{"id":297,"date":"2011-06-01T17:38:28","date_gmt":"2011-06-01T21:38:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southjerseytechies.net\/blog\/?p=297"},"modified":"2024-07-01T14:05:41","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T18:05:41","slug":"five-word-tips-that-could-change-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southjerseytechies.net\/blog\/five-word-tips-that-could-change-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"Five Word tips that could change your life"},"content":{"rendered":"

Takeaway: Searching for ways to increase your Word productivity may get in the way of your productivity. So here are a few tricks you don\u2019t need to go looking for. Efficient, simple to use, easy to remember.<\/em><\/h3>\n

Most of us don\u2019t have time to discover all the ins and outs of the software we use on a daily basis. We learn on the fly, we occasionally pick up a tip or shortcut, and we grudgingly plow through the Help system when we absolutely have to.<\/p>\n

But sometimes, just a few little tricks can make a big difference. Turning off an annoying feature, learning a keyboard trick that bypasses three dialog boxes, or taking advantage of an obscure option can save you a few headaches and a lot of time. Will they really change your life? Well that might be a stretch. But they could. Try these tips on for size and let me know.<\/p>\n

1: Make vertical text selections<\/h4>\n

Usually, we select text horizontally \u2014 a word, a series of words, a paragraph \u2014 from left to right or vice versa. But sometimes the selection has to be vertical. For instance, suppose you wanted to delete the leading characters in Figure A<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Figure A<\/h6>\n

To make a vertical selection, hold down [Alt] as you drag down through the text you want to highlight. Figure B<\/strong> shows the column of unwanted characters selected using this technique. Hit [Delete] and bam, they\u2019re gone.<\/p>\n

Figure B<\/h6>\n

 <\/p>\n

Although we selected text at the beginning of the lines in this example, you can make vertical selections anywhere on the page.<\/p>\n

Note:<\/strong> Some users have reported that the Research pane appears when they try this selection technique. Here\u2019s the secret: Release the [Alt] key before<\/em> you let up on the mouse button. Word should retain the selection. If you hold down [Alt] but release the mouse button, Word may think \u201c[Alt]-click\u201d and open the Research pane in response.<\/p>\n

2: Undo automatic changes you don\u2019t want<\/h4>\n

By default, Word imposes lots of changes on the text you enter in a document. For example, it might convert a Web address to a hyperlink, replace straight apostrophes and quotation marks with their curly counterparts, or turn a pair of hyphens into an em dash. If that\u2019s a welcome convenience, you\u2019re in good shape. If you want to suppress those types of changes, you can disable them. See 10 annoying Word features (and how to turn them off) for details. But if you want to prevent those changes only from time to time, reach for the Undo command \u2014 [Ctrl]Z. Undo isn\u2019t just for reversing something you\u2019ve done; it also undoes some of the actions Word takes. Don\u2019t want that em dash? When Word inserts it, hit [Ctrl]Z and change it back to the hyphens you intended to enter.<\/p>\n

3: Get rid of a persistent border<\/h4>\n

This forehead-smacking solution earned considerable gratitude from stymied TechRepublic readers when Susan Harkins first provided it. Word offers a sometimes-handy option that lets you insert a border automatically. Type three hyphens on a blank line and press [Enter]. If the option is enabled, Word will replace the hyphens with a horizontal line. You can get rid of it if you press [Ctrl]Z after Word inserts it (see above). But if you try to select the border and delete it, you\u2019re out of luck. You\u2019re not dealing with a line object here. Word has applied the Bottom Border format to the paragraph.<\/p>\n

To remove that format in Word 2003, click in the paragraph and choose No Border from the Borders drop-down list on the Formatting menu. In Word 2007\/2010, click in the paragraph and then click the Border button in the Paragraph group of the Home tab. Just select No Border from the drop-down list (Figure C<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Figure C<\/h6>\n

If you like the automatic border feature, here\u2019s a bonus tip: In addition to typing three hyphens to apply a bottom border (3\/4-point), you can trigger different border styles. Typing:<\/p>\n