Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) (02/22/90)
I have seen a lot of people posting their complaints of MS Word 4.0 lately. I guess I'd like to add a couple of pointed questions myself. Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. I don't think the poster used these types of terms, but that was how I interpreted the request (I lost the original post). Unfortunately, I didn't see any replies posted to the net (or a summary yet). To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. However, since this is a real problem for me as I need to insert tables, charts, and graphs into Word to produce draft chapters of my dissertation. As it is, I assume that I have to place <whatever> and then tweak the text around it myself. However, I would like to tap the collective knowledge of the net to make sure that I am not missing something in Word. Am I? Is it possible to do this with Word? Having to keep readjusting chapter drafts manually is not a thought I relish at all. It would almost be simpler to cut and paste. If not with Word, then how about another Mac product? At this point, I am seriously considering a switch. On the IBM side, I am aware that WordPerfect 5.0 (5.1) allows you to place a graphic and have text flow automatically around it. So please don't post responses that I am asking a word processor to do the work of DTP package. Even with Waterloo Script on my IMB mainframe (OK, so it actually belongs to Penn State) I can kind of do these types of things by dumping floating blocks. Also, is there a way to tell Word to automatically number a new document with the next logical page number from the previously printed document. Again, I keep my chapters in separtate files. I then print the whole thing by choosing the appropriate file under the Next File selection of Page Setup. While this works to print all chapters, I have to manually change ahead of time the starting page number for each chapter. Again, am I missing something? I admit I haven't read the 4.0 documentation as closely as I csign have, but I have been unable to find a way of doing this. Oh well, thanks for any information in advance. If you don't like posting to the net, send me e-mail and I'll summarize. ------- Scott D. Camp Dept. of Sociology The Pennsylvania State University 305 Oswald Tower University Park, PA 16802 814-863-0393
thewho@portia.Stanford.EDU (Derek Fong) (02/23/90)
In article <90052.210048Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu> Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: >I have seen a lot of people posting their complaints of MS Word 4.0 lately. >I guess I'd like to add a couple of pointed questions myself. > >Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic >to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. I don't think >the poster used these types of terms, but that was how I interpreted the >request (I lost the original post). Unfortunately, I didn't see any replies >posted to the net (or a summary yet). > >To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. However, >since this is a real problem for me as I need to insert tables, charts, and >graphs into Word to produce draft chapters of my dissertation. As it >is, I assume that I have to place <whatever> and then tweak the text around >it myself. However, I would like to tap the collective knowledge of the >net to make sure that I am not missing something in Word. Am I? Is it >possible to do this with Word? Having to keep readjusting chapter drafts >manually is not a thought I relish at all. It would almost be simpler to >cut and paste. > I am almost poitive that you can do this withh Word 4 although I have never actually used this feature. I know for a fact that you can accomplish this need by creating separate columns, but I guess that could get quite nasty.... Ah, I just found it. I've been flipping through my manual as I type along. It's on page 244-245 of the Reference manual. I hope that this manual is the same as yours. (I bought the Academic Version which came with a number of manuals. This one is a spiral bound and is titled "Reference to Microsoft Word") Looking at this description briefly, it appears that you allocated a box for you graphic/table/etc. Actually, Looking at it now, it is from page 240 on. To quote p.240 (I hope this satisfies your needs): "The text of the normal paragraphs flows areound the boundaries of the positioned objects, filling the available space..." So you if set aside a region, the text supposedly flows around the box. How to actually do this and how hard it is, you'll have to find out, it doesn't look too bad though. >If not with Word, then how about another Mac product? Well, I think I've shown that Word can do what you want. From what I've heard, FullWrite does it too. But, Fullwrite, I think would solve you chapter problems. From what I have heard, FullWrite works in chapters. Sorry I can't be more specific, but I'm not too familiar with FullWrite except that it has some features like that and you need a megamachine to run it (020/030 with at least 4 MB of RAM) or the program is awefully slow. Then again, Word might be able to solve you chapter problem too, but I don't know enought about word to figure if that is possible. Maybe if I have time later, I'll sit down with the manual and try to find that out for you. Anyways, hope this has been helpful. Good luck. I have a lot of gripes about Word too, but most have already been put in that "bug list" which came out shortly after Word's release. All in all, I've been pretty pleased with the program though. Not bad, but could be better... ---Derek Fong fong@cive.stanford.edu thewho@portia.stanford.edu
