When I edit a document in Microsoft Word, I do everything I can from the keyboard. I avoid using the mouse because reaching over to get it interrupts the flow of work and slows me down. Sometimes, though, for a change of pace, I like to see how much editing I can do without even touching the keyboard, using the mouse as a sort of electronic pencil. If you're interested in trying this, here are some things to consider:

1. Using the mouse, you can (obviously) access any of the commands on Word's menus or toolbars, which include such things as changing case, changing format, cutting, copying, and pasting.

2. You can access the commands on Word's shortcut menu by clicking text with the right mouse button. For editing purposes, the most important commands are Cut, Copy, and Paste. (You can use the Cut command to delete text.) If you have Microsoft Bookshelf installed, you can use the Define command to look up words in the Bookshelf dictionary. In addition, Word 2000 includes a Synonyms command so you can replace a selected word with a suggested synonym or use Word's built-in thesaurus.

3. You can use the mouse to drag and drop selected words and phrases. You may need to turn this feature on under Tools/Options/Edit/Drag-and-drop text editing. Once it's on, you can select a word (double-click it), grab the word (hold down the left mouse button), drag the word to a new position (move the mouse), and place the word (let go of the mouse button). To copy the selection rather than move it, hold down the CTRL key with your left hand (if you're right-handed) before dragging the text.

4. You can use the mouse to copy and paste a word from nearby text rather than typing it in. You might also try resting your left hand on the keyboard (if you're right-handed) to type in the occasional space or other character. If you find yourself typing a lot, though, you may want to revert to using the keyboard instead of the mouse.

5. If you move through your document by dragging the vertical scroll bar, you'll see the page numbers in a small box at the right of your document window.

With some experimentation, I've learned which features I use most with the mouse, and I've placed them on the text shortcut menu (right mouse button) in our Editor's ToolKit program. Some of these are regular Word functions; others are unique to Editor's ToolKit. Here they are:

Cut

Copy

Paste

Delete (a single character or text you've already selected with the mouse)

Delete Word

Add to Spike

Insert Spike

Cap or Lowercase Word (toggle)

Make Word Italic or Roman (toggle)

Transpose Characters

Transpose Words

Apply Heading 1 Style

Apply Heading 2 Style

Apply Heading 3 Style

Apply Heading 4 Style

AutoStyle Block Quotation

AutoStyle List

AutoStyle Poem

Using all those features, you may be surprised at how much editing you can do without ever touching the keyboard. Give it a try! You'll soon be mousing around with the best of them.

for a particular purpose, and freedom from infringement. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and use of this document.

The Editorium is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.

Microsoft Word comes with a collection of secret macros. Well, okay, they're not really secret, but they're often overlooked. And they can be pretty useful if you know they exist and understand how to use them. Editors may be particularly interested in the following:

FindSymbol: A macro that allows you to find and replace symbols in your documents.

InsertFootnote: A wizard that helps you create footnotes in the MLA or Chicago Manual of Style format.

CopySpike: A macro that changes Word's spike functionality to copy to the spike rather than cut to the spike. (If you don't know what the spike is, please see your Word documentation. You'll find the feature very useful.)

The path and template names where you can find these macros are:

For Word 6, C:WinwordMacrosMacros6.dot

For Word 7 (95), C:MsofficeWinwordMacrosMacros7.dot

For Word 8 (97), C:Program FilesMicrosoft
OfficeOfficeMacrosMacros8.dot

For Word 9 (2000), C:Program FilesMicrosoft OfficeOfficeMacros [or Samples]Macros9.dot

If you don't find the template in the folder for your version of Word, you may need to install it from your Word installation disks. For Word 2000, you may need to download it from the Microsoft Web site at http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/2000/downloadDetails/supmacros.htm.

To use the macros, simply open the template into Microsoft Word. You'll see complete instructions in your Word window.

