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Preventing long web addresses (URLs) and
e-mail addresses from wrapping to the next line as a single block
of text
Download SoftWrap.zip
(v1.0; 08/05/02; 7,121 bytes) to automate this process on selected
text |
Web site and e-mail addresses normally don't
have spaces in them, so WordPerfect treats them as a single block
of text. Wrapping such long text strings can result in a large
empty space left behind in the line above, or a wrapped address
that is split in the middle of a component word. To prevent this
from happening, use a hyphenation
soft return [Hyph SRt] after each
slash mark or double slash mark.
Note:
In WordPerfect a hyphenation soft return is not a hyphen,
it is a soft return placed where a hyphen would be inserted.
If the line that contains these codes should break apart because
of the length of the web site address (the URL) or the e-mail
address, it will do so without adding a hyphen. As The Chicago
Manual of Style's FAQ website at http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/
(see under "URLs") explains:
Q. Have you established any rules for breaking
Web addresses at ends of lines? I would be inclined to break
at the slash where possible, with no hyphen (keeping the address
intact), but what about the “dots”? Example: eic.edu.gov.on.ca/html/dsbmaps.html
(I’ve got another one that’s a line and a quarter long!).
A. Your instincts are the same as ours --
when a URL must be broken over a line in a printed work, breaking
after a slash is preferable (also break after a double slash).
On the other hand, breaking a URL after a dot (leaving what looks
like a period at the end of a line) might cause difficulties
for the reader. It would be better to place the dot at the beginning
of the next line. Using a hyphen to break a long word at the
end of a line is not a good idea, since some URLs contain hyphens
as part of the address; moreover, a hyphen that’s part of
a URL should never appear at the end of a line. Further rules
are as follows: break before a tilde (~), a hyphen, an underline
(_), a question mark, or a percent symbol; or before or after
an equals sign or an ampersand.
One easy way to do this -- and type in the
slash at the same time -- is to create a small "slash macro."
It will type a slash (or "stroke") mark followed by
a hyphenation soft return. Then assign the macro to a keystroke
combination (see below).
Either record the macro (manually type a slash,
then click Format, Line, Other Codes, Hyphenation soft return),
or write one with these commands in it:
Type("/")
HyphenationSoftReturn
()
Play it when you need a slash in a long web
site address or similar. In the Reveal Codes window, you'll see
something like this after the macro plays: /[Hyph SRt]
From now on, if the block of text is too long
to fit between its starting location and the right margin, it
will automatically break after the slash mark.
For a macro that places a hyphenation soft
return after all slashes (single or double) and ampersands (@),
or in front of a period, tilde (~), hyphen(-), question mark(?),
percent sign(%) or equals sign(=), download SoftWrap.zip.
Notes
1. This process works with dashes, too. For
dashes, you can replace the slash in the above Type() command
with a dash, inserted with Ctrl + W (but be sure to keep the
quote marks if you are editing the macro). You might create two
"dash macros" -- one for "m" dashes (the
normal size dash) and one for "en" dashes (shorter,
and useful for dates such as 1900-2000, etc.). These are part
of the Typographical Symbol set (4,34 and 4,33, respectively).
2. To assign the macro to a keystroke combination
(such as Alt + /) for easy access while you type:
- Either select Tools, Settings, Customize,
or right-click anywhere on the top menu and select Settings from
the context menu that pops up.
- Click the "Keyboards" tab in the
Customize Settings window, then select the keyboard definition
you are using (such as the <WPWin9 Keyboard>). Either click
Copy to make a copy of the default keyboard and save it under
a different name, or click Edit to edit the existing keyboard.
The Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box will open.
- Choose a key or key combination combination
from the left-hand list (you can remove any current assignment
if you don't like it, but unless you are working on a copy of
the keyboard definition you may be better off choosing a key
or combination that has no current assignment). Next, click the
Macros tab on the right side of the Keyboard Shortcuts window,
then click the Assign Macro to Key button. A file list window
will appear. Browse for the macro you just created (and saved
in your macros folder), select it, and click on the Select button.
- Click OK until you are back to the main document
screen.
Option: For the shorter "slash macro"
above, you could simply modify the normal slash key's defintion
to play the macro every time the slash is typed. You would always
get a hyphenated soft return after a slash mark. Just check the
"Allow assignment of character keys" in the Keyboard
Shortcuts dialog; scroll down to the "/" key and assign
the macro to it. (You can always remove the assignment later
if you don't like the effect the macro produces.)
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Barry MacDonnell's