Barry MacDonnell's Toolbox for WordPerfect for Windows

How to customize PROPERTY BARS

The property bar you see on screen (below the main toolbar) when you first open a new document or when you 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 might 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, property bars are (by default) dynamic -- they are 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) when that property bar is active. It is easy to assume that modifying one property bar modifies all of them, but this is not the case.

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?"

The 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.

To customize the property bars's appearance, location (see "To re-position..." below), font size, presence of a scroll bar, and/or the maximum number of rows/columns to show:

Right-click on the property bar and choose Settings. Select the bar in the list if it isn't already selected. Click Options.

To restore a modified property bar to the factory settings:

Right-click on the property bar and choose Settings. Select the bar in the list if it isn't already selected. Click Reset.

You can move or copy an existing button from one toolbar to another toolbar or to a property bar (assuming both source and target 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.]

To reposition a property bar (i.e., the entire bar, not just a button) to a different location on screen:

You can use the quick and easy way: Place your mouse cursor on an empty area or border (not on a button) on the property bar and left-click-and-drag the property bar to a new location: left, right, top, bottom, or palette ("floating"). When its border changes from a thick to a thin line -- a "ghost" outline of the bar's shape (except for the palette, which will always be a rectangle with a thick border) -- release your mouse button and the property bar should snap into that location. Later, you can drag it back to the main toolbar area to relocate it back in its default position. (If this proves difficult or tricky, use the dialog method below.)

- or -
Use the dialog method: Click Tools, Settings, Customize -- or simply right-click on any Property bar and choose Settings.
In the Customize Settings dialog that appears, click on the Property Bars tab and then use your mouse to choose (i.e., reverse highlight the name of) the property bar. (The factory default is the Text property bar.)
Click the Options button. Make your choice of location, etc., on the Property Bar Options dialog. [As in the quick method above, "Palette" creates a floating property bar that you can drag to a different position. If you drag it back over its normal default location in the main toolbar area -- the border will change from a thick to a thin line when it can be docked -- and then release your mouse button, it should snap into that location.]
Click OK to close the Property Bar Options dialog, then Close to return to the document.
To position it back in its original location, repeat the above steps and choose the newly desired location on that Options dialog. [Tip: For the Palette (floating) toolbar you can double click on its title bar and it should snap back into its original location. (Thanks to Roy "lemoto" Lewis for this tip.)]

Barry MacDonnell's Toolbox for WordPerfect

Macros, tips, and templates for Corel® WordPerfect® for Windows® © Copyright 1996-2013 by Barry MacDonnell. All Rights Reserved.		Page updated May 7, 2013