wrap will work the same way if the
item is long. Continue with Enter and the additional items.
 
If you want the dates to left align and align vertivally and the do-lists
to eaxg left align ans also align with each other vertically, a table is
one solution.

Insert a table with two columns and as many rors as dates. Place the
dates in the left column anf the to-do list for each date in the
correcsonding right cell.

Format the left column to accomodate the longest date. Format the list as
a bulletted list.

No doubt there are other solutions.

Tom
MSMVP
Windows Shell/User


: I've tried various combinations of attributes for the first line and
hanging
: lines, and have experimented with bullets. I thought I once had a set
up
: that would do what I wanted, but now I think I may be mis-remembering,
and
: it just isn't possible. This is what I would like to do. This format
would
: suit my purposes in a number of situations. Could someone either
verify
: that it can't be automated with Word, or else tell me the steps to do
it?
: Note - I'm sure that at some point entering a <return> + <dash> in such
a
: document would automatically line it up under the preceding dash.
:
: Abstract description of format:
:
: <Label with no indentation> <some sort of symbol, like a dash> <first
line
: of text, one space away from separator>
: <remaining lines of text indented to line up under first line of
: text>
: <separator lines up under separator>
:
: Example #1
:
: 10/05/2004 - Put all the plants to bed before the first frost
: comes, expected in mid November.
: - Pruned the trees
: - Drained the hoses
:
: 10/6/04 - Shut down the house
: - Came home
:
:
 
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