Table Grid style right aligned

[jmt356]

I'm not sure what I did, but it appears now that the Paragraph settings of the Table Grid style in the Modify Style dialogue of my Normal Template is set to be right aligned with Right to left Direction set, and I can't do anything about it because the text direction is grayed out. How can I restore it to left to right?

[HansV]

You might ask this question in the Creating, Editing, and Formatting Documents Forum on Microsoft Answers. The forum interface is not very friendly, but many Word MVPs are active there, and many users from non-Western countries.

[jmt356]

I’ll do that, Hans, but if I may provide a few more clues: in my Normal template, the Normal style is set to English. However, the Table Grid style is set to Arabic. I believe that is the problem, but I can’t figure out how to change the Language of the Table Grid style. In the Table Grid properties dialogue, Language is not an option. If you know of how to change the language of a Table Grid style, please do let me know.

Also, when my cursor is in the table cell and I press ctrl + Q, the cursor shifts to the left and the style changes from “Table Grid” to “Normal+,” whatever that means.

[HansV]

I don't understand table styles and for that reason never use them.

[Guessed]

You can edit some style attributes by using VBA when the Word interface is disabled for some reason. Have you tried recording a macro of editing the same attribute on something else that isn't disabled and then adapting that code?

If you post a sample document then we might be able to suggest the code you will need.

[PamCaswell]

I'm not sure what I did, but it appears now that the Paragraph settings of the Table Grid style in the Modify Style dialogue of my Normal Template is set to be right aligned with Right to left Direction set, and I can't do anything about it because the text direction is grayed out. How can I restore it to left to right?

Perhaps this is a right to left setting issue and not a table issue. See http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/word- ... 58567.aspx

[jmt356]

This is related to the right to left setting of the Table Grid style. I wish I could change the setting from Right to Left to Left to Right in the Paragraph dialogue of the Modify Style dialogue of the TAble Grid style, but it is grayed out.

The only thing I can do is find an older version of the Normal template and replace the new one with the old one. But then I would lose many changes I made in normal ... don't look forward to that.

Is it possible to copy one style out of one template into another template without replacing all of the styles in the latter with those of the former?

[HansV]

Is it possible to copy one style out of one template into another template without replacing all of the styles in the latter with those of the former?

Yes:

In Word 2003 or before, select Tools | Templates and Add-Ins..., then click Organizer...

In Word 2007, click the Office button, then Word Options, then Add-Ins. Select Templates in the Manage dropdown, then click Go... In the Templates and Add-Ins dialog, click Organizer.

In Word 2010, activate the File tab of the ribbon, then click Options. From there on it's the same as in Word 2007 (i.e. twice as many clicks as in pre-2007 versions).

[PamCaswell]

This is related to the right to left setting of the Table Grid style. I wish I could change the setting from Right to Left to Left to Right in the Paragraph dialogue of the Modify Style dialogue of the Table Grid style, but it is grayed out.

The only thing I can do is find an older version of the Normal template and replace the new one with the old one. But then I would lose many changes I made in normal ... don't look forward to that.

Is it possible to copy one style out of one template into another template without replacing all of the styles in the latter with those of the former?

Right to left is a language setting, and, as you've noticed, there are no language settings in table styles. I've just reread some of your earlier posts and this statement "...in my Normal template, the Normal style is set to English. However, the Table Grid style [the text in a table style is in the normal style] is set to Arabic." makes me think that this is, indeed, a language issue. I only have variations of English installed on my computer, so I can't test this. So tell me, did you have to change the language setting of the normal paragraph style to English?

Pam

[jmt356]

Apologies Pam: what I meant to say was:
"...in my Normal template, the Normal style is set to English. However, the Table Grid style [the text in a table style is in the TABLE GRID style] is set to Arabic."

In my normal template, all of my paragraphs set to the Normal style are in English by default. All of my text in my tables set to the TAble Grid style are in Arabic by default. If I press "ctrl + Q" while my cursor is in the table, the style name changes from Table Grid to Normal+ and it becomes left aligned with the text flowing from left to right.

[PamCaswell]

The + usually indicates direct formatting (not set in the style). You should be able to get rid of the Arabic setting with Clear All (the eraser-looking icon on the upper right of the Font group). That would leave you with the plain Normal paragraph style indicated in your tables.

A workaround is to apply a different paragraph style, with the language set to English, to the table text, should override the formatting. I'm being indefinite because, as I said, I can't test it in my computer.

This is why I suggested you hold off on fixing the cell margins: If neither of those two suggestions works, we need to look at the table styles again. Working on a copy, click the Clear selection near the bottom of the table gallery. If the paragraph style of the table text is then Normal (no +), then deleting Table Grid (which just takes it back to its as-built-in settings) and reapplying it to your tables would clear the problem.

Pam

[jmt356]

I don't see a Clear All icon in either my Standard or Formatting toolbars. According to http://www.lockergnome.com/windows/2009 ... word-2003/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, it's available in Word 2003 by clicking the drop arrow beside the Style field, but even after I did that, I saw no Clear All option.

[HansV]

As the LockerGnome article says, the item is "Clear Formatting", not "Clear All".

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[PamCaswell]

Revised Post by PamCaswell » 09 Mar 2011, 08:00
The + usually indicates direct formatting (not set in the style). You should be able to get rid of the Arabic setting by selecting the whole table and clicking Clear Formatting (this appears at the top of the Styles pane if it's been selected in the Format Settings dialog). That leaves you with the plain Normal paragraph style indicated in your tables.

A workaround is to apply a different paragraph style, with the language set to English, to the table text, so it can override the Arabic formatting.

My last suggestion in earlier post is a bit more complicated in W2003, so let's see if one of the other two works.

Pam

[jmt356]

When selected from the Formatting toolbar, I don’t see a Clear Formatting option under the Styles list. The first item that’s available is “1. / 1.1 / 1.1.1.” The last one is “Title.” If it would be listed alphabetically, the “Closing” style comes after the “Bulleted” style with no Clear All.

In the Styles and Formatting Dialogue, there is an option to “Clear Formatting” when the Table Grid style is selected. However, it doesn’t do anything; the cursor remains on the right and the language remains as Arabic.

If I press ctrl + Q while my cursor is in a table, the style changes from Table Grid to Normal+. If I then have the Normal+ style selected and select “Clear Formatting” in the Style and Formatting Dialogue, then Normal+ changes back to Table Grid, with the cells moving back to right aligned, right-to-left.

I’m attaching a document so you can more closely examine this behavior.

[PamCaswell]

Not sure how you did it either. But here's the fix. Open the styles and formatting pane. Right click on the Table Grid style and click Delete. This resets Table Grid to its 'factory' settings. You'll have to reapply Table Grid to all of your tables.

Pam

When selected from the Formatting toolbar, I don’t see a Clear Formatting option under the Styles list. The first item that’s available is “1. / 1.1 / 1.1.1.” The last one is “Title.” If it would be listed alphabetically, the “Closing” style comes after the “Bulleted” style with no Clear All.

In the Styles and Formatting Dialogue, there is an option to “Clear Formatting” when the Table Grid style is selected. However, it doesn’t do anything; the cursor remains on the right and the language remains as Arabic.

If I press ctrl + Q while my cursor is in a table, the style changes from Table Grid to Normal+. If I then have the Normal+ style selected and select “Clear Formatting” in the Style and Formatting Dialogue, then Normal+ changes back to Table Grid, with the cells moving back to right aligned, right-to-left.

I’m attaching a document so you can more closely examine this behavior.

[jmt356]

Thanks Pam!!!! It worked.

[PamCaswell]

Glad to help.