You'll find other useful macros at:

Microsoft: http://officeupdate.microsoft.com/downloadCatalog/dldWord.asp

The Technical Editors' Eyrie: http://www.wrevenge.com.au

The WORDinfo WEBindex from Alki Software:
http://www.wordinfo.com/links/ailist.htm

And, of course, the Editorium: http://www.editorium.com

If you know of other macros for editors, please don't keep them a secret. Let us know so we can share the information with our other subscribers. Thanks!

for a particular purpose, and freedom from infringement. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and use of this document.

The Editorium is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.

One of the advantages of editing on paper is that you can lay out the various pages, one here, one there, for reference and comparison with each other. For example, you may need to refer to a certain paragraph on page 10 while editing a paragraph on page 300. On the computer, this is a problem. You can scroll back to page 10 for reference, but then you'll have to scroll forward again to page 300 to make your changes.

If you do this kind of thing a lot, you may want to try using Microsoft Word's Go To feature (CTRL + G) to jump to the specific pages you need. Many editors never even think about this; they just hold the Page Down key and scroll and scroll and scroll and scroll until they reach their destination. Go To may get you around more efficiently.

However, switching from one page to another over and over can get pretty tedious. Wouldn't it be nice if you could open the *same* document twice, with page 10 on the top of your screen and page 300 on the bottom? You can, with an often-overlooked feature called New Window. To use it, click the Window menu; then click "New Window." To see both windows at once, click the Window menu again; then click "Arrange All." You can tell the windows apart by looking at the title bar at the top of each one. Your original window's title will end with a 1. The new window's title will end with a 2.

You can move around each window freely, and you can have page 10 visible in the top window and page 300 visible in the bottom. Because each window contains the *same* document, any changes you make in one window will be reflected in the other. If you need to refer to more than two pages at the same time, you can open another new window. (If you're like many editors, you'd prefer to see the windows side by side, not one above the other. Our Editor's ToolKit program includes an "Arrange Windows" feature that puts one window on the left and the other on the right for easy comparison.)

You can also compare different pages with Word's Split feature, which lets you split a single window and scroll the two halves independently. To use it, click the Window menu; then click "Split." Position the split by moving your mouse and clicking the left mouse button. You can switch from one pane to the other by pressing SHIFT + F6. To get rid of the split, click the Window menu; then click "Remove Split."

If you work on long documents (such as books) and need to compare pages often, you may need a larger monitor. I recommend 17 inches at a minimum. Once you've tried a 21-inch monitor, you'll never want to go back. With a monitor that large, you can see a full page on your screen, and working on two documents side by side is a pleasure. You may never work on paper again.

for a particular purpose, and freedom from infringement. The user assumes the entire risk as to the accuracy and use of this document.

The Editorium is not affiliated with Microsoft Corporation.

After reading our last newsletter, which offered an automatic way to insert dashes as you type, Sam Mills wrote: "Excuse me, but why can't you just type shift-option-hyphen to get an em dash as you type? and option-hyphen for the en dash?"

The answer, of course, is that you can (if you're using a Macintosh). PC users have it a little more difficult. To get an em dash, they have to hold down CTRL + ALT and then hit the hyphen key clear over on the numeric keypad. For an en dash, they have to hold down CTRL and then hit that distant hyphen key. Neither of these key combinations is very convenient, which is why I came up with an automatic way to create those dashes. Thanks, Sam, for pointing out the key combinations for those who want to use them.

Our Editor's ToolKit software provides two more ways to get dashes:

1. By holding down the ALT key and then pressing the M key to get an em dash or the N key to get an en dash--nice and easy.

2. By clicking the "Insert" menu and then the dash of your choice. (We've included the dashes right at the top of the menu.)

You can also get dashes by clicking the "Insert" menu, then "Symbol," then "Special Characters," and finally the dash you want to insert. While you're in there, take a look at the other "special characters" (as Microsoft calls them) that you can insert into your document. To the right of each character is a key combination that lets you insert the character from the keyboard.