news@haddock.ima.isc.com (overhead) (02/23/90)
In article <90052.210048Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu> Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: >Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic >to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. >Unfortunately, I didn't see any repliesposted to the net (or a summary yet). > >To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. Not only is it possible, I've done it. Like everything that's a little tricky and/or new in MS Word, it takes about a half hour of playing in order to get it to work. It's something like select the graphic invoke "position" from the menus feed the box with stuff there is a preview button, I think in the upper right this screen allows you to move the graphic where you want it. somehow figure out how to go back to what you were doing. I had problems like: 1) not knowing the trick that lets you graphically put it where you want it. 2) Having the graphic appear on the wrong page. 3) Having the wrong thing be positioned. 4) In subsequent edits, having the graphic un-position itself. >since this is a real problem for me as I need to insert tables, charts, and >graphs into Word to produce draft chapters of my dissertation. Visually, inserted graphs are distracting. I needed them where I needed to distract the reader... You may not really need them. >As it is, I assume that I have to place <whatever> and then tweak the text >around it myself. Not required. >If not with Word, then how about another Mac product? "Pagemaker", "Ready, Set, Go", and other page layout programs have had this for awhile. Other word processers have it, though I don't know which ones. Word 3.01 didn't. I don't think Word 4.0 will wrap around a non-rectangular object. I've no idea. It does have some options about how far away from the graphic to flow to, which is one of the reasons (but not the main one) why it is complicated to learn. A step by step example in the documentation would help - who knows, maybe there's one in there... >At this point, I am seriously considering a switch. My experience is that Mac software is ahead of PC software in quality and features. Even from the same vendor that does both. >So please don't post responses that I am asking a word processor >to do the work of DTP package. DTP? I do fairly complicated 8 1/2 x 11 newsletters. There are plenty of features in Word 4.0 that I don't use. It generally has the features I need. It is probably true that it is not the best word processor for the Mac for the list price. I got mine at a University discount... This is a ploy on Microsoft's part to hook people into using their products. It is a good ploy - I just wish they'd simply make the list price lower, since that is such a better ploy. >Even with Waterloo Script on my IMB mainframe >(OK, so it actually belongs to Penn State) I can kind of do these types of >things by dumping floating blocks. Machines such as the PC & Mac have generally been years and dollars ahead of mainframe capabilities for things like this. What i'd like to see is something that will take a plain text file, perhaps imported from some other system, and import it into Word, preserving paragraphs. It is a real pain deleting the paragraph marks. Stephen suitti@haddock.ima.isc.com
meldal@ithink.Stanford.EDU (Sigurd Meldal) (02/23/90)
In article <90052.210048Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu> Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: >Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic >to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. >To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. I just tried it, following the procedure described in the manual under "position", and it worked. Word does have this feature, at least for rectangular inserts. I do not know how to make it work for other shapes, it anybody has figured it out, please tell me. FullWrite Professional has it for other shapes as well, but that word processor has other problems. >Also, is there a way to tell Word to automatically number a new document with >the next logical page number from the previously printed document. Again, >I keep my chapters in separtate files. I then print the whole thing by >choosing the appropriate file under the Next File selection of Page Setup. >While this works to print all chapters, I have to manually change ahead of >time the starting page number for each chapter. Again, am I missing >something? I admit I haven't read the 4.0 documentation as closely as I >csign have, but I have been unable to find a way of doing this. Yes there is. Check the document command in your manual (page 52). -- Sigurd Meldal Hard mail: ERL 456 | Internet: meldal@anna.stanford.edu Computer Systems Lab.| Stanford University | BitNet: meldal%anna.stanford.edu@forsythe.bitnet Stanford CA 94305 | Uucp: ...decwrl!glacier!shasta!anna!meldal USA | phone: +1 415 723 6027 fax: +1 415 725 7398
clarson@ux.acs.umn.edu (Chaz Larson) (02/23/90)
