Captions (XP sp 1)

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Ok, this is the first time I’ve used Word XP and I’m not having fun.

I’m trying to insert a caption below an image (a png).

Why does insert>reference>caption stick the caption in a text box. Is this how its meant to be now or is there some wierd setting to turn it off? Wasn’t a caption just a paragraph style 2000.

Can anyone put me out of my misery on this.

Also, I did notice the autocaption feature, any way to alter the list of things you can ‘autocaption’?

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I have never had this problem with Word XP so I did some exploring. I discovered that if I had placed the graphic so that it was floating and then selected the graphic before choosing Insert > Reference > Caption then the caption is placed inside a text box.

Make sure the graphic is placed inline with the text or place your cursor in an empty paragraph before choosing to insert the caption. Does this work better?

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I made sure the image (placed on the document via insert>picture>from file) was inline but still the caption was placed in a text box.

When I tried just inserting a caption with no image selected. (i.e the cursor was just in a space) it did a similar thing, namely stick a caption and in a textbox and send some nearby text in there with it!

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Forgot to mention the autocaption.

I am right in thinking then it only applies when you insert an OBJECT, not insert >picture>from file ?

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I’m a bit concerned something wierd is going. I guess I can live with a caption-a-box if it’s working right but I’m doubtfull.

Just tried autocaption and created a new table. A caption was inserted in a text box, splitting my 4 row table in half . I’ll not be convinced this is a feature

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I’m a bit concerned something wierd is going. I guess I can live with a caption-a-box if it’s working right but I’m doubtfull.

Just tried autocaption and created a new table. A caption was inserted in a text box, splitting my 4 row table in half . I’ll not be convinced this is a feature

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Forgot to mention the autocaption.

I am right in thinking then it only applies when you insert an OBJECT, not insert >picture>from file ?

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Strange. I can’t reproduce that behavior. The newsgroup postings about this subject that I found all mention the behavior I described in my previous reply. If I find anything helpful, I’ll post it, but for the moment,

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Funny that, I have just been unable to reproduce the same behaviour in a different document.

In fact, everything behaves the way you both describe.

Possible conclusion

The document template I have been given is somehow corrupted and sent to test my patience.

I will therefore be starting my document my scratch. I should’ve thought of that first, thanks for your time guys.

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Ok, I can wrap this up myself.

I have just had a closer look at some text in the header of the template I was given to use.
The style applied was ‘caption’ and it was inside a text box.
A frame was part of the styling so I guess I can’t blame microsoft this time

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I’m glad you found it, and thanks for posting the cause. It was a puzzling problem…

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I’m glad you found it, and thanks for posting the cause. It was a puzzling problem…

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Ok, I can wrap this up myself.

I have just had a closer look at some text in the header of the template I was given to use.
The style applied was ‘caption’ and it was inside a text box.
A frame was part of the styling so I guess I can’t blame microsoft this time

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Funny that, I have just been unable to reproduce the same behaviour in a different document.

In fact, everything behaves the way you both describe.

Possible conclusion

The document template I have been given is somehow corrupted and sent to test my patience.

I will therefore be starting my document my scratch. I should’ve thought of that first, thanks for your time guys.

Reply | Quote

Strange. I can’t reproduce that behavior. The newsgroup postings about this subject that I found all mention the behavior I described in my previous reply. If I find anything helpful, I’ll post it, but for the moment,

Reply | Quote

I made sure the image (placed on the document via insert>picture>from file) was inline but still the caption was placed in a text box.

When I tried just inserting a caption with no image selected. (i.e the cursor was just in a space) it did a similar thing, namely stick a caption and in a textbox and send some nearby text in there with it!

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Hi Andrew & Hans:
Do you know if this behavior is different than Word 2000? I experimented with Word 2K, & found that with AutoCaption on:
1. If I inserted a picture in a frame or text box, the caption was inserted in the frame or text box, as you describe. However, I wasn’t able to see the caption in the text box until I resized it. At least in Word 2K, a frame will automatically resize to accommodate text; a text box won’t.
2. If I inserted a floating graphic (not in a text box), the caption was inserted at the paragraph mark to which the picture was anchored.

Thanks,

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In Word 2002 with AutoCaption for Microsoft Word Picture on (position below):
– Insert inline picture: caption in next paragraph.
– Insert floating picture: caption in separate text box.
– Insert picture in text box: picture is inserted inline (even if the default setting is to insert floating), with caption in next paragraph in text box; text box is resized automatically (!)
– Insert inline picture in frame: caption in next paragraph in frame; frame is not resized.
– Insert floating picture in frame: picture is pasted over, but not in frame; caption in separate text box.

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Looking at this, I feel sorry for the Softies that needed to create code for all these options. Sometimes I think it would be a whole lot easier if they just disabled the ability to do something rather than allow such odd ways of formatting the document. I almost never float a graphic and use text boxes and frames on a similar basis.

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Looking at this, I feel sorry for the Softies that needed to create code for all these options. Sometimes I think it would be a whole lot easier if they just disabled the ability to do something rather than allow such odd ways of formatting the document. I almost never float a graphic and use text boxes and frames on a similar basis.

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Thanks for the information. Then it’s definitely different than Word 2K.

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Thanks for the information. Then it’s definitely different than Word 2K.

