When I'm editing in Word and see something I want to correct, I usually have to use the cursor keys (repeatedly) to get to it, or I have to reach for the mouse to select it. I finally got tired of both alternatives and created a macro called Go2Text, which instantly takes you to the character, word, or phrase you specify.
I'm giving away this macro! Subscribers to Editorium Update will be the first to have it, but please feel free to share it with friends and colleagues who might find it useful. After you've used it a few times, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.
To download Go2Text for Word 6 or 7 (95), click here:
http://www.editorium.com/ftp/Go2Text6.zip
To download Go2Text for Word 8 (97) or above, click here:
http://www.editorium.com/ftp/Go2Text8.zip
The macro will work on both PC and Macintosh.
Once you've downloaded and unzipped (or unstuffed) the proper version of the program, you'll see the documentation, which is named GO2TEXT.doc. (Open it in Word to read it.) You'll also see the Go2Text template, which is named GO2TEXT.DOT. (If you need software to unzip or unstuff the program, you can download it from http://www.winzip.com or http://www.aladdinsys.com.) To use the template, follow this procedure:
1. Open it in Microsoft Word.
2. Double-click the large button that says "Double-Click here to Install."
3. Follow the prompts on your screen.
To use Go2Text to go to some text:
1. On your keyboard, press CTRL + SHIFT + G (which stands for "Go2Text").
2. In the box labeled "Enter Text," type the text you want to go to. It doesn't have to be far away. For example, if you see an error a few paragraphs down from your cursor, just type the first few characters of the error into the box.
3. Put a check in the boxes for any options you want to use.
4. Press Enter or click the OK button.
Go2Text will take you to the text you specified. It will also remember your entry and options for the next time you use the program.
To repeat the last action of Go2Text without having to retype the text, press CTRL + SHIFT + R (which stands for "Repeat"). The Go2Text dialog will not appear, but Go2Text will take you to the next occurrence of the text you specified earlier. You can keep repeating the action as many times as you like.
Please see the program documentation for other options and niceties. I hope you enjoy Go2Text!
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READERS WRITE
Karen Slaney (kswa@earthlink.net) sent some terrific additions to the automatic (or semiautomatic) corrections list, which you can learn more about by reading these past issues of Editorium Update:
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708048908
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708127357
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708293844
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708382808
Thanks, Karen! Here are her additions:
period of time|period
made a decision|decided
OK|okay
O.K.|okay
email|e-mail
towards|toward
for awhile|for a while
literally|[nothing]
alot|a lot
each others'|each other's
one anothers'|one another's
he/she|he or she
him/her|him or her
my Mom|my mom
my Dad|my dad
someone that|someone who
?,|,?
?.|.?
reason why|reason
!!|!
!!!|!
Neil Hymans sent this excellent tip for using Hidden formatting as a writing tool. Thanks, Neil!
Like all writers, my working copy is littered with half-finished sentences and gems-to-be that I want to retain until I'm absolutely sure I won't need them . . . but they are a real distraction when I'm trying to read back clean text. My solution is to make them disappear and reappear at will.
I have a global *character style* called "Hidden" (it is a character style so it won't overwrite the existing paragraph style). It only has two attributes: the text is hidden, and plum coloured for higher visibility. I apply it using a simple hotkey combo (ALT+D works for me), but it is easy enough to create a toolbar button or menu command to apply the style to a selection, to suit personal preferences.
By default, Word doesn't display hidden text. I recorded two simple macros: one to display hidden text, another to hide it. Once again, these can also be configured to work from hotkeys, menu commands or toolbar buttons according to preference.
When I despatch one of my creative gems to the literary boneyard, I apply the "Hidden" style with ALT+D. In Word's default mode, it vanishes instantly from the screen. When I get desperate for inspiration, I click the button to display the boneyard again, and there it is. Should I decide to reclaim the text, I simply select it and reapply the appropriate paragraph style.
Best of all: it takes about two minutes to create this facility on any version of Word.
Finally, there is an important caveat on this tip: don't rely on hidden text if trashed text is potentially sensitive. Turn the hidden text display on, then copy the public text to a new file for review (or better still use the amazing "Editioning" template--thanks for that tip, by the way!).
You can learn more about the "Editioning" template here:
http://www.topica.com/lists/editorium/read/message.html?mid=1708466498
