Microsoft KB Archive/918784

= Description of the modeless formatting dialog boxes that are available in 2007 Microsoft Office programs =

Article ID: 918784

Article Last Modified on 10/15/2007

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Office Excel 2007
 * Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2007
 * Microsoft Office Publisher 2007
 * Microsoft Office Word 2007

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INTRODUCTION
This article discusses the modeless formatting dialog boxes that are available in 2007 Microsoft Office programs.



MORE INFORMATION
Some of the formatting dialog boxes that are available in 2007 Microsoft Office programs are modeless. A modeless formatting dialog box is one that does not prevent you from working in a document, in a presentation, or in a spreadsheet when the modeless dialog box is open. Additionally, these modeless formatting dialog boxes do not have a Cancel button.

Instead, you can use one of the following methods to undo any changes that you make to the item in which you are working while the modeless formatting dialog box is open:
 * Press CNTRL+Z to undo a single change.
 * Use the Undo button on the Quick Access Toolbar to undo multiple changes.

All modeless formatting dialog boxes are for formatting shapes, chart elements, and SmartArt elements. The modeless formatting dialog boxes lets you perform the following actions while the modeless formatting dialog box is open:
 * Work with the element or the shape.
 * Make the changes to the item in which you are working.
 * See your changes to the item in which you are working immediately.

For example, you have a SmartArt diagram inserted into a Microsoft Office Word 2007 document. You right-click the diagram, and then click Format Object. After you complete this procedure, the Format Shape modeless dialog box opens. Now, you can perform the following functions without closing the Format Shape modeless dialog box:
 * Make formatting changes to the background of the diagram.
 * Click the different elements in the diagram and format them independently of each other.

Additional query words: PPT2007 PowerPoint2007 XL2007 Excel2007 WD2007 Word2007 PUB2007 Publisher 2007

