WD: Separate Modifications Marked as a Single Revision

ID: Q112165

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, version 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
Microsoft Word for Windows 95, versions 7.0, 7.0a
Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

If you modify two different words that are located less than 10 (This number may vary) characters apart and then use the Compare Versons\ Documents command to compare the 'before the modifications' copy of the document to the 'after the modifications' copy of the document, both modified words will be completely marked out with a strikethrough and the modified versions of the words will be shown as inserted.

However, if the two modified words are located more than 10 characters (this number ay vary) apart, each word will be shown as a separate modification.

STATUS

This functionality is by design. It is a limit to the granularity to which Word can apply revision marking.

MORE INFORMATION

Word interprets revisions based on the distance between two revisions. Based on the distance, Word interprets the revisions as separate revisions or as one complete revision. If you have ten characters (this number may vary) and a space somewhere between the two revised items, Word will mark the changes with two separate revision marks. If you have fewer than ten characters (this number may vary) or no space between the items being revised, Word will mark the changes with only one revision mark.

To see an example of this feature, use the following steps:

1. In a new document, type "large balloon" (without the quotation marks).

2. Save the document as Original.doc.

3. Change "large" to "Large" and change "balloon" to "balloons."

4. Save as Rev.doc.

5. On the Tools menu, click Revisions, and then select Compare Versions

   and choose Original.doc.

NOTE: Word treats the two changes as one revision.

6. Close Rev.doc without saving changes and open Original.doc

7. Change "large balloon" to "large and colorful balloon," and save the

   file as Original.doc.

8. Change "large" to "Large" and change "balloon" to "balloons".

9. Save the file as Rev.doc. Then, on the Tools menu, click Revisions, and

   click Compare Versions. Choose Original.doc.

NOTE: Because there are more than ten characters and at least one space between the two words being revised, Word treats the revisions as separate items.

For additional information on Third-Party document comparison, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q190079
   TITLE     : WD97: Third-Party Document Comparison Solution "CompareRite"

Additional query words: rev mks comp winword word6 Word95 word8 word97

Keywords          : kbualink97 kbformat 
Version           : 6.0 6.0a 6.0c 7.0 7.0a 97
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: September 2, 1998