MS Word - How to create custom formatting styles?

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MS Word - How to create custom formatting styles?
Some people claim that the most widely used software in the world is the Microsoft Word. But not many people use the 'STYLE' feature which is available in Word application. It is called 'Styles and formatting'.

'Style' is the first option shown in the 'Format' toolbar. It is also accessible from the 'Format' menu. The default selection of 'style' is 'Normal'. If you click on this drop down list, you can see the full list of 'styles' available. After selecting any of these styles from the list, if you type in the document the text will follow the style that you have selected.

Using this feature, you can create your own customized styles. For example let us create two styles namely "Question" and "Answer". What are these two styles for? What can be done using these two styles? Let us do a step by step tutorial.

In magazines and books you would have seen Q & A sections. Before the question starts the letter 'Q' will be prefixed. After the question ends and before the Answer starts the letter 'A' will be prefixed to the answer. So when you see the 'Q' letter you immediately know that that is a question. And when you see the letter 'A' you immediately know that that is the answer.

So what is the requirement to achieve something similar. When you choose the 'Question' style a big letter 'Q' should be entered in the document automatically. Once you type the question and press 'Enter key', a big letter 'A' should be automatically entered on the next line of the document. And the letters you type should change to the 'answer' style format. Again, after you the answer is fully typed and you press 'Enter key' again, the document should change back to 'Question' style format.

Let us see how we can achieve this.

Step 1: Create the 'Question' style
i. Select Format->Style to open the 'Style' dialog box
ii. Click on 'New' to open the 'New Style' dialog box.
iii. In the 'Name' text box type 'Question'.
iv. In 'Based On' select 'Normal'
v. Click 'Format' to open the drop down box and select 'Numbering'
vi. This will open the 'Bullets and Numbering' dialog box.
vii. In this 'Bullets and Numbering' dialog box, select 'Bulleted' tab
viii. In this tab, Select any bullet symbol that you don't normally use
ix. Click on 'Customize' button to open the 'Cusomize Bulleted List' dialog box
x. In this list, select any 'bullet symbol' that you don't normally use.
xi. And then click on 'Character' ('Bullet' in some versions) button to open the 'Symbol' dialog box
xii. In the 'Symbol' dialog box click the 'Font' list and select any FONT.
xiii. Then select the 'Q' character and click 'OK' to close the symbol dialog box
xiv. Then click the 'Font' button to open the Font dialog box.
xv. In the 'Font styles' select 'Bold' and if you wish increase the Font size
xvi. Click 'OK' to close the Font dialog box.
xvii. Click 'OK' to close the Customize Bulleted list dialog box.
xviii. Click 'OK'. You have successfully created your own new 'Question' Style.

The Style dialog box is still open. Do not close now as you need to create the Answer style.

Step 2. Create the 'Answer style'

Follow all the steps as above with some slight changes. In the third step, instead of typing 'Question', type 'Answer' as the name of the style. After finishing 4th step, in the 'Style for Following Paragraph' drop down list select 'Question' (which you created previously). By doing this when you type the answer and press 'enter key', the following paragraph will be changed to the 'Question' style. In step 13, instead of the letter 'Q' type letter 'A'.

Step 3: To change style to 'Answer' after the question has been typed automatically

When you type your first question, you will select the 'Question' style. Then you will type the question. After typing the question you will press 'Enter' key. At that time Word should automatically change the style to the 'Answer' style. To achieve this follow the steps.

1. From the 'Style' dialog box select the already created 'Question' style.
2. Click the 'Modify' button to open 'Modify style' dialog box.
3. In the 'Style for the following paragraph' drop down list select 'Answer'
4. Click 'OK' to close the 'Modify style' dialog box.
5. Clicl 'Close' to close the style box.

Step 4. To type Q & A section

In the 'Formatting' tool bar from the first drop down list, select the 'Question' style. In the document you will see the letter 'Q'. Type your question there and press 'Enter'. Now MS Word will automatically show letter 'A' below. Type your answer and press 'Enter'. The style will automatically change back to 'Question'. Likewise you can type all your question and answers.