For your convenience, these characters and key combinations are (in Word 2000):

Em Dash: ALT + CTRL + NUM-

En Dash: CTRL + NUM-

Nonbreaking Hyphen: CTRL + _

Optional Hyphen: CTRL + -

Em Space: [no key combination given]

En Space: [no key combination given]

1/4 Em Space: [no key combination given]

Nonbreaking Space: CTRL + SHIFT + SPACE

Copyright: ALT + CTRL + C

Registered: ALT + CTRL + R

Trademark: ALT + CTRL + T

Section: [no key combination given]

Paragraph: [no key combination given]

Ellipsis: ALT + CTRL + .

Single Opening Quote: CTRL + ``

Single Closing Quote: CTRL + ' '

Double Opening Quote: Ctr4l + `"

Double Closing Quote: CTRL + ' "

No-Width Optional Break: [no key combination given]

No-Width Non Break: [no key combination given]

If you try inserting these characters with their key combinations, you'll notice how clumsy some of them are, particularly the various quotation marks. Luckily, Microsoft Word makes it easy to assign new key combinations. To do so:

1. Go to the Special Characters menu by clicking the "Insert" menu, then

"Symbol," then "Special Characters."

2. Click the character whose key combination you want to change.

3. Click the "Shortcut Key" button.

4. Press the key combination you want to use to get the special

character. (For example, if you want to insert an em dash by pressing

ALT + M, hold down the ALT key and press the M key.) The new key

combination will appear in the box labeled "Press New Shortcut Key."

5. Click the "Assign" button.

6. Click the "Close" button.

Want to get crazy? Click the "Symbols" tab instead of the "Special Characters" tab. The "Shortcut Key" button is still there, which means you can assign anything in the symbols chart to the key combination of your choice. That's about as easy as it gets.

While using Microsoft Word, I've often thought how great it would be if I could type two hyphens and get an em dash. Also, when I type a hyphen after a number, I want the hyphen to turn into an en dash to indicate inclusive numbers, like these: 3-10. Microsoft Word 97, 98, and 2000 try to address the em-dash issue with the AutoCorrect (as you type) feature, but they muff it by requiring three hyphens for an em dash and two hyphens for an en dash. How intuitive is that?

I decided to fix the problem myself with the following procedure:

1. Insert an em dash into my document (click "Insert," then "Symbol," then the em dash [eighth column, fifth row], then "Insert").

2. Select and copy the em dash.

3. Move my cursor so the dash is no longer selected.

4. Click "Tools."

5. Click "AutoCorrect." (In Word 97, 98, or 2000, I might also have to click the "AutoCorrect" tab.)

6. Turn on "Replace Text as You Type."

7. In the "Replace" box, type two hyphens.

8. In the "With" box, paste that em dash I copied from my document.

9. Click OK.

Now when I type two hyphens together, I get an em dash. Pretty neat!

But how about that automatic en dash after a number? Well, it wouldn't be too hard to type in these AutoCorrect entries:

Replace 0- with 0= (I'm using the equal sign to represent an en dash in this e-mail newsletter)

Replace 1- with 1=

Replace 2- with 2=

And so on, up to 9.

The problem is, Microsoft Word sees each entry as a whole word, which means if I type a double- or triple-digit number followed by a hyphen, the hyphen doesn't change. Does that mean I have to insert all of those double- and triple-digit numbers by hand to make my dream come true? (There are 999 of them.) Well, since I'm a programmer, the answer is no. I'll just write a macro to do it. And I'll share it with you here, with the understanding that *you use it at your own risk.* (I don't anticipate any problems, but I can't be responsible for your computer.)

The macro will create AutoCorrect entries for single-, double-, and triple-digit numbers. (In case you change your mind, I'll also include a macro to remove the entries. Please don't try to remove them by hand; it will take you forever and could cause problems if you try to run the "remove" macro later.)

