Tip #89 - Word Document Map

100 Computer Tips in 100 Days

Tip #89 - Word Document Map

In the last tip we talked about using Styles in a document to quickly and consistently format a document. Another reason for using styles is so that you can view the Document Map for easier navigation and rearrangement of your document. My document for this blog would have been tedious to navigate if I didn't use the Document Map.

The Document Map for a Microsoft Word document

By applying Heading 1, 2 and 3 styles to my document, a hierarchical map was developed that I can display by clicking on the View tab, Show group, Navigation Pane. A pane appears on the left side of the screen that shows you the first few words using the paragraph style. I can click on the headings to navigate to that part of the document.

Beginning with the 2010 version of Word, in addition to navigation, I can move whole sections of the document around by dragging the headings up and down in the Document Map. No selecting, cutting and pasting, just drag the heading and release the mouse button. Because my title style included the numbering feature, my tips were automatically renumbered. This is important information for attorneys, engineers, architects and anyone else that uses numbered paragraphs.

Even if you don’t use formal styles in your document, Word will try to see if there is any pattern to the formatting of your document that would indicate heading levels. Open one of your old long documents and turn on the Document Map, you might be pleasantly surprised to see how easy it is to navigate your document.

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My book, 100 Amazing Computer Tips - Shortcuts, Tricks, and Advice to Help Everyone from Novice to Professional, is available now at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble in both print and ebook formats. 

Happy Computing!

Diane

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