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Question

How to view body text in Word 2003 outlline view?

Jun 18, 2015 12:02PM PDT

When I try to type or view body text in Word 2003 outline view it just displays the first few words of the first line followed by "...."

What's the trick to displaying all of it?

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

Discussion is locked

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Answer
True.
Jun 18, 2015 12:08PM PDT
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PS. A good video tutorial.
Jun 18, 2015 12:17PM PDT


I wonder if your styles are in need of work.

Note: Moderator edited to use youtube forum tag.

Post was last edited on June 18, 2015 12:18 PM PDT

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SOLVED!
Jun 19, 2015 10:04AM PDT

Thanks, R. Proffitt, for your speedy and helpful responses to my query!

That video was especially helpful and that chap's Downton Abbey accent was a delightful bonus. Happy

I was at first puzzled by your cryptic remark, "Given this has worked this way for about 12 years, I can't guess why this is a problem."   So I took it to mean that you were telling me that the answer was looking me right in the face if only I had eyes to see it.

I decided to conduct an experiment:  I also have Word 2003 installed under Windows XP on an old hand-me-down laptop, so I created a file in Outline view on the laptop and it looked like this:
http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q708/Clueless_in_Seattle/Word%202003%20Outline%20View%20Body%20Text%20Display%20Test%20on%20Laptop_zpsqqcooeyn.jpg
As you can see, the body text is displayed in full, not truncated to the first few words of the first line followed by ellipses as it appeared on my PC.

So I opened that same file on my PC, but it reverted to that truncated display:

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q708/Clueless_in_Seattle/Word%202003%20Outline%20View%20Body%20Text%20Display%20on%20PC_zpsi04ycbof.jpg

Keeping in mind your pointed hint, I scanned the arcane hieroglyphs on the Outline View Toolbar one-by-one and discovred this one:

http://i1355.photobucket.com/albums/q708/Clueless_in_Seattle/Word%202003%20Outline%20View%20Show%20First%20Line%20Only%20w%20Arrow_zpsfjyyzxjg.jpg

I clicked it, and voilà!  The full body text re-appeared, just as I had entered it on the laptop.

So, with your help,  I've learned a new trick in Outline View.  Thanks!

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"

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Sorry about that.
Jun 19, 2015 10:17AM PDT

There are so many settings in Word that when folk tell me something like this, I check it out with another user account which gives me all stock settings. Sometimes folk are new to Word and want it to do something it doesn't do. Glad you found that checkbox. I was worried it was one of the usual paragraph style issues. That is, someone used "heading" and it truncated as expected.

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All's well that ends well
Jun 19, 2015 3:58PM PDT

Nothing to be sorry about. After all, it was your comment that prodded me into looking more closely at the Outline View toolbar.

I'm happy to have learned something new and to have Outline View working again.

Will in Seattle
a.k.a. "Clueless"