Word 2002 introduced the concept of the "task pane" to Word. This area appears at the right side of your Word program window, and provides an area where you can quickly access task-related information. One use of the task pane is related to formatting. If you choose Styles and Formatting from the Format menu, Word displays a myriad of formatting choices--most of them style-related--in the Styles and Formatting task pane.
To those familiar with older versions of Word, the Styles and Formatting task pane essentially replaces the Style dialog box, which was accessible when you chose Style from the Format menu. There is an interesting difference, however. In the Style dialog box, you could press the first letter of any style's name, and that style would then be selected in the Styles list. Not so in the Styles and Formatting task pane; here you are required to use the mouse to display and select the style you want to use or modify. Unfortunately, there seems to be no way around this change.
There is a different approach you can take, however, if all you want to do is apply a style. The Style drop-down list on the Formatting toolbar still allows you to press the first letter of a style name to jump to a style. All you need to do is click on the Style list's drop-down arrow (to display the style list) and then type a letter.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1349) applies to Microsoft Word 2002 and 2003.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
Styles are invaluable when it comes to applying consistent formatting in and across documents. If you need to rename a ...
Discover MoreMost people think that you can name styles almost anything you want. You can, but there may be some unintended ...
Discover MoreOne of the things you can store within templates are styles. When you use styles, it is critical that you understand how ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments