Word - Insert Table ?, Insert Date ?

Asked By Norm

05-Feb-10 05:34 PM

These are Word 2008 basic questions. I have looked at Mactopia, MVP site
and Help and "I" could not find answers so......

1. Is there a way to attach spacing before and spacing after the Insert
Table menu selection (Table/Insert/Table)?

2. Is it possible to insert a date in one's preferred format in a one
button selection rather than two steps (Insert and then OK to format)?

Thank you.

--
Norm

05-Feb-10 08:28 PM

Hi Norm:

Insert spacing on a menu? No, not in Word 2008.

Insert a date in preferred format?  The Insert>Date command will always
insert the date in your Default format, so use Insert>Date and Time> choose
a format and click "Default".

Then you can assign a keystroke to the Insert Date command, or drag it to a
toolbar, to get one-click access.

Cheers


On 6/02/10 9:34 AM, in article
tZidnRbB8LpAAfHWnZ2dnUVZ_vGdnZ2d@speakeasy.net, "Norm"


This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:john@mcghie.name

06-Feb-10 02:09 PM

In article <C7931103.5183%john@mcghie.name>,


I did not do a good/complete job of asking that question. I will try again:

Is there a way to insert a Table in a doc whereby that Table has in its
style a defined spacing before and after such Table?



After I choose the format and and click Default, I am still getting the
Date dialog and then I must click OK. Is there a way to bypass that step?

Thanks,

Norm

--
Norm

06-Feb-10 09:38 PM

Hi Norm:

On 7/02/10 3:09 AM, in article
b9OdnQT-Wf3xI_DWnZ2dnUVZ_tmdnZ2d@speakeasy.net, "Norm"


No.  Not without VBA, in any version of Word.  it is a design bug.


InsertDate is a different command from InsertDateTime.  Keep looking :-)
InsertDate has a calendar icon.

You need to customise your toolbar/keystroke with InsertDate.

Cheers

This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:john@mcghie.name

07-Feb-10 12:18 AM

On 2/6/10 9:38 PM, in article C79448B6.51D0%john@mcghie.name, "John McGhie"


Except that the InsertDate button inserts a DATE field rather than
CREATEDATE. I have not been able to find any way to shortcut the latter.

Any insights?

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

07-Feb-10 06:19 AM

AutoText :-)

Cheers


On 7/02/10 1:18 PM, in article C793B76A.572DC%onlygeneraltaz1@com.cast.net,


This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:john@mcghie.name

07-Feb-10 07:24 AM

In article <C79448B6.51D0%john@mcghie.name>,


Got it thanks. But it has a grey background which I think indicates it
is going to always update to the current date.

If that is the case, can I "freeze" it?

Thanks.

--
Norm

07-Feb-10 12:13 PM

Click in the DATE field & key Shift+Command+F9 to unlink the field... But
that illustrates my [as yet unmade] point. You're now going to an even more
involved process than what you are trying to avoid :-) You can go with John's
suggestion about AutoText but you may want to consider this:

In the Insert> Date & Time dialog select the format you prefer then click
the Default button. Make sure you do not have the box checked for Update
Automatically, the OK out.

Then, check the keyboard customizations for the InsetDateTime command. I
cannot recall whether Control+Option+Command+Right Arrow is assigned by
default but that is what I have here. Regardless, assign a different stroke
if you would  like. You can also put the command on a toolbar if you wish.

From then on just key the stroke or click the button then press return
immediately after. The preferred date format you selected will be inserted
as text instantly & you continue on your merry way.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac



On 2/7/10 7:24 AM, in article
nKydnW1LHpaYLPPWnZ2dnUVZ_tb_fwAA@speakeasy.net, "Norm"

07-Feb-10 12:42 PM

In article <C7945EF7.5AF53%onlygeneraltaz1@com.cast.net>,


Thanks for that info.

Thought there was a way to just insert, rather than select and OK, but
the difference is minor.

Thanks.

--
Norm

07-Feb-10 08:29 PM

In article <C7945EF7.5AF53%onlygeneraltaz1@com.cast.net>,


I select my preferred format, click Default and then Yes but......

Is there any trick to get the Default date format to hold?

I think I have tried everything, but I guess I have not, because it keeps
returning to d/mm/yy every time I open a new document.

Thanks.

