|
Preventing long web addresses
(URLs) and e-mail addresses from wrapping to the next line as
a single block of text
Download SoftWrap.zip
(v1.0; 08/05/02; 7,121 bytes) to automate this process on selected
text |
Web site and e-mail addresses
normally don't have spaces in them, so WordPerfect treats them
as a single block of text. Wrapping such long text strings can
result in a large empty space left behind in the line above,
or a wrapped address that is split in the middle of a component
word. To prevent this from happening, use a hyphenation soft return [Hyph SRt] after each slash mark or double slash
mark.
Note: In WordPerfect a hyphenation soft return
is not a hyphen, it is a soft return placed where a hyphen
would be inserted. If the line that contains these codes should
break apart because of the length of the web site address (the
URL) or the e-mail address, it will do so without adding a hyphen.
As The Chicago Manual of Style's FAQ website at http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/cmosfaq/
(see under "URLs") explains:
Q. Have you established any rules
for breaking Web addresses at ends of lines? I would be inclined
to break at the slash where possible, with no hyphen (keeping
the address intact), but what about the “dots”? Example:
eic.edu.gov.on.ca/html/dsbmaps.html (I’ve got another one
that’s a line and a quarter long!).
A. Your instincts are the same
as ours -- when a URL must be broken over a line in a printed
work, breaking after a slash is preferable (also break after
a double slash). On the other hand, breaking a URL after a dot
(leaving what looks like a period at the end of a line) might
cause difficulties for the reader. It would be better to place
the dot at the beginning of the next line. Using a hyphen to
break a long word at the end of a line is not a good idea, since
some URLs contain hyphens as part of the address; moreover, a
hyphen that’s part of a URL should never appear at the end
of a line. Further rules are as follows: break before a tilde
(~), a hyphen, an underline (_), a question mark, or a percent
symbol; or before or after an equals sign or an ampersand.
One easy way to do this -- and
type in the slash at the same time -- is to create a small "slash
macro." It will type a slash (or "stroke") mark
followed by a hyphenation soft return. Then assign the macro
to a keystroke combination (see below).
Either record the macro (manually
type a slash, then click Format, Line, Other Codes, Hyphenation
soft return), or write one with these commands in it:
Type("/")
HyphenationSoftReturn
()
Play it when you need a slash
in a long web site address or similar. In the Reveal Codes window,
you'll see something like this after the macro plays: /[Hyph SRt]
From now on, if the block of
text is too long to fit between its starting location and the
right margin, it will automatically break after the slash mark.
For a macro that places a hyphenation
soft return after all slashes (single or double) and ampersands
(@), or in front of a period, tilde (~), hyphen(-), question
mark(?), percent sign(%) or equals sign(=), download SoftWrap.zip.
Notes:
1. This process works with dashes,
too. For dashes, you can replace the slash in the above Type()
command with a dash, inserted with Ctrl + W (but be sure to keep
the quote marks if you are editing the macro). You might create
two "dash macros" -- one for "m" dashes (the
normal size dash) and one for "en" dashes (shorter,
and useful for dates such as 1900-2000, etc.). These are part
of the Typographical Symbol set (4,34 and 4,33, respectively).
2. To assign the macro to a keystroke
combination (such as Alt + /) for easy access while you type:
- Either select Tools, Settings,
Customize, or right-click anywhere on the top menu and select
Settings from the context menu that pops up.
- Click the "Keyboards"
tab in the Customize Settings window, then select the keyboard
definition you are using (such as the <WPWin9 Keyboard>).
Either click Copy to make a copy of the default keyboard and
save it under a different name, or click Edit to edit the existing
keyboard. The Keyboard Shortcuts dialog box will open.
- Choose a key or key combination
combination from the left-hand list (you can remove any current
assignment if you don't like it, but unless you are working on
a copy of the keyboard definition you may be better off choosing
a key or combination that has no current assignment). Next, click
the Macros tab on the right side of the Keyboard Shortcuts window,
then click the Assign Macro to Key button. A file list window
will appear. Browse for the macro you just created (and saved
in your macros folder), select it, and click on the Select button.
- Click OK until you are back
to the main document screen.
Option: For the shorter "slash
macro" above, you could simply modify the normal slash key's
defintion to play the macro every time the slash is typed. You
would always get a hyphenated soft return after a slash mark.
Just check the "Allow assignment of character keys"
in the Keyboard Shortcuts dialog; scroll down to the "/"
key and assign the macro to it. (You can always remove the assignment
later if you don't like the effect the macro produces.)
|
Barry MacDonnell's