Bullets and Numbering on Selection Resets Indent Information

ID: Q90516

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, version 7.0

SUMMARY

When you use the Bullets And Numbering command in Word for Windows, paragraphs with varied hanging indent formatting that are numbered or bulleted as a group may not retain their original hanging indent formatting.

The paragraph indent will remain, the hanging indent will take on the format of bullets and numbering.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here as it becomes available.

MORE INFORMATION

Page 524 of the version 2.0 "Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide" states that "Word does not change the existing formatting" when you add numbers or bullets to paragraphs with hanging indent formatting. This statement is not true for paragraphs that contain varied hanging indent formatting.

Steps to Reproduce Problem

 1. From the File menu, choose New. Choose the OK button.

 2. Type three paragraphs of text.

 3. Position the insertion point in the first paragraph. From the
    Format menu, choose Paragraph.

 4. In the Indent From Left box, select .5". In the First Line box,
    select -.5" and choose the OK button.

 5. Position the insertion point in the second paragraph. From the
    Format menu, choose Paragraph.

 6. Select 1.5" in the Indent From Left box. Select -.75" in the First
    Line box and choose the OK button.

 7. Position the insertion point in the third paragraph. From the
    Format menu, choose Paragraph.

 8. Select 1.8" in the Indent From Left box. Select -.8" in the First
    Line box and choose the OK button.

 9. Select all three paragraphs.

10. From the Tools menu, choose Bullets and Numbering and choose the

    OK button.

Note that all previous first-line indent formatting is replaced with the first-line indent setting of the first paragraph, and the left indent of each paragraph (except the first paragraph) is set to another value.

If the hanging indent option is cleared in the Bullets And Numbering dialog box, the paragraphs lose the first-line indent formatting and the left indent is set to the value of the original left indent plus the original first-line indent. For example, if the paragraph is formatted with a 1-inch left indent and a -.5-inch first-line indent, after you number or bullet the paragraph, it will have a .5-inch left indent (1" + -.5") and a 0-inch first-line indent.

Reference(s):

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, pages 170-171, 173

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory: kbformat Additional query words: 6.0 winword2 winword word6 word7 6.0a 6.0c 7.0 word95 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b bulleting changes modifies 3.0 3.10

Keywords          : kbformat 
Version           : 2.x 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: February 6, 1998