Programming Autotext in Word

[mankymummy]

I am sure that in my dim and distant secretarial past that in Word I used to be able to program in autotext.

For example i could set it up so that if i typed YSMM and pressed enter it would replace the YSMM with Yours Sincerely Manky Mummy.

I can't work out how to do it now - was it just in an old version of Word?

Any ideas?

[elkiedee]

It still exists in the version of Word I'm using

type out Yours sincerely mankymummy

select text

Alt + F3 (at the same time)

and it will ask you to name text entry

if you use ysmm

Then when you want to use it

type ysmm

hit F3

Does that work for you?

[Tigerschick]

You can also do this by going to 'Tools'; selecting 'AutoCorrect' and then typing what you want to have changed, and what to, in the boxes.
I use it all the time for words that I habitually type incorrectly.

[mankymummy]

hang on i'll give it a go. thanks.

[mankymummy]

that works thats brilliant thanks.

now the tricky bit... how do i do the same in Excel?

Thanks.

[Tigerschick]

Don't really know Excel but I just ahd a quick look and it seems to be the same as the way I posted for Word... worth a try I guess

[mankymummy]

oh yep that works. thanks so much.

[Tigerschick]

No probs

[elkiedee]

I do typos in autocorrect but shortcuts I use autotext because otherwise you get it when you don't want it, for example in postcodes and references.

[Tigerschick]

I didn't realise they were 2 different things!
I've never used AutoText, but that's a good point about getting them when you don't want them.

Complete aside ... I had a tutor at universtiy who used to change other people's AutoCorrects so that when they typed something mundane like 'and' or 'the' something ridiculous would come up instead - really showed who proof read! He was a bit of an arse like that