"Ads by Google" links provided by Google.com, which has sole control over all advertising content it displays on this site.

Home | Tips | Library | Other Authors | Other WP Sites | Writer's Links | Contact | Site Map

Barry MacDonnell's Toolbox for WordPerfect
Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows® © Copyright 1996-2008 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.		Page updated April 14, 2006

WordPerfect Tips Main tips page | Browse tips
Adding buttons to the context-sensitive Property Bars (the "button bars" that appear just below toolbars when you are performing certain tasks such as typing, selecting text, creating or editing a header or footer, etc.) To add buttons to a standard Toolbar, see: How to create a toolbar button to play a macro, load a program, or use a built-in WordPerfect feature	First, let's agree on some definitions. A toolbar is the area just under the main menu. It contains buttons (clickable icons) that perform various tasks when you click on them. There is a standard (or default) toolbar, which is the one you see when you first installed WordPerfect (it can be customized), and there are several other toolbars that ship with WordPerfect, each of which you can access (i.e., toggle on or off) with Tools, Settings, Customize, Toolbars tab (or just right-click the toolbar area and choose Setttings).The toolbars can be customized easily: see the link in the left column. A property bar is similar in appearance to a toolbar, but it is located under the toolbar area, just above the ruler (if the ruler is displayed); that is, it is just above the main document screen area. It is also dynamic: it appears only when needed, depending on what you are doing at the time. Note that to see these bars on screen you must have the appropriate checkboxes enabled in View, Toolbars. Check the Property Bar box to see all property bars, and check the appropriate box(es) for the standard toolbars you want to have visible. (The standard (default) toolbar begins with the word "WordPerfect.") The property bar you see on screen when you first open a new document (or load an old one) is the Text property bar, usually containing drop lists for fonts and font sizes, some basic formatting buttons (Bold, Italics, etc.) and a Styles drop list. As soon as you select some text, or create a header, or edit a footnote, or use a variety of other WordPerfect features, the property bar changes to new property bar to give you access to new buttons, pick lists, etc., appropriate to your new task. (You'll notice that some property bar buttons are common to several property bars, so parts of the property bar will appear not to change.) Here's a common "problem" when trying to customize a property bar: Many users have figured out how to modify their toolbars (see here for how to do it), and have then decided to modify one or more property bars. Or perhaps they have dragged useful buttons from a property bar to delete them (see the Tips below) and they now want those buttons back. Unfortunately, as mentioned above, property bars are dynamic -- they only visible during the performance of certain tasks, and they are replaced by other property bars once the task changes. This is normally considered to be a very nice feature -- unless you are trying to add a button to a property bar so that it is always present in the same area (i.e., just above the ruler). It is easy to assume that modifying one property bar modifies all of them. For example, a user once asked: "I have attempted to customize both my toolbar and property bars; however, each time I select text, the buttons I added [to the property bar] simply disappear. How do I get them to stay?" My answer:  "It sounds like you added buttons to a property bar such as the ubiquitous Text property bar. Then, when you select some text, the Selected Text property bar appears. This is 'working as designed.' Property bars display only when needed." This user wanted to get the new button onto the Selected Text property bar so that it appears when some text is selected. Here are a couple of methods you can use to add (or even restore deleted) buttons to a specific property bar. Method 1: An old solution is to first add the button to a standard toolbar first (see here for how to do that), then (in this example) select some text, which brings up the Selected Text bar. Right-click on the standard toolbar (not the Selected Text property bar), and choose Edit. The Toolbar Editor appears; however, you won't need the Toolbar Editor at this time. For now, just left-click on the new button and drag in from the standard toolbar to the Selected Text property bar. Click OK to dismiss the Toolbar Editor. The same process can be used to add a button to any property bar: Do whatever is needed to display the property bar, then drag the new button onto it. Method 2: A simpler solution: Assume you want to add a button to the Selected Text property bar, such as a button to set paragraph formatting for selected paragraphs: Select some text to make the Selected Text property bar visible. Right-click on the Selected Text property bar (not the standard toolbar), and choose Edit from the context menu that appears. The Property Bar Editor appears. Under the Features tab, there's a "Feature Categories" drop list. Scroll down in it to select the Format item. In the "Features" list, choose Paragraph Format. Click on Add Button, then OK. When you select text, the new button will be available. TIPS To delete a button from the property bar (or a toolbar) when you are back in the document window, simply hold down the <Alt> key and drag the button off the bar. You can move or copy an existing button from one toolbar to another (assuming both are visible). To move it, hold down the <Alt> key while you drag the button to the other toolbar. To copy it, hold down the <Ctrl> and <Alt> keys while you drag it. [Most people probably will want to copy the button, not move it, so that the source toolbar remains the same.]