Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2018 November 25

= November 25 =

How to print characters that overlap each other in Microsoft Word
I am using Microsoft Word for Office 365 (Word 2016). Is there a way to print two (or more) characters that overlap each other in Microsoft Word? For example, let's say that I want the number "8" and I want a slash/virgule to go "through" the number. On a manual typewriter, I would type the "8"; then hit the back-space key; and then type the "/" symbol over the "8" character. How can I do this in Microsoft Word? Also, how can I do something similar, but with an entire word? Or with a number that is several digits long? For example, I type a word that is several characters long (let's say, "purple"); or a number like "74,291"; and I want an (extended) slash/virgule to go through the entire word "purple" or the entire number "74,291". For me, this is to indicate "crossing out" or "cancelling out". Also, I am aware of the strikethrough symbol and how to use it in Word. (This is an example of how the strikethrough symbol appears: Today is Wednesday, Sunday, November 25, 2018.) But, I want the "crossing out" or "cancelling out" to be with a slash/virgule, and not with a hyphen or dash. Also: if the word is, say, "purple", I want one (long/big/extended) slash/virgule to cross out the entire length of the word. I don't want six separate slashes/virgules to cross out each of the six letters, one by one. Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 15:58, 25 November 2018 (UTC)


 * I achieve this sort of effect using unfilled, unbordered text boxes, but someone else might have a more elegant solution.  Dbfirs  18:42, 25 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Select the text, hit Ctrl+D go to Advanced > Spacing: Condensed and adjust the "pt" value until you like the result. 93.136.19.110 (talk) 23:57, 25 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Thanks. So, I tried that.  The only thing that happened was that it "shrunk" the selected text to a smaller size.  I am not sure how this is related to my above question?  Did I do something wrong?  Let me know.  Thanks.   Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 00:15, 26 November 2018 (UTC)
 * Did you type "8/", select it and use this option? It shouldn't change the height of letters. You can type "8/", ad The "By:" amount in points is the space which is subtracted from the normal space between letters. If you choose a big enough number you can make the letters overlap completely. 93.136.19.110 (talk) 01:02, 26 November 2018 (UTC)
 * BTW I don't know if you can make this work with an entire word. I generally use this just to add unsupported diacritics. 93.136.19.110 (talk) 01:08, 26 November 2018 (UTC)


 * On the right is a diagonal strikeout using a text box.  Db<i style="color: #4fc;">f</i><i style="color: #6f6;">i</i><i style="color: #4e4;">r</i><i style="color: #4a4">s</i>  08:49, 26 November 2018 (UTC)


 * A diagonal strikeout requires a stroke with a slope depending on the length of the word. Characters have a fixed shape, so you can't do that by overlaying one character over another. It may be possible to create a macro that can do this (and Dbfirs above suggests there's a built-in way). I don't know much about MS Word macros, I do know that it's trivially easy in PostScript. PiusImpavidus (talk) 09:29, 26 November 2018 (UTC)


 * My method uses overlaying a created shape to match the length of the word. It is not an elegant solution, and not really built in to the software other than through shape creation facility.   <i style="color: blue;">D</i><i style="color: #0cf;">b</i><i style="color: #4fc;">f</i><i style="color: #6f6;">i</i><i style="color: #4e4;">r</i><i style="color: #4a4">s</i>  12:23, 26 November 2018 (UTC)
 * How about the ADVANCE field code ("Offset subsequent text within a line to the left, right, up, or down")? Using 12-point Calibri, "8 { ADVANCE \l 6 } /" renders as the slash through the 8 because of the 6-point left offset. See for an introduction to field-codes. DMacks (talk) 06:12, 30 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Insert | Field | Eq | Field Codes | Options | \O | Add to field | move cursor between | type 8,/ | OK | OK (Word 2003) -- SGBailey (talk) 09:08, 30 November 2018 (UTC)

Another question about Microsoft Word
Does Microsoft Word have a feature to "break apart" or "divide" words into their correct syllables, for formatting purposes? Is this possible to do in Word? Does Word do it automatically? If not, is there a "setting" that I can set (to enable or disable the feature)? Or, with word-processors nowadays, is this no longer an acceptable way to write? Has that method become archaic, obsolete, or disfavored and avoided? Example: Say that the word is "advertisement", and it appears at the end of a line of text. It is too long to fit on that line. So, I can (manually) break the word up as "advertise-" (with a hyphen at the end) on the first line; and continue the next line with "ment". That is what I am referring to. Thanks. Also: does that process have a more "formal" name? Or is it simply called "dividing" or "breaking up" a word into its syllables? Thanks. Joseph A. Spadaro (talk) 16:34, 25 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Press Alt, T, L, H (don't hold the keys, just press and release each) and you'll get a box with options. However it only works with English for me. 93.136.19.110 (talk) 00:01, 26 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Hyphenation is the term I've seen in word processors, but that Wikipedia page refers to Syllabification. 14.2.224.5 (talk) 05:09, 26 November 2018 (UTC)


 * Read Typographic alignment. When long words are common (like in German or Finnish, somewhat less so in English), hyphenation is practically mandatory, unless you're putting your text in a very wide column (which isn't very readable). With left aligned text the right would become too ragged and with justified text the spaces too wide. If that 23-character word is just one character too long and moved to the next line, you end up with only 44 instead of your normal 66 characters on a line. Just pick any printed book in a germanic language and you'll probably see hyphenated words on almost every page. Proper typesetters try to avoid it, but especially on the first line of a paragraph that may be hard without creating excessively loose lines.
 * MS Word uses by default rather long lines. PiusImpavidus (talk) 10:09, 26 November 2018 (UTC)


 * By the way, I hope you know about the "soft" hyphen? —Tamfang (talk) 21:27, 29 November 2018 (UTC)