Once you've run the macro, you'll get an en dash if you type a hyphen after a one-, two-, or three-digit number. You'll also get an en dash after a number like 3,435. Why? Because Word interprets the comma as the end of a word, leaving the three digits together as another word. If you type an inclusive date, like "1951-52," however, the hyphen will remain a hyphen. That's probably all right because many editors prefer to include the full years anyway, like this: 1951-1952.

What about those times when you just want the hyphen after a number to be a hyphen? Type the number and hyphen (which will become an en dash). Then use CTRL-Z to undo the hyphen's metamorphosis. And, of course, you can always turn off "Replace Text as You Type" or run the macro that removes the digit-dash AutoCorrect entries.

Be sure to use the right macro for your operating system (PC or Macintosh) and version of Microsoft Word (6/7 [95], 97/98, or 2000).

To create the macro in Word 6 or 7 (95):

1. Copy the appropriate macro from this newsletter.

2. Click "Tools."

3. Click "Macro."

4. Make sure "Macros Available In" shows Normal.dot.

5. Type a name for the macro in the "Macro Name" box. The name could be something like "AddEntries" or "RemoveEntries" (depending on which macro you're using).

6. Click "Create."

7. Paste the macro at the current insertion point.

8. Click "File," then "Close," then "Yes."

To use the macro in Word 6 or 7 (95):

1. Click "Tools."

2. Click "Macro."

3. Make sure "Macros Available In" shows Normal.dot.

4. Click the macro that has the name you gave it (such as "AddEntries").

5. Click "Run" and wait for the macro to finish.

The macro will add (or remove) the AutoCorrect entries. Now if you type a hyphen after a number, you'll get an en dash.

To create the macro in Word 97, 98, or 2000:

1. Copy the appropriate macro from this newsletter.

2. Click "Tools."

3. Click "Macro."

4. Click "Macros."

5. Make sure "Macros In" shows Normal.dot.

6. Type a name for the macro in the "Macro Name" box. The name could be something like "AddEntries" or "RemoveEntries" (depending on which macro you're using).

7. Click "Create."

8. Paste the macro at the current insertion point.

9. Click "File," then "Close and Return to Microsoft Word."

To use the macro in Word 97, 98, or 2000:

1. Click "Tools."

2. Click "Macro."

3. Click "Macros."

4. Make sure "Macros Available In" shows Normal.dot.

5. Click the macro that has the name you gave it (such as "AddEntries").

6. Click "Run" and wait for the macro to finish. The macro will add (or remove) the AutoCorrect entries. Now if you type a hyphen after a number, you'll get an en dash.

________________________________________

________________________________________

MACROS TO ADD ENTRIES
________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 6 OR 7 (95) ON THE PC

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + Chr$(150), .Add
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + Chr$(150), .Add
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(c)) + "-", .With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(b)) + LTrim$(Str$(c)) + Chr$(150), .Add
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 6 ON THE MACINTOSH

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + Chr$(208), .Add
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + Chr$(208), .Add
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(c)) + "-", .With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(b)) + LTrim$(Str$(c)) + Chr$(208), .Add
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 97 OR 2000 ON THE PC

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
Dim a
Dim b
Dim c
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + Chr(150), Add:=1
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + Chr(150), Add:=1
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + Chr(150), Add:=1
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 98 ON THE MACINTOSH

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
Dim a
Dim b
Dim c
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + Chr(208), Add:=1
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + Chr(208), Add:=1
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + Chr(208), Add:=1
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

________________________________________

________________________________________

MACROS TO REMOVE ENTRIES
________________________________________

________________________________________

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 6 OR 7 (95) ON THE PC

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + Chr$(150), .Delete
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + Chr$(150), .Delete
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(c)) + "-", .With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(b)) + LTrim$(Str$(c)) + Chr$(150), .Delete
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 6 ON THE MACINTOSH

