Microsoft KB Archive/167209

= Microsoft Knowledge Base =

Cannot Add Leading Spaces in Outlook Express
Last reviewed: July 11, 1997

Article ID: Q167209



BETA INFORMATION BETA INFORMATION  BETA INFORMATION  BETA

This article discusses a Beta release of a Microsoft product. The information in this article is provided as-is and is subject to change without notice.

No formal product support is available from Microsoft for this Beta product. For information about obtaining support for a Beta release, please see the documentation included with the Beta product files, or check the Web location from which you downloaded the release.

BETA INFORMATION BETA INFORMATION  BETA INFORMATION  BETA

The information in this article applies to:


 * Microsoft Outlook Express version 4.0 for Windows 95
 * Microsoft Outlook Express version 4.0 for Windows NT 4.0

SYMPTOMS
When you attempt to insert leading spaces in a mail or news message using Microsoft Outlook Express, nothing happens. This occurs in both HTML and Plain Text format.

CAUSE
HTML does not allow leading spaces for any line unless you use the  (pre-formatted) tag. Without this tag, any typed spaces disappear when the document is reloaded.

RESOLUTION
To work around this behavior, use non-breaking spaces. To insert a non- breaking space character, you must use an escape sequence by following these steps:


 * 1) Press and hold down the ALT key whil you type 0160 on the number pad.
 * 2) Release the ALT key.

This inserts one non-breaking space. You can repeat this sequence of keystrokes to add additional spaces, or copy and paste the existing space character.

STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 1. This problem does not occur with Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 2. To obtain Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview 2, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/ie/ie40/

MORE INFORMATION
This occurs in Plain Text format as well as HTML format because of the HTML editing engine (MSHTML) used to create and display messages in Outlook Express. The workaround listed above works for both Plain Text and HTML format.