AutoText

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AutoText

This is a terrific tool that is grossly underused. How often do we find ourselves typing the same things over and over? I used to have a boss who, at the end of every dictated proposal, wanted this line:

“We hope you will find this proposal to be informative and complete. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call blah, blah, blah.”

Back then, on a Wang word processor, we had to type it each time. Now, with Word’s AutoText feature, you can simply create an AutoText entry the first time you type it. Here’s how:

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Tip 6: Create an AutoText Entry

Select the text that you never want to have to type again. You can include graphics, paragraph returns, tables (but not empty tables!) and just about anything else. When selecting the text, remember to copy any paragraph returns that follow the text so you don’t have to type them each time.

From the menu, hit Insert → AutoText → New.

Type a simple acronym or other code as a nickname (this is really called an AutoText Name) for this AutoText entry. For best results, try to make it only 4 or 5 letters long. Don’t use uppercase letters because they’re harder to type. For our example, I might choose “wehope” or perhaps “closeprop” as the name for that AutoText entry. Do NOT use a nickname that otherwise spells a word.

From now on, when you type that nickname and hit Enter, your paragraph is automatically inserted into the document and is already formatted.

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Purpose of AutoText Entries

Using AutoText entries is like having a perpetual clipboard always at hand. Try using AutoText entries for the following purposes:

  • Letter closings. Include graphic signatures; make one for each of your bosses and name them “sign” followed by their initials, such as “signatp.”

  • Letterheads that are seldom used. Include your company logo. (You’ll be using templates for a letterhead that is often used, right?)

  • Your company name. Tired of typing “Amalgamated Properties and Consultants, Inc.”? Make an AutoText entry and name it “apci.”

  • I recently answered a question on the Internet. A VBA coder was trying to figure out where he could store a copy of some text he wanted to insert with a macro button. I told him to have the code run the AutoText entry instead. This worked great for him.

Naming AutoText Entries

If you use less than four letters as your AutoText name, you’ll have to enter the three letters and hit the F3 key to activate the AutoText feature. If you use four or more letters, you need only hit Enter after you type the AutoText name.

Use caution when naming your AutoText. If you work for John Allen Randolph, and create an entry named “jar”, you may end up with your “Hands caught in the cookie John Allen Randolph”! If you’re a fast typist like I am, you won’t even see it happen in your document. How embarrassing!

Sharing AutoText Entries

AutoText entries are stored in templates. Either share the template by copying it and giving it to another user/PC or, if they only want the AutoText entries, give them your template and have them use the Organizer to copy the entries into their own templates.

See how to use the Organizer on page 4-2.



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Dreamboat on Word
Dreamboat on Word: Word 2000, Word 2002, Word 2003 (On Office series)
ISBN: 0972425845
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 130
Authors: Anne Troy

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