True parallel columns in Word
in [Page Layout]
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From: Flavelle Ballem on 15 Aug 2006 18:43 I finally have to produce a document that uses parallel columns in Word - one side in English, the second side in French. In reading how to do this, the only option appears to be through the use of linked Text Boxes, which is a particularly ugly solution. A far more elegant (and simple) solution would be allow the definition of two (or more columns) that don't snake like a newspaper, but instead will go to the next page automatically. If I need to enter text in the second column, then I can move to the column (mouse click or keystroke) and start typing away. This surely cannot be this hard. Regards, Flavelle ---------------- This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then click "I Agree" in the message pane. http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=18d8202e-ff38-40ad-85df-d429d7492bbd&dg=microsoft.public.word.pagelayout
From: Suzanne S. Barnhill on 15 Aug 2006 18:45 For this purpose we mostly recommend a two-column (borderless) table, breaking to a new row for each paragraph. -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "Flavelle Ballem" <fballem(a)noemail.noemail> wrote in message news:18D8202E-FF38-40AD-85DF-D429D7492BBD(a)microsoft.com... > I finally have to produce a document that uses parallel columns in Word - one > side in English, the second side in French. In reading how to do this, the > only option appears to be through the use of linked Text Boxes, which is a > particularly ugly solution. > > A far more elegant (and simple) solution would be allow the definition of > two (or more columns) that don't snake like a newspaper, but instead will go > to the next page automatically. If I need to enter text in the second column, > then I can move to the column (mouse click or keystroke) and start typing > away. > > This surely cannot be this hard. > > Regards, > > Flavelle > > ---------------- > This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the > suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I > Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow this > link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then > click "I Agree" in the message pane. > > http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=18d8202e-ff38-40ad-85df-d429d7492bbd&dg=microsoft.public.word.pagelayout
From: Flavelle Ballem on 16 Aug 2006 02:29 Suzanne: Thanks for the suggestion. Given the current capabilities of Word, this is probably the best available suggestion. There are two ways to go - separate rows for each paragraph or a table with a single row spanning multiple pages. If vertical alignment of the same paragraph in each language is required, then it's best done as one row per paragraph. If this is less of an issue, then a single row table is probably better (not sure of the limitations of how many pages can be spanned with a single row). A three column table appears to be quite satisfactory. The middle column is small and used to control the separation of the other two columns. I still stand by my enhancement suggestion that the column capability of a future version of Word should be enhanced to support newspaper or parallel columns. Flavelle "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: > For this purpose we mostly recommend a two-column (borderless) table, > breaking to a new row for each paragraph. > > -- > Suzanne S. Barnhill > Microsoft MVP (Word) > Words into Type > Fairhope, Alabama USA > Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org > Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so > all may benefit. > > "Flavelle Ballem" <fballem(a)noemail.noemail> wrote in message > news:18D8202E-FF38-40AD-85DF-D429D7492BBD(a)microsoft.com... > > I finally have to produce a document that uses parallel columns in Word - > one > > side in English, the second side in French. In reading how to do this, the > > only option appears to be through the use of linked Text Boxes, which is a > > particularly ugly solution. > > > > A far more elegant (and simple) solution would be allow the definition of > > two (or more columns) that don't snake like a newspaper, but instead will > go > > to the next page automatically. If I need to enter text in the second > column, > > then I can move to the column (mouse click or keystroke) and start typing > > away. > > > > This surely cannot be this hard. > > > > Regards, > > > > Flavelle > > > > ---------------- > > This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the > > suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I > > Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow > this > > link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then > > click "I Agree" in the message pane. > > > > > http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=18d8202e-ff38-40ad-85df-d429d7492bbd&dg=microsoft.public.word.pagelayout > >
From: Suzanne S. Barnhill on 16 Aug 2006 10:34 Word becomes very uncomfortable with long single-row tables. It's best to break to a new row at least once a page. It also helps to break to a new table whenever possible (interspersing ordinary text paragraphs for headings, for example). You don't actually need the center column for spacing, as you can use either paragraph indents or cell margins to control the amount of space between the text in the two columns; a center column can be simpler, but it does mean an extra Tab moving between columns. The major drawback to using tables is that they make some types of formatting unavailable (more trouble with wrapped graphics, for example) and others more difficult (have to use Ctrl+Tab to tab or indent within cells). -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "Flavelle Ballem" <fballem(a)noemail.noemail> wrote in message news:4A0951C7-D50E-4CB8-A572-5E95C277F23C(a)microsoft.com... > Suzanne: > > Thanks for the suggestion. Given the current capabilities of Word, this is > probably the best available suggestion. There are two ways to go - separate > rows for each paragraph or a table with a single row spanning multiple pages. > If vertical alignment of the same paragraph in each language is required, > then it's best done as one row per paragraph. If this is less of an issue, > then a single row table is probably better (not sure of the limitations of > how many pages can be spanned with a single row). > > A three column table appears to be quite satisfactory. The middle column is > small and used to control the separation of the other two columns. > > I still stand by my enhancement suggestion that the column capability of a > future version of Word should be enhanced