Cannot Use Tab Alignment as Edit Find or Replace Criteria

• Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 1.0, 1.1, 1.1a, 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c
• Microsoft Windows operating system versions 3.0 and 3.1

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Word for Windows, you cannot use tab alignment as find or replace criteria (search or replace criteria in version 1.x of Word for Windows). As a result, you cannot find or modify tab alignment using the Edit Find (Edit Search in 1.x) or Edit Replace commands.

This article describes steps you can use to find and replace tab alignment (right, left, decimal, and center) by saving your Word for Windows document in RTF file format, opening the RTF file in Text Only format, and modifying the RTF tab alignment codes.

MORE INFORMATION

Be sure to create a backup copy of your file before using the steps below. Use the following steps to find and replace tab alignment in your Word for Windows document:

1. Open the document containing the tab alignment you want to change. From the File menu, choose Save As. Type a new filename. In the Save File As Type box, select Rich Text Format (*.rtf), then choose the OK button.

2. From the File menu, choose Open. Select the file you saved in step 1, and choose the OK button. In the Convert File dialog box, select Text Only, then choose the OK button.

3. From the Edit menu, choose Replace. Use the following RTF tab alignment codes in the Find What and Replace With boxes:

         \tqr    =   Right-justified tab
         \tqc    =   Center tab
         \tqdec  =   Decimal tab
         NUL     =   Left-justified (default, no RTF code)
   
   

4. From the File menu, choose Save. From the File menu, choose Close.

5. Reopen the file closed in step 4. In the Convert File dialog box, select Rich Text Format (RTF), and choose the OK button. The new tab alignment should appear in the file.

6. When you close the file, you are prompted to overwrite the RTF file format with Word for Windows format. Choose the Yes button.

   Find         "\tqdec"     (Decimal tab)
   Replace with "\tqr"       (Right-justified tab)

How to Replace Left-Justified Tabs with Another Alignment Format

Left-justified tabs are the default format; there is no RTF code you can use in the Find What box. Therefore, you must use the following additional steps to replace left-justified tabs with another alignment format:

1. Follow steps 1-2 above.

2. From the Edit menu, choose Replace, and follow steps a-g below. Be sure to complete these steps in order so that you maintain other alignment formatting. Do NOT type the quotation marks in the steps below.

   leader and tabs and criteria and find and replace and winword

   a. In the Find What box, type "\tqr\tx". In the Replace With box, type
      "RIGHT_TAB". (Skip this step if there are no right-aligned tabs in
      your document.)

   b. In the Find What box, type "\tqc\tx". In the Replace With box, type
      "HYPH_TAB". (Skip this step if there are no center-aligned tabs in
      your document.)

   c. In the Find What box, type "\tqdec\tx". In the Replace With box,
      type "DECIMAL_TAB". (Skip this step if there are no decimal-aligned
      tabs in your document.)

   d. In the Find What box, type "\tx". In the Replace With box, type
      "<Desired RTF tab alignment code>\tx". Use the following RTF tab
      alignment codes in the Replace With box:

         \tqr    =   Right justified tab
         \tqc    =   Center tab
         \tqdec  =   Decimal tab

      For example, if you type "\tqr\tx" in the Replace With box, you
      replace all left-aligned tabs with right-aligned tabs.

   e. In the Find What box, type "RIGHT_TAB". In the Replace With box,
      type "\tqr\tx". (Skip this step if you skipped step a.)

   f. In the Find What box, type "CENTER_TAB". In the Replace With box,
      type "\tqc\tx". (Skip this step if you skipped step b.)

   g. In the Find What box, type "DECIMAL_TAB". In the Replace With box,
      type "\tqdec\tx". (Skip this step if you skipped step c.)