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + Chr$(208), .Delete
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + "-", 
.With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + Chr$(208), .Delete
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
ToolsAutoCorrect .ReplaceText = 1, 
.Replace = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + LTrim$(Str$(b)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(c)) + "-", .With = LTrim$(Str$(a)) + 
LTrim$(Str$(b)) + LTrim$(Str$(c)) + Chr$(208), .Delete
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 97 OR 2000 ON THE PC

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
Dim a
Dim b
Dim c
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + Chr(150), Delete:=1
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + Chr(150), Delete:=1
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + Chr(150), Delete:=1
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

________________________________________

FOR MICROSOFT WORD 98 ON THE MACINTOSH

'THE MACRO STARTS HERE
Dim a
Dim b
Dim c
On Error Resume Next
'SINGLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + Chr(208), Delete:=1
Next a
'DOUBLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + Chr(208), Delete:=1
Next b
Next a
'TRIPLE DIGITS
For a = 1 To 9
For b = 0 To 9
For c = 0 To 9
WordBasic.ToolsAutoCorrect ReplaceText:=1, _
Replace:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + "-", _
With:=WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(a)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(b)) + _
WordBasic.[LTrim$](Str(c)) + Chr(208), Delete:=1
Next c
Next b
Next a
'THE MACRO ENDS HERE

One of the main problems editors have working on a computer is that they lose their sense of proportion about the manuscript. What do I mean by sense of proportion? While working on a paper manuscript, with the pages piled neatly on the desktop, editors know exactly how much work they've done: 112 pages, stacked on the left, are finished; 204 pages, stacked on the right, are left to edit. In my experience, they also know that chapter 3 is about, oh, half an inch from the bottom in the left-hand stack if they need to go back to it. And they know, semi-consciously, that the odd foreign word the author used was about twenty pages back and about a third of the way down the page. In other words, they have a "positional memory" that helps them find things. It's not as efficient as their word processor's "find" function, but it's not bad, either.

Editing on the computer throws all of this out of whack, because on the computer there are no discrete pages, just one long, solid mass of text that scrolls up and down. I know which "page" I'm on because Microsoft Word tells me the page number on its status bar. Still, when I fixed that misspelling, it was about half an inch from the top of the screen, but where is it now? And on what page?

Microsoft Word does include some tools that can help overcome this problem. If you've used Word's built-in Heading styles to mark your headings (which you should), you can use Word's Outline view to see your document's overall structure, navigate to the areas where you want to work, move paragraphs around, and "promote" or "demote" Heading levels. (To use Outline view, click the View menu item at the top of your Word window. Then click "Outline.")

Another tool, in Word 97, 98, and 2000, is the Document Map. (To use it, click the View menu, then "Document Map.") The Document Map is like a table of contents that appears in a window on the left side of your screen. You can use the Document Map to see the structure of your document by expanding and contracting the heading levels that appear in it. Unlike Outline view, however, this will not change the display of the document itself. You can also click a heading level to jump to an area where you want to work. The Document Map is similar to Outline view but without the clutter. I highly recommend this powerful and elegant feature. If you have room on your monitor, you might consider leaving the Document Map open all the time.

As I thought about other ways to solve the problem of proportion, I wondered what would happen if I could "lock" a document's pages, using manual page breaks to separate the text into discrete pages that fit nicely onto the screen. Seemed like a good idea. But the text would flow to a different page when I made changes. Solution: Set the page length to its maximum of 22 inches so there'd be plenty of room for text to shift without actually moving to a different page. I created our Page Lock macro to do all of this at the touch of a button. The macro is included in our Editor's ToolKit program, which also sets Word's Page Down and Page Up keys to go to the top of the page (like turning a manuscript page) rather than the next screen.

Using all of these tools together makes a real difference in the "feel" of editing on the computer. You can better understand the size and proportion of your document, and you'll have a better idea of where you last saw that funny misspelling your author is so fond of using. It may not be as direct and intuitive as working with a stack of paper, but it may be close enough.

