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Object formatting in Microsoft Word
Working with Word requires a different kind of thinking when compared to
code oriented packages like Word Perfect. Instead of using codes, a basic Word file is
broken down into levels of objects.
- Document consists of:
- Collection of one or more sections
- Sections contain paragraphs
- Paragraph is a collection of characters
So, what does all of this mean? When formatting a document, it is important to think which object
attributes need to be changed. Font attributes, like bold, underline,
super/subscripts, size, and similar items are done at the character level. Indentation, tab
stops, default font/size, line spacing, justification and others are set
at the paragraph level. Most formatting is intuitive and doesn't require
thinking about this -- to make a few words bold, just highlight them and
hit the bold button.
- Changing the line spacing for a few paragraphs can
be done by:
-
Selecting them and choosing Format->Paragraph (in the Windows
version it can also be reached by right clicking on the paragraph and picking
Paragraph from the menu)
- It wouldn't make sense to change the line
spacing for a portion of a paragraph, so it is logical it would be under
the paragraph attributes.
It is important to know that when modifying attributes that can only
be changed at the paragraph level (such as the line spacing), only a portion
of a paragraph needs to be highlighted. Therefore, if an attempt is made
to change the line spacing for part of a paragraph, it will actually be
applied to the whole paragraph, not the selected area.
The section and document level deals with formatting of the page layout.
Microsoft Word has most of these options found under File->Page
Setup, and version 5.1 for the Mac (which is similar to the 2.0 version
for Windows) has these under the Format menu. By default, new documents
only have one section, so changing any section properties effectively changes
the entire document. Most people do not have to bother with sections; one
section is enough for simple word processing tasks. A document only has
to be split up in to multiple sections if the following specific attributes
need to be different within the same document:
-
Paper size, page orientation, or margins *
-
Number of columns
-
Format, position, and sequence of page numbers
-
Contents and position of headers and footers
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Line numbering
-
Location where footnotes or endnotes are printed
-
Vertical alignment of text on the page *
Version 6.0 only. These attributes are at the document level or are
not implemented in the older versions.
- Section Break: It divides the current section into
two sections.
To insert a section break choose
- Insert->Break for Microsoft Word in Windows.
- Insert->Section for Microsoft Word in Mac.
The Windows version allows more selection of where the break will be applied. Selecting a continuous
section break will end the current paragraph and place a break there. Other
options are available for placing them at the end of the next even, odd,
or current page break.
If section breaks need to be placed at the end of every page or column, this can be done automatically in the
Windows version under File->Page Setup->Layout. Section breaks are visible on the screen
in normal view mode, and in page layout mode if the Show all non-printing
characters button is selected.
Deleting a section break can be done by hitting the backspace or delete
key while the cursor is placed on a break. When a section break is deleted,
the section before the break takes on the properties of the section
after. Therefore, if the break between section A and B were deleted, the
section that was A takes on the attributes of section B.
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