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Continuous breaks convert to next page breaks



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 30th, 2004, 03:57 PM
Jennifer Hunt
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Continuous breaks convert to next page breaks

I'm setting up a template pleading caption for our law firm. After using
several different models, it seems the one employing columns is probably the
most effective and requires the least amount of "tweakage" from end-users.
However, if one cuts and pastes a caption set up this way into a new or
existing document, Word converts the continuous section breaks to next page
breaks.

So now I'm trying to come up with the best solution that will prevent
user-breakage of the caption. So far, possible solutions include (a) amending
users' normal.dot in page layout so that section starts will be continuous by
default (probably unacceptable because of other problems it would cause); (b)
telling users to paste text into the pleading caption document rather than
attempting to paste the caption itself to another document (not everyone will
remember this); and (c) telling users to 'select all' -- rather than
highlight just the caption -- and paste that to the desired document. (For
some reason I cannot fathom, the breaks don't convert if one 'selects all'...
perhaps this is the key to the problem? Or is it just a software bug?)

I'm just trying to create a template that will work well for everyone and I
don't wind up with a half dozen calls a week to the help desk about an extra
page break that can't be deleted without compromising the caption.
Suggestions and alternatives are welcome.
--
Application Support Specialist
Columbus, Ohio
  #2  
Old December 30th, 2004, 05:08 PM
Charles Kenyon
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

You'll find tables work much better than column for captions. (I do have a
criminal discovery demand that uses columns for the text, not the caption,
but that is an unusual case.) http://addbalance.com/usersguide/tables.htm.

Don't amend your users' normal.dot. Normal.dot should never be shared and
customizing it's layout can compromise your ability to create labels in
Word.

Use custom pleading templates that already have captions built into them. I
generally construct a new one from my general one for each case and put the
caption for the case into the template for that case. This gets around the
cut and paste.

I suspect, that like many people in law offices, you are a refugee from Word
Perfect land. Here is some general info on moving from Word Perfect to Word:

Word and Word Perfect work very differently from one another. Each program's
methods have strengths and weaknesses; but, if you try to use one of these
programs as if it were the other, it is like pushing on a string! You can
easily make a lot of extra work for yourself. If you are unwilling to take
the time to learn to use Word's methods, you should stick to using Word Pad.
You'll have a lot less grief, although you'll miss out on a lot of raw
power.

See http://www.addbalance.com/word/wordperfect.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...ordPerfect.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...AndGotchas.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...Converters.htm
http://businesssoft.about.com/comput.../blconvert.htm
for information on Word for Word Perfect users.

For mo
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...platePart2.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...platePart1.htm
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Number...gExplained.htm
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...latesStore.htm


Function Keys

In Word 2000 (or later) You can get the function keys to display in a
special toolbar at the bottom of the screen if you want (something like
pressing F3 twice in WP). The following macro will do this.
Sub ShowMeFunctionKeys()
Commandbars("Function Key Display").Visible = True
End Sub

Word's Extend key (F8) gives something similar to block processing.


Formatting and Styles

Learn about Styles - really learn!
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm I resisted for years and now
regret every day of those years because although that string was still very
hard to push, it kept getting longer and longer, and had some very important
projects tied to it! Once you understand styles and the Word concept of
organizing things into Chinese boxes everything falls into place and instead
of pushing a string, you can push a button that turns on the very powerful
text processing machine known as Microsoft Word and it will start doing your
work for you instead of running around behind you trying to undo what you
just thought you did.


Converting documents Word / Word Perfect

Some special characters in Word Perfect documents don't convert well to
Word. There is a macro to assist with this described at
http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/...html#macroword and can be found
at http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/WPSymbolConv.bas.
This was prepared by Edward Mendelson.
Otherwise, look at the macro from http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=212396
Use these on _copies_!

