Project 2: AutoTools
Columns

 Title: Jan's Illustrated Computer Literacy 101
Did you want: Working with Words: Word 2007,2010,2013,2016 or españolIcon: Change web

NewspaperNewspapers are not the only documents to use newspaper columns for text, where text flows from the bottom of one column to the top of the next one. Lists are often placed in columns within a document.

A similar effect can be created for short phrases using tab stops. Long phrases or sentences will not wrap neatly.

When text is long enough to wrap, you need to use either columns or a table. A table gives you much more control over what appears where but does not let text flow freely. Tables are discussed in Word Project 3.

 

 


Where you are:
JegsWorks > Lessons > Word97-2003

Before you start...

Project 1: Word BasicsTo subtopics

Project 2: Auto Tools
    Make ChangesTo subtopics
    AutoformatTo subtopics
    Margins & Breaks To subtopics
    icon-footprintChanges
    icon-footprintBullets
    icon-footprintColumns
    icon-footprintAdjust Columns
    Wizards/TemplatesTo subtopics
    Summary
    Quiz
     ExercisesTo subtopics

Project 3: BrochureTo subtopics

Project 4: ReportTo subtopics

    Search
    Glossary

Button: Columns

Button- Columns, expandedWord makes it quite easy to create side-by-side columns of text. You can use the Columns button to create equal size columns for the whole document or for selected text.

Dialog: Columns

Dialog- Columns The Columns dialog, from the menu  Format  |  Columns , allows you to create columns of unequal width and to change the spacing between columns. Word will automatically create the section break for you.

The hardest part of either method is correctly selecting what you want to go in the columns!

 

 

Icon Step-by-Step 

Step-by-Step: Columns

  Icon Step-by-Step

What you will learn:

to select list items to put into columns
to use the Columns button
to use the Columns dialog
what causes extra blank lines in your columns

Start with:Class disk , trip planner6.doc

To improve the look of the Packages' details, you will reformat each Package list into two columns of equal width. You will adjust the indents using the ruler.

Create Columns: Button

  1. Text- Package 1 bullets selectedOn page 1 of the Trip Planner, select all the lines of the bulleted list under Package 1. Be careful to select the paragraph mark at the right of the last item.
     
  2. Button - ColumnsOn the toolbar, click on the Columns button and drag across 2 columns in the palette.

    Text- Package 1 list into 2 columnsWord creates a Continuous section break and rearranges your selected text into two columns of equal width. Do you see the section break lines?

    Only the selected text was adjusted. The items under Package 2 are NOT in two columns.
     

  3. Repeat for Packages 2 and 3: Select list items. Use Columns button to create 2 columns. For Package 2 be careful to select the items on the second page, too.

Error: Extra bullet lineWarningError - Extra bullet line: If you did not include that paragraph mark Paragraph mark at the end of the line with the last item in a package, you will get an extra blank, bulleted line. Undo your last action and select again.
 
This sort of thing can drive you crazy if you don't know where it is coming from!  The illustration is for  Package 1,  Tour of the island of TahitiParagrpah symbol
Further down the page you will see how to correct this without having to start over.

Create Columns: Dialog

With the Columns dialog you have more control over the columns you create, if you know exactly what you want. For Package 4 you have a special problem since it is at the end of a section. First you will experiment to see what the problem is. Then you will learn how to fix the problem.

Include last paragraph mark:

  1. Text - Package 4 selectedDrag in the selection area at the left of the text to select all the lines of Package 4's list. This method of selection will catch the final paragraph mark Paragraph symbol  at the end of the list.

  2. Dialog - Columns with default settingsFrom the menu open the Columns dialog by choosing  Format  |  Columns... .

    Here you can make a number of choices about the layout of your columns. You won't need these features this time, but it's nice to know where they are!
     
  3. Select the box for Two columns and leave the other settings at the defaults: width-2.75", Spacing = .5", Equal column width checked, Apply to: This section.
     
  4. Click on OK.

    Text - Package 4 into 1 column Whoops! All your items are in the left-hand column. (You can tell because the first two items are wrapping at the column margin and the ruler at the top is split for two columns now.)

    What happened?? You included the section break at the end when you selected the whole last line, so Word broke the column there. A column break is a kind of section break.
     

  5. Undo your action.

Not including last paragraph mark:

  1. Text -Package 4 list selected but not the final paragraph mark Drag from the last character up through the list, so you won't catch that section break by mistake.
    Dragging up still includes paragraph mark: Click to the left of the first bullet item. Hold the SHIFT key down and click between the last paragraph mark and the last letter.

  2. Text- too widely spaced in Word 97Use the Columns dialog to create 2 columns. Hmmm. You get two columns, but one has a bulleted blank line. In addition the last item may be spaced out too widely, depending on exactly what you did. Word is trying to justify that line. Notice that there is no Paragraph symbol paragraph mark at the end of the line. So, nothing told Word to "Stop now!"

    These effects happened because you did not include in your selection the paragraph mark after the last item in the list,  Tahitian dance showParagraph symbol . But, if you do include the paragraph mark, you also catch the section break and get only one column! How frustrating!
     
  3. Undo your action.
     
  4. Try creating the columns with the Columns button. Nope. Same problem. How do you remove this persistent but unwanted bullet?? See the next section!

Fixing Problems

  1. Text- Package 4 with bulleted blank lineExtra bullet line: Place the cursor to the right of the extra bullet. Press BACKSPACE once.  The bullet vanishes. 

    TipAlternate fix (if you plan ahead!): Before creating columns, add a blank line after the last list item. Don't include the blank link in your selection or you will STILL get an extra bulleted line.
     

  2. Text - Package 4 after removing extra bulletJustification:  If necessary, for the last list item, put your cursor at the end of the line and press ENTER.

    Text - Package 4- last item fixedYou might notice that the cursor is now to the right of the paragraph mark! You can do this only when there is a section break there, too.
     

  3. Class disk Save as  trip planner7.htm  in the  word project2  folder on your Class disk.
    Full disk How to handle a full disk