Maybe you've seen that funny little poem about spell checkers that occasionally makes its way around the Internet. It comes in various versions, but the first and last stanzas usually go something like this:

I have a spelling checker

That came with my PC.

It clearly marks four my revue

Mistakes I cannot sea.

I ran this poem threw it.

I'm sure your pleased two no

Its letter perfect awl the weigh;

My checker tolled me sew.

Editors like the poem because it points out an important fact: A spell checker can't catch words that are improperly used but spelled correctly. However, editors should not overlook another important fact: A spell checker *can* catch words spelled incorrectly--so why not use it to do that? Maybe we'd feel better about doing so if we thought of it not as a spell checker but as a typo catcher.

I usually use my "typo catcher" twice on a document: once before editing and once after editing. The first time through catches typos the author has overlooked. The second time through catches typos I may have inadvertently introduced while editing. It's a great system for two reasons:

1. It catches errors I might have missed, especially if I'm hurrying to meet a deadline (always).

2. It saves me time (the time I'd have had to spend finding and fixing those typos manually).

The second reason is so important that it deserves further comment: One of the main reasons for editing on the computer is to *save time.* That means you should learn to use the tools your word processor provides--including your spell checker. Doing so is an investment that will pay dividends every day of your working life. The fact that you're reading this newsletter shows that you understand this.

Other tools, too, can simplify your life, help you earn more, and make you more competitive. It's worth the effort to seek out these tools and learn to use them well. You'll find some of them on our website at http://www.editorium.com. We hope you'll try them--not just because we want to sell you something (which we do) but also because the better your tools are, the more effectively you'll be able to work. Keep that spell checker humming!

If you've done much editing in Microsoft Word, you've probably noticed that some of Word's "helpful" features just get in your way. Luckily, Microsoft has made it possible to turn those features off, so that what you type is what you get. Here are some of the more common problems with some possible solutions.

PROBLEM: When you type a tab at the start of a paragraph, your tab turns into a first-line indent.

SOLUTION: Click "Tools," then "Options." Click the "Edit" tab. Uncheck "Use Tab and Backspace keys to set Left Indent." (The wording may be slightly different in your version of Word.) You might also consider modifying your paragraph styles to include a first-line indent. That way, you won't have to worry about tabs at all.

PROBLEM: Word adjusts spaces when you're cutting and pasting.

SOLUTION: Click "Tools," then "Options." Click the "Edit" tab. Uncheck "Use Smart Cut and Paste."

PROBLEM: Words that you type in lowercase sometimes become capitalized without your consent.

SOLUTION: Click "Tools," then "AutoCorrect." Uncheck "Capitalize First Letter of Sentences."

PROBLEM: You're trying to type a word (probably an abbreviation) that begins with two capital letters followed by lowercase letters. When you type a space or punctuation mark after the word, the second letter won't stay capped.

SOLUTION: Click "Tools," then "AutoCorrect." Uncheck "Correct TWo INitial CApitals." You might also want to uncheck "Correct accidental usage of cAPS LOCK Key."

PROBLEM: You're typing a list whose entries begin with (a), (b), and so on. When you type (c), you get the copyright character, a C in a circle. Or, Word mysteriously fixes your mistakes as you type, leaving you insecure about what else it might "fix."

SOLUTION: Click "Tools," then "AutoCorrect." Uncheck "Replace Text as You Type." If you really want to leave this feature turned on (not recommended for editing), you may want to edit the AutoCorrect entries to include only the items you really want Word to correct for you as you type.

PROBLEM: You're typing an enumerated list, and suddenly Word begins putting in the numbers for you. When you try to start an unnumbered paragraph, you still get a number!

SOLUTION: Click "Tools," then "Options." Click the "AutoFormat" tab. Click "AutoFormat As You Type." Uncheck "Automatic Numbered Lists." While you're at it, you might as well uncheck every other box in the window except for "Straight Quotes with 'Smart Quotes.'"

After you've made these changes, you, not Word, will be the editor-in-chief.