As for converting documents from Word Perfect to _use_ in Word... In a word,
don't plan on it. I would not recommend using converted documents long-term.
They will be filled with formatting anomolies that will get you at the worst
time. This is especially true of any documents containing automatic
numbering or bullets. Try recreating form documents in Word using the
following process:
In Word Perfect (if you still have it, in Word if not) save your files as
text files.
Use your converted files as references to show you how you want your
formatting to look.
Create a new document in Word and insert the text from the text file. Save
this new document as a Word template. Format it the way you want using
styles, not direct formatting. Save it again.
To use a template within Word, use File = New and pick your template. This
will create a new document for you.

Note that conversions usually do create documents that look passable and
print OK; the problems I'm referring to have to do with editing / making
changes, that is, using the documents long-term. (See below on reusing
documents vs. using templates.)

Conversion back to Word Perfect: There is a problem (in addition to the ones
mentioned for conversion _to_ Word) with Version 2002 (XP) and later of
Word. The conversion file only works for conversion _to_ Word, not from Word
to Word Perfect! Earlier versions went both ways. To fix this, you need to
find the old conversion file WPFT532.CNV from a Word 97 or Word 2000
installation and copy it to your new installation, replacing the file of the
same name. Note, the change making the file one-way was done as a security
measure. While I don't know of any problems the old file causes, keep the
new installation's file somewhere as a backup just in case.


Boilerplate and Forms

In WP a lot of people use macros to hold chunks of text - boilerplate. In
Word this function is filled by Templates, AutoText and AutoCorrect, not
macros. Follow the links at
http://addbalance.com/word/wordwebre...s.htm#AutoText for more
information on these tools.

You can use FILLIN and ASK fields or UserForms to query the user. For some
form documents, Word's "online forms" work very well. For more about online
forms, follow the links at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...nTheBlanks.htm especially Dian
Chapman's series of articles.


Reusing Documents vs. Using templates

General practice in WP is to have a document and copy and edit it to create
a new document. This is not good practice in Word. In Word, construct a
good, tight, template for your documents and use that template when
constructing new documents. Among other things, this can avoid embarrassing
"metadata" (http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/metadata.htm) and things
like surprise headers and footers from creeping into new documents.

It's a lot of reading, I know. It's OK to chunk it down and do a bit each
day, but I would recommend that you make it a top priority to do that bit
each day. In the (short) long run, it will save you both time and grief. I
hope you find this lengthy extra information useful.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

"Jennifer Hunt" wrote in message
...
I'm setting up a template pleading caption for our law firm. After using
several different models, it seems the one employing columns is probably
the
most effective and requires the least amount of "tweakage" from end-users.
However, if one cuts and pastes a caption set up this way into a new or
existing document, Word converts the continuous section breaks to next
page
breaks.

So now I'm trying to come up with the best solution that will prevent
user-breakage of the caption. So far, possible solutions include (a)
amending
users' normal.dot in page layout so that section starts will be continuous
by
default (probably unacceptable because of other problems it would cause);
(b)
telling users to paste text into the pleading caption document rather than
attempting to paste the caption itself to another document (not everyone
will
remember this); and (c) telling users to 'select all' -- rather than
highlight just the caption -- and paste that to the desired document. (For
some reason I cannot fathom, the breaks don't convert if one 'selects
all'...
perhaps this is the key to the problem? Or is it just a software bug?)

I'm just trying to create a template that will work well for everyone and
I
don't wind up with a half dozen calls a week to the help desk about an
extra
page break that can't be deleted without compromising the caption.
Suggestions and alternatives are welcome.
--
Application Support Specialist
Columbus, Ohio



  #3  
Old December 30th, 2004, 06:45 PM
Jennifer Hunt
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default

Actually, I'm not a refugee from Word Perfect at all. I just prefer using
columns to a table for pleading captions. The main advantage is in using
columns with column breaks is that the case number and judge's name will
always be at the top of the caption on the right side.

