WD97: How to Place a Bullet in the Middle of a Sentence

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

You cannot use the Bullets And Numbering command (on the Format menu) to place a bullet in the middle of a sentence or paragraph.

CAUSE

This behavior is by design. Because Bullets and Numbering is a paragraph level format, bullets are always placed at the beginning of a paragraph. Bullets cannot be placed in the middle of paragraphs or words.

This functionality is different from earlier versions of Word, in which bullets were inserted as characters.

RESOLUTION

To work around this problem, use any of the following methods to insert a bullet in the middle of a sentence.

Method 1: Use the Insert Symbol Command

1. On the Insert menu, click Symbol.

2. On the Symbols tab, click to select the bullet character.

3. Click Insert and then click Close.

Method 2: Use the ASCII Key Code

Place the insertion point where you want to insert the bullet, and then follow these steps:

1. Make sure NUM LOCK is on.

2. Hold down ALT, and then, using the numeric keypad, type 0 (zero) followed by "183" (without the quotation marks), the character code for the bullet.

Method 3: Use a Table

Place your text inside a table. For example, if you want to have a bullet approximately three inches from the left margin, create a two column table and make the left column three inches wide. Place the insertion point in the right column, and then use the Bullets and Numbering command to insert a bullet.

Method 4: Use a Macro

Microsoft provides examples of Visual Basic for Applications procedures for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. The Visual Basic procedures in this article are provided 'as is' and Microsoft does not guarantee that they can be used in all situations. While Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular macro, they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality, nor will they help you construct macros to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to consult one of the Microsoft Solution Providers. Solution Providers offer a wide range of fee-based services, including creating custom macros. For more information about Microsoft Solution Providers, call Microsoft Customer Information Service at (800) 426-9400.

The following sample Visual Basic for Applications macro inserts a bullet.

   Sub InsertBullet()
      With Selection
         .Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseStart
         .InsertSymbol Font:="Symbol", CharacterNumber:=183, Unicode:=False
      End With
   End Sub

NOTE: If the Assistant is hidden, click the Office Assistant button on the Standard toolbar. If Microsoft Visual Basic Help is not installed on your computer, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120802
   TITLE     : Office: How to Add/Remove a Single Office
               Program or Component

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q173707
   TITLE     : OFF97: How to Run Sample Code from Knowledge Base Articles

REFERENCES

For more information about getting help with Visual Basic for Applications, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q163435
   TITLE     : VBA: Programming Resources for Visual Basic for
               Applications