SYMBOL Field Affects Word Wrapping and Nonbreaking Characters

ID: Q96076

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b,

SUMMARY

If you use Symbol command from the Insert menu to place a symbol character in your document, one of the following problems may result:

A symbol character inserted next to a nonbreaking space or nonbreaking hyphen may prevent the nonbreaking space or hyphen from working as expected.
-or-
A symbol character inserted as part of a word (for example, a copyright symbol) may prevent the word from wrapping correctly.

To avoid this problem, insert a symbol using ANSI characters rather than using the Insert Symbol command or by inserting a SYMBOL field. See the "Workarounds" section below for more information.

MORE INFORMATION

A nonbreaking space (CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR) prevents a line break between two words, as in the example "2 ft." A nonbreaking hyphen (CTRL+SHIFT+HYPHEN) prevents a line break in a hyphenated word, as in the example "232-3432." However, neither character works as expected when you insert an adjacent symbol using the Insert Symbol command because this command inserts a field code rather than ANSI characters.

Similarly, words that contain a SYMBOL field may not wrap correctly. For example, if you use the Insert Symbol command to insert a copyright symbol at the end of a word, the copyright symbol may wrap, but the word itself may not. If you insert a SYMBOL field adjacent to a footnote reference, Word breaks the line between the text or footnote reference and the SYMBOL field.

Workarounds

From the Insert menu, choose Symbol, select Normal Text in the Symbol From box and then select a symbol from this character set. When you insert a symbol from the Normal Text character set, Word inserts the symbol character but does not insert a SYMBOL field.
-or-
Insert the symbol using the Windows version 3.1 Character Map (found in Windows Program Manager Accessories group).
-or-

Insert the symbol using ANSI characters. With NUM LOCK on, hold down the ALT key, and using the keys on the numeric keypad, type 0 (zero) and the ANSI decimal code for the character you want to insert. (You may need to first change character formatting to the font that contains the symbol character, such as Symbol or Wingdings.)

To determine the ANSI character code for the symbol: ----------------------------------------------------

1. Be sure the Field Codes command on the View menu has a check

      mark so that all fields show their codes. (If this command does
      not have a check mark, choose Field Codes to switch to field
      code view.)

2. Insert a symbol using the Insert Symbol command. Note the number

      and font in the SYMBOL field. (Then, delete the field.)

      In the following example, the ANSI character code is 149 and
      the font is Wingdings:

         {SYMBOL 149 \f "Wingdings"}

   You can also determine the ANSI character code by using the Windows
   version 3.1 Character Map (found in Windows Program Manager
   Accessories group). Select the symbol you want and look in the
   Keystroke box in the lower right corner for the ANSI code and the
   Font box in the upper left corner for the name of the font.

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Microsoft Word versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

For more information on using the nonbreaking space and nonbreaking hyphen characters in Word for Windows, query on the following words in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   symbol and line and wrap

Reference(s):

"Microsoft Word for Windows User's Guide," version 2.0, pages 91, 153-155

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory: kbfield kbfont Additional query words: 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c winword2 early wrong place incorrect fixed 2.0 non breaking non-breaking international

Keywords          : kbfield kbFont 
Version           : 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: October 1, 1998