(The case name is generally placed opposite or at the end of the first
plaintiff's name and the judge's name is usually two or three lines below
that. If instead of columns you use a table, when you have a number of
plaintiffs or include their addresses, the additional data in the left
columns will likely cause the case number and judge appear much further down
the page than you'd want [or even on a subsequent page], in which case the
user would have to move that data to cells higher in the table.)

Keep in mind that I'm trying to work out the best solution for a template
with a wide variety of users, many of whom don't know anything about tables,
columns or any other features beyond the most basic in Word. The less
manipulation that's required of the end-users, the better. In most cases,
creating a pleading caption with three columns (the center one just for
colons, pipes, parentheses or the user's preferred center character) being
the most effective.

"Charles Kenyon" wrote:

You'll find tables work much better than column for captions. (I do have a
criminal discovery demand that uses columns for the text, not the caption,
but that is an unusual case.) http://addbalance.com/usersguide/tables.htm.

Don't amend your users' normal.dot. Normal.dot should never be shared and
customizing it's layout can compromise your ability to create labels in
Word.

Use custom pleading templates that already have captions built into them. I
generally construct a new one from my general one for each case and put the
caption for the case into the template for that case. This gets around the
cut and paste.

I suspect, that like many people in law offices, you are a refugee from Word
Perfect land. Here is some general info on moving from Word Perfect to Word:

snippage of WP--Word info.


"Charles Kenyon" wrote:

You'll find tables work much better than column for captions. (I do have a
criminal discovery demand that uses columns for the text, not the caption,
but that is an unusual case.) http://addbalance.com/usersguide/tables.htm.

Don't amend your users' normal.dot. Normal.dot should never be shared and
customizing it's layout can compromise your ability to create labels in
Word.

Use custom pleading templates that already have captions built into them. I
generally construct a new one from my general one for each case and put the
caption for the case into the template for that case. This gets around the
cut and paste.

I suspect, that like many people in law offices, you are a refugee from Word
Perfect land. Here is some general info on moving from Word Perfect to Word:

Word and Word Perfect work very differently from one another. Each program's
methods have strengths and weaknesses; but, if you try to use one of these
programs as if it were the other, it is like pushing on a string! You can
easily make a lot of extra work for yourself. If you are unwilling to take
the time to learn to use Word's methods, you should stick to using Word Pad.
You'll have a lot less grief, although you'll miss out on a lot of raw
power.

See http://www.addbalance.com/word/wordperfect.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...ordPerfect.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...AndGotchas.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/General/RevealCodes.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Genera...Converters.htm
http://businesssoft.about.com/comput.../blconvert.htm
for information on Word for Word Perfect users.

For mo
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...platePart2.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...platePart1.htm
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/templates.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Number...gExplained.htm
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm
http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Custom...latesStore.htm


Function Keys

In Word 2000 (or later) You can get the function keys to display in a
special toolbar at the bottom of the screen if you want (something like
pressing F3 twice in WP). The following macro will do this.
Sub ShowMeFunctionKeys()
Commandbars("Function Key Display").Visible = True
End Sub

Word's Extend key (F8) gives something similar to block processing.


Formatting and Styles

Learn about Styles - really learn!
http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/styles.htm I resisted for years and now
regret every day of those years because although that string was still very
hard to push, it kept getting longer and longer, and had some very important
projects tied to it! Once you understand styles and the Word concept of
organizing things into Chinese boxes everything falls into place and instead
of pushing a string, you can push a button that turns on the very powerful
text processing machine known as Microsoft Word and it will start doing your
work for you instead of running around behind you trying to undo what you
just thought you did.


Converting documents Word / Word Perfect

Some special characters in Word Perfect documents don't convert well to
Word. There is a macro to assist with this described at
http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/...html#macroword and can be found
at http://www.columbia.edu/~em36/wpdos/WPSymbolConv.bas.
This was prepared by Edward Mendelson.
Otherwise, look at the macro from http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=212396
Use these on _copies_!