In article <90052.210048Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu> Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: >I have seen a lot of people posting their complaints of MS Word 4.0 lately. >I guess I'd like to add a couple of pointed questions myself. > >Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic >to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. > >To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. This is indeed possible. "Reference to Microsoft Word" Page Layout: pp 241-248 Position command: pp 279-284 >Also, is there a way to tell Word to automatically number a new document with >the next logical page number from the previously printed document. This is also possible. "Reference to Microsoft Word" Long Documents: pp 168-170 >I admit I haven't read the 4.0 documentation as closely.. Don't feel too bad. The Word documentation and index is slighty less comprehensible than well-worn heiroglyphics, IMHO. Glad to help. <chaz> -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Chaz Larson - clarson@ux.acs.umn.edu "Great Scott! This 9 foot alien woman is a swinger! ...and she has the hots for me!!!" - Flaming Carrot
prg@bonnie.ATT.COM (Paul R. Gloudemans) (02/23/90)
In article <90052.210048Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu>, Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: > Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic > to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. I don't think > the poster used these types of terms, but that was how I interpreted the > request (I lost the original post). ... > To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. However, Select the object, Graphic Image, paragraph, whatever you wish to anchor. Then select Position from the Format menu. Set the Horizontal and Vertical positions to somewhere close. Select Page Preview from the File Menu, this will show you where the selected object will print. Select the page margins Icon, second from top. Place the cursor over the item to be "anchored", click and drag it to wherever on the page you want it. It will be anchored in that position. Word 4.0 will flow text around the anchored object. > Also, is there a way to tell Word to automatically number a new document with > the next logical page number from the previously printed document. ... For all but the first file in the chain, select Document from the Format menu and clear the Number Pages From: box, don't set to 0, make sure its blank. This will cause Word to number pages sequentially across multiple files. Hope I got all that right. Comments from anyone else?
Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) (02/23/90)
I would like to thank all of those who respondend to my requests about positioning graphics and tying them to a particular page location. Somehow, I had overlooked the appropriate sections in the manual. I especially want to thank those who responded to me in a polite manner. More of that later. To position graphics in a document, everyone pointed out that you need to use the position command. To have page numbers in the next file start with the next logical page number, you tell word to begin page numbering with 0. I also thank the responders who pointed out that FullWrite can do the positioning. I think I will stay with Word, however. I have an SE, and even with 2.5 meg of ram, I have heard that FullWrite is kind of slow. Even if it wasn't, I have been generally very satisfied with using Word 4.0. This is the end of the summary, and I would now like to raise a new issue. While I admit I was remiss in not finding these answers in the manual myself, I would like to ask if my question violated in some sense the spirit of this newsgroup? I received several fairly nasty replies insinuating that either 1) I was not a registered owner of Word; 2) I should carefully read and memorize manuals more carefully (and when I can't find a topic in an index because all software manufacturers use slightly different terminology that I should repeat step 2 until I get it right); or 3) I was somehow flaming Microsoft Word by questioning whether it had certain features or not. In response to 1), yes indeed I am a legal owner of Word 4.0. In response to 2), I plead guilty. I would rather use a good index that read software documentation from front to back. And as for 3), geez, some of you people are so touchy. I spent two years in the College of Liberal Arts as a consultant prosletizing the Mac GUI interface and the superiority of Mac software. Does this mean that one is never supposed to question Mac software? For example, I find the macro capability of Word for the PC both more elegant and practical than the approach taken in Word for the Mac where you have to kludge around in RTF and use an external macro program that doesn't allow for doing some of the tasks I need. At least, I assume that it won't since Microsoft staff never informed me to the contrary when I sent a letter to them. To those touchy individuals out there that think I somehow flamed Microsoft, as if my opinion amounts to much, I want to assure you that I have found Word a very good product for most of my uses. I was simply asking for help from the net about several problems that I had not found solutions to on my own, and which I assumed I could then tap into the collective wisdom of the net. By doing so, I got both of my problems solved. Thanks again to those who helped me out on that. If I did something wrong, let me know. I'll continue to read this newsgroup because it usually contains useful information, despite the occasional few who always seem ready to flame someone or something. So, flame away. Scott q8n@psuvm.edu
