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PURPOSE AND USES
This WordPerfect 9 (and later version) customizable
macro creates an "outdented" table -- i.e., a table
that extends into the margins -- with a large, full-height left
and/or right border that simulates a large square bracket ( "["
and/or "]" ). [Note that you can also have "indented"
brackets, as shown in the screen shots below.]
 [Left bracket only, outdented paragraph]
[Left and right brackets, indented paragraph, centered
(see Tips below)]
[Left and right brackets, not outdented (left and
right margin codes deleted; see Tips below)]
While WordPerfect can apply outdented vertical
borders to paragraphs with Format, Paragraph, Border/Fill, the
borders are simple vertical lines. They do not simulate brackets.
If text is selected first, the text will be
automatically inserted in the table.
Three versions of the table can be created
with a simple setting in the macro: left bracket only, both left
and right brackets, and right bracket only.
The macro can be used to set off text for
special purposes, such as to format "pull quotes" or
editorial comment (see Tips below), or to indicate that several
characters are speaking simultaneously in theater and opera manuscripts.
Note that the table's text column (a single
cell) is aligned on the vertical page margins with other document
text at the table's location; it is just the brackets that are
outdented from the margin.
Outdenting is the default, but it is optional.
The macro can also be customized to produce different bracket
styles and colors. Simple instructions are given in the redlined
User Modification Area of the macro's code.
HOW TO USE THE MACRO
Step 1. (OPTIONAL)
Set the desired type of table (left bracket only, right bracket
only, or both left and right bracket), the width of the "bracket,"
and several other options in the redlined User Modification Area. (You
can edit the macro with Tools, Macro, Edit.) By default the width
of brackets is set to 0.067 inches wide (0.17cm), which is the
typical minimum width of a table column when created manually;
you can set it to more (or even slightly less) than this amount.
[Metric users can change the default setting for the bracket
width from inches to centimeters.] When you are finished making
changes, click Save & Compile on the macro toolbar.
See also related Tips below.
Step 2. Play the macro
(with Tools, Macro, Play or <Alt+F10>) in a test document
with various left and right page margin settings to see how it
works. You can undo things with Edit, undo or <Ctrl+Z>.
Note:
To see the effect on your screen, be sure to uncheck View,
Table Gridlines. (For the reasons why this is needed, see here.) Then use File, Print
Preview.
If you select text before playing the
macro, it will be inserted (with cut and paste) into the table
automatically.
If you don't select text, the macro
will create a table at the current cursor location, and you can
then copy (or type) text into the table.
The table will expand downward as needed to
accommodate your text. Page margins are automatically adjusted
just before the table begins and then restored to their previous
values just after the table ends. Thus you can use the macro
regardless of the page margins in effect at that point.
TIPS
- You can see how the table will look in print
with File, Print Preview, or with View, Guidelines, Tables (unchecked).
For the latter, be sure to also uncheck View, Table Gridlines.
(For more on Guidelines vs. Gridlines: http://wptoolbox.com/tips/Gridline.html.)
- You can always adjust left and/or right margins
to create a greater indent of the material with a new page margin
just before the [Tbl On] code and restored to the current setting
just after the [Tbl Off] code.
- Such indented tables might be useful for
"pull quotes," editorial comments, or other design
considerations.
- Alternative method to setting new margins
to create a smaller indented and centered table:
• First, set the vOutdent value to 0 (zero) in the
User Modification Area in the macro's code.
• Next, create the bracket table by playing the macro.
• Right-click inside the text column.
• Choose Format, Table, Table position on page: Center.
• Finally, set the text column's width to whatever value
you desire with Format, Column, Column width.
- An easy way to copy just the contents of
the text column is to place your cursor at the top of the cell
before all text and format codes. Hold down the <Shift>
key and scroll down (or use the PgDn or Arrow keys) to select
the text. Use <Ctrl+C> to copy the cell contents to the
clipboard. Paste the contents wherever needed.
- An easy way to delete the entire table is
to delete the [Tbl On] code in Reveal Codes (or drag it from
the Reveal Codes pane).
- A table can be copied into a text box (you
probably will need to adjust the box by dragging the borders
to accommodate the table) and the box can be dragged into another
position. The box's border can then be removed with a selection
on the context menu that pops up when you right-click the box.
The box can then be positioned anywhere on the page and "anchored"
to a character, paragraph, or particular page location.
- An easy way to find color values for the
bracket lines and fills is to click Format, Font, Color and pass
your cursor slowly over the color palette, taking note of the
RGB values which you can use in the User Modification Area.
- You can also create
large "curly" brackets (a/k/a braces) with the
WordPerfect Equation
Editor. Here's
a thread on WordPerfect Universe that explains the tecnique
and has a downlad file (from Derek Duke) with a left and right
brace you can use in any document.
- Yet another way to
achieve something like the same effect is to use TextArt,
a feature that is available in most versions of WordPerfect Office
if Presentations was installed (under the Insert, Graphic/Pictures
menu).
- As a demonstration, the author used it to
create a large, right-brace ("curly" bracket)
that can span multiple lines. See this screen
shot. (It prints better than it looks on screen.) You probably
will need to experiment with TextArt to get the effect you want.
- It was done using Courier New as the TextArt
font for the right brace (two keys to the right of the "p"
on the keyboard), and with all TextArt options set to "None"
(i.e., no fills, outlines, etc., but using Very High Smoothness).
After exiting the TextArt module, you can use the drag handles
of the selected graphic [Box] to squeeze the brace symbol horizontally
to make it thin, and drag it vertically to span the required
number of lines of text in the document.
- Tips:
- The [Box] code that holds the brace can be
set to "Attach to: Paragraph" as the Position (double-click
on the [Box] code), so it will remain with the adjacent text.
- You can select the box (if it is not
selected, right-click on it and choose Select Box) and make a
QuickWord from it so you can
use it anytime. It will appear in the same spot as when it was
created but it can be dragged to a new position and resized.
KNOWN RESTRICTIONS AND LIMITATIONS
- The macro is for WordPerfect 9 and later
versions.
- The macro cannot be played inside an existing
table or inside existing columns. A message will appear
to alert you of this fact and then the macro will abort. [For
columns, you can copy a table into a column (everything from
the [Tbl On] to the [Tbl Off] codes, including those codes,
in Reveal Codes).
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