WD2000: DocErr: Help Text Incorrect for En Dash, Em Dash

• Microsoft Word 2000

SYMPTOMS

The following Help text for the "Symbol characters (--) with Symbols (—)" option is incorrect:

Replaces two hyphens (--) with an en dash (–) and replaces three hyphens (---) with an em dash (—). If you want Word to replace certain characters [such as (c), (r), and (tm)] with the corresponding symbol character (such as ©, ®, and ™), add these characters to your list of AutoCorrect entries (Tools menu, AutoCorrect command).

1. On the Tools menu, click AutoCorrect.



2. On the AutoFormat As You Type tab or AutoFormat tab, click to select Help (?).
   
   NOTE: Help (?) is located in the upper right corner of the AutoCorrect dialog box.

WORKAROUND

The following information is correct for automatically formatting hyphens as en dashes and em dashes:

When you type text followed by a space, one or two hyphens, and then one or no space, followed by more text, Microsoft Word automatically inserts an en dash ( – ). For example: "See pages 3 - 10" becomes "See pages 3–10."

When you type text followed by two hyphens ( -- ) followed by more text, Word automatically inserts an em dash ( — ). Do not type any spaces on either side of the hyphens. For example: "Many pines--ponderosa, for example--grow here" becomes "Many pines—ponderosa, for example—grow here."

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about en dashes and em dashes, click Microsoft Word Help on the Help menu, type "en dash" in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Additional query words: OFF2000

Keywords          : kbdta wd2000 
Version           : WINDOWS:2000
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbbug 

Last Reviewed: June 24, 1999