Microsoft KB Archive/173070

Knowledge Base

WD97: Unwanted Tab Stop Inserted in Outline Numbered Sequence

Article ID: 173070

Article Last Modified on 1/20/2007

---

APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

---

This article was previously published under Q173070

SYMPTOMS

When you customize an Outline Numbered format in your Word document, an unwanted tab stop may appear as in the following cases.

Case 1

After you customize an outline numbered scheme, promoting or demoting a numbered paragraph may insert an unwanted tab stop between the number and the beginning of the paragraph text. Attempting to use default tab stop settings (on the Format menu, click Tabs) by clearing all custom tab stops results in the custom tab stops being cleared only temporarily.

NOTE: To promote or demote a numbered paragraph, use the Increase Indent or Decrease Indent buttons.

When you do this, the tab space between the number and the beginning of the paragraph text will be different from the way they were formatted in the customized Outline Numbered scheme.

Case 2

If you create a new style with a customized Outline Numbered format (on the Format menu, click Bullets and Numbering), Word may include an extra tab setting with the style when you add the style to the template.

NOTE: To view the description of your custom style, click Style on the Format menu, click to select your custom style in the Style dialog box and then view the Description.

For additional information about a similar problem when you create a custom style that contains a Bulleted or Numbered format, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

206596 WD97: Bulleted/Numbered Style Added to Template Shows Additional Tab Stop

CAUSE

This functionality is by design of Microsoft Word. Word may add an additional 0.25" default value to the tab following the number of the outline numbered style that you customize.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, use one of the following methods appropriate for your situation.

Case 1 Workarounds

Method 1: Clear All Tabs BEFORE Applying the Numbering

To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Format menu, click Tabs.
2. Click Clear All, and then click OK.
3. Apply the numbering.

Method 2: Clear All Tabs AFTER Applying the Numbering

To do this, follow these steps:

1. Select the Outline Numbered list.
2. On the Format menu, click Tabs.
3. Click Clear All, and then click OK.

NOTE: This is not a permanent resolution. If you make additional changes to promote or demote paragraphs, Word inserts the unwanted tab stops again.

Method 3: Use a Macro

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support professionals can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact a Microsoft Certified Partner or the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about Microsoft Certified Partners, please visit the following Microsoft Web site:

https://partner.microsoft.com/global/30000104

For more information about the support options that are available and about how to contact Microsoft, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=fh;EN-US;CNTACTMS

For more information about how to use the sample code in this article, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

173707 OFF97: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles

You can use the following Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications sample code to demote or promote levels, and to clear the unwanted tab stops.

Sub ListOutdent()
   Selection.Range.ListFormat.ListOutdent
   Selection.ParagraphFormat.TabStops.ClearAll
   ActiveDocument.DefaultTabStop = InchesToPoints(0.5)
End Sub
                

Sub ListIndent()
   Selection.Range.ListFormat.ListIndent
   Selection.ParagraphFormat.TabStops.ClearAll
   ActiveDocument.DefaultTabStop = InchesToPoints(0.5)
End Sub
                

Case 2 Workarounds

Method 1: Use the Organizer

Copy the new custom style to your template by using the Organizer. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Format menu, click Style.
2. In the Style dialog box, click Organizer.
3. On one side of the Styles tab, open your document that contains your custom style, and on the other side, open the template that you want to copy the style to.
4. On the document side, click to select the style that you want to copy and click Copy.
   

Word copies your new custom style to the template that you specified.

1. Click Close to close the Organizer dialog box.

Method 2: Create the Style in Your Custom Template

Instead of creating your custom style in a Word document and selecting the Add to template check box, open your template and create the custom style directly in the template, the same way that you would in a Word document. For more information about how to create a custom style, please see the "More Information" section of this article.

Method 3: Set the "Follow number with" Box To Nothing

To prevent the additional tab from being added to your custom Outline Numbered style, set the Follow number with box to Nothing. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open your document containing your custom Outline Numbered style.
2. On the Format menu, click Bullets and Numbering.
3. In the Style dialog box, click to select your custom style and then click Modify.
4. In the Modify Style dialog box, click Format and then click Numbering.
5. On the Outline Numbered tab, your customized outline numbered style should be selected. Click Customize.
6. In the Customize Outline Numbered List dialog box, click to select each outline level (levels 1 - 9), and click to change the Follow number with box for each level to Nothing.
7. Repeat step 6 for each level of your customized outline numbered scheme.
8. Click OK to close the Customize Outline Numbered List dialog box.
9. In the Modify Style dialog box, click to select the Add to template check box.
   

NOTE: You do not need to select the Add to template check box if you are changing your customized outline numbered style directly in your custom template.

1. Click OK to close the Modify Style dialog box.
2. Click Close to close the Style dialog box.

MORE INFORMATION

To create a new custom style containing an Outline Numbered format, follow these steps:

1. On the Format menu, click Style.
2. In the Style dialog box, click New.
3. In the New Style dialog box, type a name for your new style in the Name box.
4. Click Format and then click Numbering.
5. In the Bullets and Numbering dialog box, click to select the Outline Numbered tab.
6. Click to select the type of outline numbering format that you want to use, and then click Customize.
7. In the Customize dialog box, change the format of the outline numbering to what you want to use and click OK.
8. In the New Style dialog box, click Format and then click Tabs.
9. In the Tabs dialog box, click Clear All and then click OK.
10. Click Format and make any additional formatting changes that you want in your new custom style.
11. In the New Style dialog box, click to select the Add to template check box and then click OK. Selecting the Add to template option saves your new style to your attached template.
    

NOTE: If you are creating your new custom style directly in your custom template, you do not need to select the Add to template check box.

1. Click Close to close the Style dialog box.

Additional query words: 8.0 8.00 list multilevel

Keywords: kbnumbering kbpending kbprb KB173070

---

Send feedback to Microsoft

© Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.