to support newspaper or parallel > columns. > > Flavelle > > "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: > > > For this purpose we mostly recommend a two-column (borderless) table, > > breaking to a new row for each paragraph. > > > > -- > > Suzanne S. Barnhill > > Microsoft MVP (Word) > > Words into Type > > Fairhope, Alabama USA > > Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org > > Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so > > all may benefit. > > > > "Flavelle Ballem" <fballem(a)noemail.noemail> wrote in message > > news:18D8202E-FF38-40AD-85DF-D429D7492BBD(a)microsoft.com... > > > I finally have to produce a document that uses parallel columns in Word - > > one > > > side in English, the second side in French. In reading how to do this, the > > > only option appears to be through the use of linked Text Boxes, which is a > > > particularly ugly solution. > > > > > > A far more elegant (and simple) solution would be allow the definition of > > > two (or more columns) that don't snake like a newspaper, but instead will > > go > > > to the next page automatically. If I need to enter text in the second > > column, > > > then I can move to the column (mouse click or keystroke) and start typing > > > away. > > > > > > This surely cannot be this hard. > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > Flavelle > > > > > > ---------------- > > > This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the > > > suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click the "I > > > Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, follow > > this > > > link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and then > > > click "I Agree" in the message pane. > > > > > > > > http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=18d8202e-ff38-40ad-85df-d429d7492bbd&dg=microsoft.public.word.pagelayout > > > >
From: Flavelle Ballem on 16 Aug 2006 17:41 Suzanne: Thanks for the additional information. I have a problem believing that I'm the first person to have requested this - for those of us who live in countries with more than one official language, this really has to be a common problem. The solution of linked Text Boxes that is found in Help is difficult (at best) to understand and implement. Hopefully, Microsoft will come up with a better solution in a future edition of Word - but in the meantime, if someone has a bright idea on how to better solve the problem in the short term, I would be most grateful. I appreciate your guidance regarding the use of a table, and will watch closely to see if it becomes a problem in my case. Many thanks, Flavelle "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: > Word becomes very uncomfortable with long single-row tables. It's best to > break to a new row at least once a page. It also helps to break to a new > table whenever possible (interspersing ordinary text paragraphs for > headings, for example). > > You don't actually need the center column for spacing, as you can use either > paragraph indents or cell margins to control the amount of space between the > text in the two columns; a center column can be simpler, but it does mean an > extra Tab moving between columns. > > The major drawback to using tables is that they make some types of > formatting unavailable (more trouble with wrapped graphics, for example) and > others more difficult (have to use Ctrl+Tab to tab or indent within cells). > > -- > Suzanne S. Barnhill > Microsoft MVP (Word) > Words into Type > Fairhope, Alabama USA > Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org > Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so > all may benefit. > > "Flavelle Ballem" <fballem(a)noemail.noemail> wrote in message > news:4A0951C7-D50E-4CB8-A572-5E95C277F23C(a)microsoft.com... > > Suzanne: > > > > Thanks for the suggestion. Given the current capabilities of Word, this is > > probably the best available suggestion. There are two ways to go - > separate > > rows for each paragraph or a table with a single row spanning multiple > pages. > > If vertical alignment of the same paragraph in each language is required, > > then it's best done as one row per paragraph. If this is less of an issue, > > then a single row table is probably better (not sure of the limitations of > > how many pages can be spanned with a single row). > > > > A three column table appears to be quite satisfactory. The middle column > is > > small and used to control the separation of the other two columns. > > > > I still stand by my enhancement suggestion that the column capability of a > > future version of Word should be enhanced to support newspaper or parallel > > columns. > > > > Flavelle > > > > "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote: > > > > > For this purpose we mostly recommend a two-column (borderless) table, > > > breaking to a new row for each paragraph. > > > > > > -- > > > Suzanne S. Barnhill > > > Microsoft MVP (Word) > > > Words into Type > > > Fairhope, Alabama USA > > > Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org > > > Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the > newsgroup so > > > all may benefit. > > > > > > "Flavelle Ballem" <fballem(a)noemail.noemail> wrote in message > > > news:18D8202E-FF38-40AD-85DF-D429D7492BBD(a)microsoft.com... > > > > I finally have to produce a document that uses parallel columns in > Word - > > > one > > > > side in English, the second side in French. In reading how to do this, > the > > > > only option appears to be through the use of linked Text Boxes, which > is a > > > > particularly ugly solution. > > > > > > > > A far more elegant (and simple) solution would be allow the definition > of > > > > two (or more columns) that don't snake like a newspaper, but instead > will > > > go > > > > to the next page automatically. If I need to enter text in the second > > > column, > > > > then I can move to the column (mouse click or keystroke) and start > typing > > > > away. > > > > > > > > This surely cannot be this hard. > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > > > > > Flavelle > > > > > > > > ---------------- > > > > This post is a suggestion for Microsoft, and Microsoft responds to the > > > > suggestions with the most votes. To vote for this suggestion, click > the "I > > > > Agree" button in the message pane. If you do not see the button, > follow > > > this > > > > link to open the suggestion in the Microsoft Web-based Newsreader and > then > > > > click "I Agree" in the message pane. > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=18d8202e-ff38-40ad-85df-d429d7492bbd&dg=microsoft.public.word.pagelayout > > > > > > > >
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