I avoid frames, but in a new template I have to develop, I am converting replacing my original text boxes with frames in order to allow comments. However, each time I apply a paragraph style other than Normal to the empty paragraph in the frame, the frame disappears and the empty paragraph appears where the frame's lock was previously.



Since I find no mention of style restriction regarding frames (nor would I expect any), will someone please tell me what is happening here and how to get back to proper frame behavior?

Don't know that it is documented, but Frames can be a part of a style definition. I assume that like other things that can be defined in a style, when you apply a style that does not have that formatting, the style definition overrides.

Frames are old technology in Word; they predate Word 97 and were, I believe, in Word 3 on the Mac. (Word 2013 is Word 15; Word 2007 is Word 12; I believe Frames were present in Word 6 for Windows)

Here is what (little) I know about Frames.
Frames and Textboxes in Microsoft Word

Thanks, Charles; this generally confirms my own further pokings-around after posting. The best solution for my use, while not ideal, appears to be a single-celled table, though positioning does not include locking. It's times like this that I wish we worked in an actual page-layout application, but in this case, I am creating a work document in Word that will end up in the former's template, the design of which is dictating the layout I am trying to emulate.

Best,
Philip

Note that you can make use of the fact that frames can be stored in paragraph styles. Just create a paragraph style that includes frame formatting. Of course, if you want a single "box" with several different styles, using a table cell may be more convenient.

__________________
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP

Microsoft 365 apps for business
Windows 11 Professional

Thanks, Stephan. I did end up using tables, each of which is required to be home to three styles, which appeared to obviate the use of frames. In addition, there are two such containers, one on each of two pages of the document and each of which has slightly different page-placement and dimensions. Since the style determines the frame, it seemed to me that even a single style would, due to placement settings, present a problem, but I know this to be untrue, since some people use frames of all shapes and placements in a document. The position "coordinates" must not be fixed by the style, and those who use them this way probably just locally format Normal (or some other style) as suits the immediate text appearance for the frame, as is typical with formatting by most not aware of styles.
Anyway, now I have become more fully informed on why one may wish to avoid using these critters, and I can get back to poking my nose into 2013, now, with an eye towards studying for Expert certification.

Best,
Philip