--
Norm

07-Feb-10 10:34 PM

By Golly, it sure seems to have lost its stickum. I am not sure when that
came to be ? I have honestly not used it for some time but I know it 'used' to
work. When the stroke opens the dialog double-clicking the preferred format
will still work, though.

It now looks like the Default only gets set for the AutoComplete feature,
which is yet another option. If the default is set for '7 February 2010' for
example, you can just start typing the date & press return when the
AutoComplete Tip appears.

Sorry for the misdirection 8-}

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac



On 2/7/10 8:29 PM, in article
XPqdnT06gZx89fLWnZ2dnUVZ_oVi4p2d@speakeasy.net, "Norm"

08-Feb-10 08:46 AM

In article <C794F081.57353%onlygeneraltaz1@com.cast.net>,


For me, it only keeps its stickum for that session. Quit and launch Word
and it is back to Word 2008's default date format.


That works, though I need to press return twice, once for the month and
once for the day and year if I have it set for February 8, 2010.

Is that correct?


No problem. Thanks for the help.

--
Norm

08-Feb-10 10:37 AM

Well, not really -- if you just keep typing the AutoComplete tip will update
once you type the first character of the day value... Press return then.

Unfortunately that really does not lessen the number of keystrokes,
especially when dealing with the longer month names, does it? :-) it is
faster to just use:

Shift+Control+D, Left Arrow, Shift+Command+F9, Right Arrow (or End)

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac



On 2/8/10 8:46 AM, in article
1eWdnXOqWZs4iO3WnZ2dnUVZ_j6dnZ2d@speakeasy.net, "Norm"

08-Feb-10 12:19 PM

In article <C79599EB.5AFC2%onlygeneraltaz1@com.cast.net>,


But thanks for the info.

--
Norm

09-Feb-10 01:12 AM

Hmmm... You're right...  They've broken it again.

OK, you will have to force it.

1)  Insert a date in a document (any document) in your preferred format.

2)  Make sure you check "Update Automatically" so you get a field, not text.

3)  Reveal Field Codes

4)  Change the field code from
DATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy" to
CREATEDATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy"

5)  Toggle the field codes off

6)  Select just the date

7)  Add it as an AutoText

8)  Use Customise to assign a keystroke or toolbar button to that AutoText.

Each time you hit it, that will bring in a field that will report the date
the document was created initially, with a field code that expresses it in
your preferred date style.

Hope this helps

On 8/02/10 11:34 AM, in article C794F081.57353%onlygeneraltaz1@com.cast.net,


This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!

--

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:john@mcghie.name

09-Feb-10 09:17 AM

In article <C7971DB9.528B%john@mcghie.name>,





Only got to step #3 before stumped. ;)

Looked high, and low, for a Reveal Field Codes. Nothing. And nothing in
Mactopia or Help that I found.

Need a clue to that treasure.

Thanks.

--
Norm

11-Feb-10 05:23 AM

I think he means "toggle field codes" to toggle viewing the field
definitions, or the value of the field.  Right mouse click on the field
to reveal this option.  I think "reveal field codes" is nomenclature
from the past.


--rms

www.rmschneider.com

11-Feb-10 01:11 PM

Thanks. That works.

But could not get the rest of it to but...... no biggee.

Appreciate.

--
Norm

11-Feb-10 02:21 PM

I am not sure what you mean by:

On 2/11/10 1:11 PM, in article
scGdnTzJAP_H1enWnZ2dnUVZ_txi4p2d@speakeasy.net, "Norm"


But...

If you are referring to displaying all field codes at once rather than
singly, do not select anything or rt-clk. Just use the keystroke Option+F9 to
toggle the field codes on/off in the document.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

11-Feb-10 10:43 PM

In article <C799C2DA.5B2FD%onlygeneraltaz1@com.cast.net>,


What I was trying to do was to follow John's steps to achieve a toolbar
button that would insert today's date in preferred format with one click.

I rt-clk and then entered his suggested commands but I could not get that
to work.

When I follow your Opt+F9, it inserts a pair of parenthesis.

Thanks for the help. I am going to leave it as is.

--
Norm

12-Feb-10 06:36 AM

It sounds like you are keying COMMAND+F9 which *does* insert field braces,
OPTION+F9 toggles the display of those braces as well as the field coding
within them... Unless you have changed the keyboard shortcuts to do otherwise.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac


On 2/11/10 10:43 PM, in article
H7-dnegpXObFU-nWnZ2dnUVZ_jFi4p2d@speakeasy.net, "Norm"