Keeping flush & centered tab stops that way (all)

[DarylB]

I frequently use styles requiring a "flush right" setting--for example, the chapter number in a header or page number in a List of Figures. WordPerfect had a command to do just that, but Word does not (as far as I can tell). In Word, I have to insert a right-aligned tab stop and position it at the right-hand margin. That's fine, until I reformat the page with different margins--the tab stop does not "stick" to the margin setting, so it's no longer right flush. I have to manually readjust it to the new right margin location.

A similar problem exists with the page number in a header, which is centered on the page. Word intends for you to position this using a certer tab stop, but it's only centered according to the margins in effect at the time you enter the header. After that, it won't stay centered when the margins change.

Some of my documents are for foreign use, and I often have to reformat them for A4 paper vs. 8.5x11 paper, with different margin settings. I'm getting tired of adjusting all these tab stops every time I make this change. Does anyone have a better suggestion?

[StuartR]

Not the solution you are asking for, but a workaround.

If you put the appropriate tab stops into styles and create different tempates for A4 and US paper sizes then you won't have to keep editing things.

StuartR

[jscher2000]

Seems best to define counterpart styles:

Header: Center tab at 3.25", Right tab at 6.5" (if you use 1" margins)
HeaderA4: Center tab at 3.14", Right tab at 6.27" (if you use 1" margins)

etc. Then use a macro to swap the paper size and styles at the same time. It can be as simple as several Find and Replace operations, and probably doesn't need to be this cumbersome:
<pre>Option Explicit

Sub SwapLetterAndA4()
' Jefferson Scher 3/8/2003
Dim lngNewSize As Long
With ActiveDocument.PageSetup
' Check Paper Size, store setting, change margins
If .PaperSize = wdPaperLetter Then
lngNewSize = wdPaperA4
.PaperSize = lngNewSize
ElseIf .PaperSize = wdPaperA4 Then
lngNewSize = wdPaperLetter
.PaperSize = lngNewSize
Else
'We don't do anything!
Exit Sub
End If
End With
With ActiveDocument.Content.Find
.ClearFormatting
.Replacement.ClearFormatting
.Text = ""
.Replacement.Text = ""
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = True
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
If lngNewSize = wdPaperA4 Then
'change a style in the main document body
'.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Header")
'.Replacement.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("HeaderA4")
'.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
ElseIf lngNewSize = wdPaperLetter Then
'change a style in the main document body
'.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("HeaderA4")
'.Replacement.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Header")
'.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End If
'Repeat as needed
.ClearFormatting
.Replacement.ClearFormatting
End With
Dim sect As Section, hdrftr As HeaderFooter
For Each sect In ActiveDocument.Sections
For Each hdrftr In sect.Headers
With hdrftr.Range.Find
.ClearFormatting
.Replacement.ClearFormatting
.Text = ""
.Replacement.Text = ""
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = True
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
If lngNewSize = wdPaperA4 Then
.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Header")
.Replacement.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("HeaderA4")
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
ElseIf lngNewSize = wdPaperLetter Then
.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("HeaderA4")
.Replacement.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Header")
.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End If
'Repeat as needed
.ClearFormatting
.Replacement.ClearFormatting
End With
Next hdrftr
For Each hdrftr In sect.Footers
With hdrftr.Range.Find
.ClearFormatting
.Replacement.ClearFormatting
.Text = ""
.Replacement.Text = ""
.Forward = True
.Wrap = wdFindContinue
.Format = True
.MatchCase = False
.MatchWholeWord = False
.MatchWildcards = False
.MatchSoundsLike = False
.MatchAllWordForms = False
If lngNewSize = wdPaperA4 Then
'change a style in the footer
'.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Header")
'.Replacement.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("HeaderA4")
'.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
ElseIf lngNewSize = wdPaperLetter Then
'change a style in the footer
'.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("HeaderA4")
'.Replacement.Style = ActiveDocument.Styles("Header")
'.Execute Replace:=wdReplaceAll
End If
'Repeat as needed
.ClearFormatting
.Replacement.ClearFormatting
End With
Next hdrftr
Next sect
End Sub</pre>

I only tested with the Header/HeaderA4, but I think it should work more generally. Make sense?

[Samantha]

So long as the only item on that line is the page number you want right aligned or centered, why not use the paragraph alignment? Use the keyboard shortcuts Ctrl-R to right align and Ctrl-E to center. You can also use the toolbar buttons or do it the long way from the menu under Format - Paragraph then choose the "General Alignment."