As for converting documents from Word Perfect to _use_ in Word... In a word,
don't plan on it. I would not recommend using converted documents long-term.
They will be filled with formatting anomolies that will get you at the worst
time. This is especially true of any documents containing automatic
numbering or bullets. Try recreating form documents in Word using the
following process:
In Word Perfect (if you still have it, in Word if not) save your files as
text files.
Use your converted files as references to show you how you want your
formatting to look.
Create a new document in Word and insert the text from the text file. Save
this new document as a Word template. Format it the way you want using
styles, not direct formatting. Save it again.
To use a template within Word, use File = New and pick your template. This
will create a new document for you.

Note that conversions usually do create documents that look passable and
print OK; the problems I'm referring to have to do with editing / making
changes, that is, using the documents long-term. (See below on reusing
documents vs. using templates.)

Conversion back to Word Perfect: There is a problem (in addition to the ones
mentioned for conversion _to_ Word) with Version 2002 (XP) and later of
Word. The conversion file only works for conversion _to_ Word, not from Word
to Word Perfect! Earlier versions went both ways. To fix this, you need to
find the old conversion file WPFT532.CNV from a Word 97 or Word 2000
installation and copy it to your new installation, replacing the file of the
same name. Note, the change making the file one-way was done as a security
measure. While I don't know of any problems the old file causes, keep the
new installation's file somewhere as a backup just in case.


Boilerplate and Forms

In WP a lot of people use macros to hold chunks of text - boilerplate. In
Word this function is filled by Templates, AutoText and AutoCorrect, not
macros. Follow the links at
http://addbalance.com/word/wordwebre...s.htm#AutoText for more
information on these tools.

You can use FILLIN and ASK fields or UserForms to query the user. For some
form documents, Word's "online forms" work very well. For more about online
forms, follow the links at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customizat...nTheBlanks.htm especially Dian
Chapman's series of articles.


Reusing Documents vs. Using templates

General practice in WP is to have a document and copy and edit it to create
a new document. This is not good practice in Word. In Word, construct a
good, tight, template for your documents and use that template when
constructing new documents. Among other things, this can avoid embarrassing
"metadata" (http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/metadata.htm) and things
like surprise headers and footers from creeping into new documents.

It's a lot of reading, I know. It's OK to chunk it down and do a bit each
day, but I would recommend that you make it a top priority to do that bit
each day. In the (short) long run, it will save you both time and grief. I
hope you find this lengthy extra information useful.
--

Charles Kenyon

Word New User FAQ & Web Directory: http://addbalance.com/word

Intermediate User's Guide to Microsoft Word (supplemented version of
Microsoft's Legal Users' Guide) http://addbalance.com/usersguide

See also the MVP FAQ: http://www.mvps.org/word which is awesome!
--------- --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------
This message is posted to a newsgroup. Please post replies
and questions to the newsgroup so that others can learn
from my ignorance and your wisdom.

"Jennifer Hunt" wrote in message
...
I'm setting up a template pleading caption for our law firm. After using
several different models, it seems the one employing columns is probably
the
most effective and requires the least amount of "tweakage" from end-users.
However, if one cuts and pastes a caption set up this way into a new or
existing document, Word converts the continuous section breaks to next
page
breaks.

So now I'm trying to come up with the best solution that will prevent
user-breakage of the caption. So far, possible solutions include (a)
amending
users' normal.dot in page layout so that section starts will be continuous
by
default (probably unacceptable because of other problems it would cause);
(b)
telling users to paste text into the pleading caption document rather than
attempting to paste the caption itself to another document (not everyone
will
remember this); and (c) telling users to 'select all' -- rather than
highlight just the caption -- and paste that to the desired document. (For
some reason I cannot fathom, the breaks don't convert if one 'selects
all'...
perhaps this is the key to the problem? Or is it just a software bug?)

I'm just trying to create a template that will work well for everyone and
I
don't wind up with a half dozen calls a week to the help desk about an
extra
page break that can't be deleted without compromising the caption.
Suggestions and alternatives are welcome.
--
Application Support Specialist
Columbus, Ohio




 




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