Formatting footnotes causes double footnote numbers

geirrosset · #1 10-28-2014, 02:34 AM

So I am trying to clean up and format a 450 page book containing 1300 footnotes. Normally I would do this in QuarkXPress, but time contraints mean I have to just clean it up in word and create a PDF for print.

All footnotes are formatted as #[space]Footnote text.

I need it to be #.[tab]Footnote text.

Trying to use the insert footnote dialogue to format the numbering causes Word to insert new footnote numbers in addition to the ones already there.

Is there any way to do a search for and replace using some sort of tag? LIke searching for "[paragraph break][footnote number][space]" and replacing it with "[paragraph break][footnote number].[tab]"?

Best regards
Geir Rosset
Oslo Norway

macropod · #2 10-28-2014, 04:39 PM

You could use a macro like:

Code:

Sub Demo()
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
Dim FtNt As Footnote
For Each FtNt In ActiveDocument.Footnotes
  With FtNt.Range.Characters.First.Previous
    If .Text = " " Then .Text = vbTab
  End With
Next
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
End Sub

geirrosset · #3 10-29-2014, 02:22 AM

Yes. That is almost perfect. How do I get the period [.] in there in front of the tab. Sorry, I don't know the syntax for word macros.

macropod · #4 10-29-2014, 04:41 AM

Word doesn't insert a period as part of the footnote number, so where is it coming from? Can you attach a document to a post with some representative content (delete anything sensitive)? You do this via the paperclip symbol on the 'Go Advanced' tab at the bottom of this screen.

geirrosset · #5 10-29-2014, 04:46 AM

No it doesn't, but I need one. Like this: [Footnote number].[tab][Footnote text]. So in your macro I need it to insert a period in front of vbTab. Could it say: If .Text = " " Then .Text = "."vbTab?

macropod · #6 10-29-2014, 05:08 AM

OK, you could just change:
.Text = vbTab
to:
.Text = "." & vbTab
but, if you want the period superscripted to match the footnote #, you'll need to replace:
If .Text = " " Then .Text = vbTab
with:

Code:

    If .Text = " " Then
      .Font.Superscript = True
      .Text = "." & vbTab
    End If

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