skyer@quantime.co.uk (Susannah Skyer) (02/23/90)
In article <90052.210048Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu> Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: >Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic >to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. > >To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. Not so. Check out the Position command, under the Format menu. Admittedly, this is not the easiest command to use (it's not select-and-drag, nor is it WYSIWYG) but it allows you to put any graphic or paragraph in general wherever you want it w/i the printable area of the page. The text automatically wraps around if you position something w/i text. (Personally, I prefer using PageMaker to do things like this, since it has more options, but as you realize, Word is not a complete DTP package.) >Also, is there a way to tell Word to automatically number a new document with >the next logical page number from the previously printed document. >Again, I keep my chapters in separate files. When you keep your chapters in separate files, you do have to use the Next File feature to keep printing the next one, and then you'll have to manually change the page numbers for each chapter. However, Word has another feature for this that's better (I think): make each chapter into a separate section. Using the Section command, you can choose where you want each section to start (e.g., on an odd page every time) and you can assign different headers and footers to each section. This way, you can have distinct chapters and let Word worry about the pagination. Good luck! Susannah Skyer skyer@quantime.co.uk
levin@bbn.com (Joel B Levin) (02/24/90)
In article <90053.210038Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu> Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: |While I admit I was remiss in not finding these answers in the manual |myself, I would like to ask if my question violated in some sense the spirit |of this newsgroup? I received several fairly nasty replies insinuating that |either 1) I was not a registered owner of Word; 2) I should carefully |read and memorize manuals more carefully (and when I can't find a topic in an |index because all software manufacturers use slightly different terminology |that I should repeat step 2 until I get it right); or 3) I was somehow |flaming Microsoft Word by questioning whether it had certain features or |not. This is all nonsense, IMHO. It was a perfectly reasonable sort of question to ask, especially given the Word manuals. Responses like 1 above are simply out of line, and those like 3 are irrelevant. A reasonable response could range from a simple "You can do it, it's in the manual" to a full description of the steps--and responses of these types were in fact posted. If you don't feel like doing that much, don't do anything (which is my approach 90% of the time). Grump. /JBL = Nets: levin@bbn.com | "There were sweetheart roses on Yancey Wilmerding's or {...}!bbn!levin | bureau that morning. Wide-eyed and distraught, she POTS: (617)873-3463 | stood with all her faculties rooted to the floor."
englandr@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Scott Englander) (02/25/90)
In article <90052.210048Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu> Q8N@psuvm.psu.edu (Scott D. Camp) writes: >Recently, I saw a post where the person was asking about anchoring a graphic >to a page location and then having Word flow text around it. I don't think >To the best of my knowledge, this is not possible with Word 4.0. However, >since this is a real problem for me as I need to insert tables, charts, and >graphs into Word to produce draft chapters of my dissertation. As it > It certainly is. I just wrote a 250 pp thesis, and made extensive use of the Position command. Simply select the paragraph(s) (graphic, table, text, etc.) and use Position. The preview button in the dialog will let you move it (them) around by eye, which you can also do in Print Preview. To change a position, you can simply double-click on the little black box that appears in to the left of a positioned object when codes are showing. Read the manual for more info. The feature actually works pretty well, except when it comes to footnotes. The problem is that as you change an object's position, text containing footnote references may be moved onto the next or previous page, which then leaves more room at the bottom... you get the idea. Usually you can fiddle around and finally get it the way you want it by physically cutting and pasting the object into a new sequential position in the document, while in galley view (not Page View). E.g., if you can't get an object on the page you want, cut it and paste it one or two paragraphs forward or back. >I keep my chapters in separtate files. I then print the whole thing by >choosing the appropriate file under the Next File selection of Page Setup. >While this works to print all chapters, I have to manually change ahead of >time the starting page number for each chapter. Again, am I missing >something? I admit I haven't read the 4.0 documentation as closely as I Yes, again. Just put a zero in the starting page number entry in the Document dialog for subsequent files. They won't be numbered right on screen, but when you print it out, the printed version will have sequential page numbers. -- - Scott