Preserving header thru Port/Land Section Break (97 SR-2)

[mjensen]

I create master documents for posting on our intranet. One of these has a portrait section, followed by a landscape section, followed by a portrait section. I want the contents of the header to be filled in once, then perpetuate across all sections. But when I use the "Same as Previous" button in the Landscape section, it carries over the tab settings as well, making the header and footer look imbalanced. If I fix the tab settings, it breaks the connection.

I want it to be as "user obvious" as possible, as well as indestructible, so I don't like the complex fields/forms/popup boxes approach that requires that I run around and teach everyone to use the "simple" interface I have created. What I'd really like is a "Same as Previous -- Except with Proper Formatting" option.

The closest I've come so far is to create custom document properties, then add fields in each of the three header/footer pairs to plug them in, giving the appearance of "sameness." The problem with this is that I now must explain, "Don't change the Project Number in the header -- go to File | Document Properties and select the Custom tab, then find Project Number, then type the new number, then press Modify. That will change the Project Number in the header." Not exactly what I call intuitive. Any ideas?

[Gary Frieder]

Is there any alternative way to get the formatting you need for the header, while avoiding the use of tabs? (for example, use a table, or perhaps a textbox or frame...)

Gary

[Charles Kenyon]

Hi,

First, you say you are working with "Master Documents" which sets all kinds of alarms ringing. Perhaps unnecessarily, you may mean "Templates" or "Forms" when you say Master Documents. Word has a "feature" called Master Documents which actually works quite effectively at destroying documents, including documents that aren't even open. If you are using Master Documents, stop doing so immediately (without closing anything) and write back. Assuming that we are talking about something else, though . . .

You could turn off the same as previous setting and, in the header immediately preceding your landscape section, bookmark the text that you want to transfer into your landscape and other headings, being careful to not include any paragraph marks in the bookmark. Probably one bookmark per line (without the paragraph mark) will work fine. You could also select and bookmark the entire header, without the last paragraph mark, if you want.

(If you can, you should put a padding space before and after your text within the bookmarks. This will make it easier to edit that text in the future without deleting the bookmark or ending up with your new text outside the bookmark.)

Then, go into the header for your landscape page and use a REF field to repeat the text from your bookmarks. You should be in the header style (which has those tab settings that you don't like). Using Format => Styles create a new style based on the header style but with the settings you want. Call it something like "header landscape,hdr-l." Apply the new style to your text.

Then in the next portrait section, also with the headers / footers set so they are not the "same as previous" you will want to again use REF fields to copy your initial header text. For any portrait sections which follow this, you can use the same as previous setting again.

For more on headers and footers, you may want to take a look at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://addbalance.com/usersguide/sections.htm> Sections, Section Breaks, and Headers and Footers in Microsoft Word</A>.

You may find <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.mvps.org/word/FAQs/Formatting/LandscapeSection.htm> How to put a portrait page number on a landscape page</A> of interest, although it won't help with this problem.

Hope this helps.

[jscher2000]

Hey, you need the WordPerfect "FlushRight" command! But MS doesn't support it, just right tabs and tables. Here's a workaround:

Put the left justified portion of the header in one paragraph, and put the right justified portion of the header in a second paragraph. Select the second paragraph and choose Insert Frame (if this is not on your insert menu, use Alt+F8, change the drop down box to Word Commands, then find it on the list). Select the frame, kill the borders, right-click and set horizontal position to Right-aligned with column (or margin), then set vertical alignment to the same setting as your footer margin (typically 0.5) relative to page. This should line up your right-aligned portion of the header flush right regardless of page width. If they aren't lining up exactly level, frame 'em both. Hope it works for you.