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In Word 2002 with AutoCaption for Microsoft Word Picture on (position below):
– Insert inline picture: caption in next paragraph.
– Insert floating picture: caption in separate text box.
– Insert picture in text box: picture is inserted inline (even if the default setting is to insert floating), with caption in next paragraph in text box; text box is resized automatically (!)
– Insert inline picture in frame: caption in next paragraph in frame; frame is not resized.
– Insert floating picture in frame: picture is pasted over, but not in frame; caption in separate text box.

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Hi Andrew & Hans:
Do you know if this behavior is different than Word 2000? I experimented with Word 2K, & found that with AutoCaption on:
1. If I inserted a picture in a frame or text box, the caption was inserted in the frame or text box, as you describe. However, I wasn’t able to see the caption in the text box until I resized it. At least in Word 2K, a frame will automatically resize to accommodate text; a text box won’t.
2. If I inserted a floating graphic (not in a text box), the caption was inserted at the paragraph mark to which the picture was anchored.

Thanks,

Reply | Quote

I have never had this problem with Word XP so I did some exploring. I discovered that if I had placed the graphic so that it was floating and then selected the graphic before choosing Insert > Reference > Caption then the caption is placed inside a text box.

Make sure the graphic is placed inline with the text or place your cursor in an empty paragraph before choosing to insert the caption. Does this work better?

Reply | Quote

Who told you that using Word 2002 was supposed to be fun?

If your image is a floating object, Insert | Reference | Caption… will place the caption in a text box. This is reasonable: since you can drag a floating image around the page, you must be able to drag the caption to another position too.
If you have an inline picture, the caption will be part of the body of the document.
In both cases, the Caption paragraph style is applied.

The list of object types available in the AutoCaption dialog is (more or less) the same as the list of objects you can insert into a document (Insert | Document…, Create New tab). The information for this list comes from the Windows registry, and it is probably a mix of some built-in items and of registered insertable ActiveX controls, but I don’t know the details. Anyhow, I don’t think that you can add or remove items directly.

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Hi Hans:
For what it’s worth, the list of objects in Insert/Object is kept in the registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. e.g. if you go to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTWord.Document.8

& change the Default Data description, you can watch the name change inside the Insert/Object/ dialog box.

However, not every single file type listed there shows up in the Word dialog box. Here’s how it works (I have Win98SE and Word 2000, by the way).

Under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, there are descriptions of various file types. IF the FileType key has a subkey called “Insertable”, with the Value = Default & the Data = “”, then it shows up in the Insert/Object/Create from file dialog box. However, the description that shows up there is the one found under the file type key & Value = default & Data = description.

e.g. You’ll notice that Video Clip shows up in the Insert dialog box. If you open regedit & go to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTavifile

there is an entry that says Default “Video Clip”

Also, there is a subkey at

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTavifileInsertable

This combination allows it to show up in Word. I think that by merely by making sure that there is a Data entry under the main file type key & adding or deleting the “Insertable” sub key, you can add or delete from that list. Of course, adding it to the list doesn’t mean that Word could actually handle it.
Cheers,

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Thanks for taking the time to research this, Phil. It’s nice to know where the entries come from.

I would be wary of manually changing the list in the Registry. Removing/disabling one might be OK, although this might have unexpected side effects in other applications, but I certainly wouldn’t want to add items by editing the Registry.

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Thanks for taking the time to research this, Phil. It’s nice to know where the entries come from.

I would be wary of manually changing the list in the Registry. Removing/disabling one might be OK, although this might have unexpected side effects in other applications, but I certainly wouldn’t want to add items by editing the Registry.

Reply | Quote

Hi Hans:
For what it’s worth, the list of objects in Insert/Object is kept in the registry under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT. e.g. if you go to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTWord.Document.8

& change the Default Data description, you can watch the name change inside the Insert/Object/ dialog box.

However, not every single file type listed there shows up in the Word dialog box. Here’s how it works (I have Win98SE and Word 2000, by the way).

Under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, there are descriptions of various file types. IF the FileType key has a subkey called “Insertable”, with the Value = Default & the Data = “”, then it shows up in the Insert/Object/Create from file dialog box. However, the description that shows up there is the one found under the file type key & Value = default & Data = description.

e.g. You’ll notice that Video Clip shows up in the Insert dialog box. If you open regedit & go to

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTavifile

there is an entry that says Default “Video Clip”

Also, there is a subkey at

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTavifileInsertable

This combination allows it to show up in Word. I think that by merely by making sure that there is a Data entry under the main file type key & adding or deleting the “Insertable” sub key, you can add or delete from that list. Of course, adding it to the list doesn’t mean that Word could actually handle it.
Cheers,

Reply | Quote

Who told you that using Word 2002 was supposed to be fun?

If your image is a floating object, Insert | Reference | Caption… will place the caption in a text box. This is reasonable: since you can drag a floating image around the page, you must be able to drag the caption to another position too.
If you have an inline picture, the caption will be part of the body of the document.
In both cases, the Caption paragraph style is applied.

The list of object types available in the AutoCaption dialog is (more or less) the same as the list of objects you can insert into a document (Insert | Document…, Create New tab). The information for this list comes from the Windows registry, and it is probably a mix of some built-in items and of registered insertable ActiveX controls, but I don’t know the details. Anyhow, I don’t think that you can add or remove items directly.

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