KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q120200: PPT: Summary of TAB Key Usage with Text and Objects

Article: Q120200
Product(s): Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows
Version(s): MACINTOSH:4.0; WINDOWS:4.0,7.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbusage
Last Modified: 20-OCT-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft PowerPoint for Windows 95, version 7.0 
- Microsoft PowerPoint for Macintosh, version 4.0 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY
=======

Pressing the TAB key in Slide or Notes view results in one of three different
actions, depending on what is initially selected:

1. If an object (or nothing) is selected:

  Pressing TAB selects the next object, following the order in which the objects
  were created. Pressing SHIFT+TAB selects the previous object.

2. If the cursor is within a bulleted text frame (body text):

  If the cursor is at the beginning of a line, pressing TAB demotes the indent
  of that line, while pressing SHIFT+TAB promotes the indent.

  At the beginning of a line, pressing CTRL+TAB (or OPTION+TAB on the Macintosh)
  overrides an indent and inserts a tab, moving the cursor to either the next
  default or user-defined tab stop. To remove these tabs, press the BACKSPACE
  key.

  If the cursor is within or at the end of the line, pressing TAB inserts a tab,
  moving the cursor to either the next default tab or user- defined tab stop.

3. If the cursor is within a text frame created using the Text tool pressing the
  TAB key inserts a tab, moving the cursor to the next default or user-defined
  tab stop.

MORE INFORMATION
================

Body text is the only object that has bullets by default. The TAB key is used to
promote or demote body text, in addition to the Demote and Promote buttons on
the toolbar.

All other objects, such as the text frames on the notes page, have no bullets by
default. You can promote or demote unbulleted text on notes pages by clicking
the Promote and Demote buttons on the toolbar.

If you want to use the TAB key to promote or demote text in the notes pages, you
must first turn on bullets. You can turn bullets on or off by clicking the
Bullet button on the toolbar.

Additional query words: powerpoint powerpt outline mac win indent winppt indentation format alignment 4.0 palette macppt ppt powerpnt

======================================================================
Keywords          : kbusage 
Technology        : kbHWMAC kbOSMAC kbPowerPtSearch kbPowerPt700 kbZNotKeyword2 kbPowerptMacSearch kbPowerPt700Search kbPowerPt400 kbPowerPt400Mac
Version           : MACINTOSH:4.0; WINDOWS:4.0,7.0
Hardware          : MAC x86
Issue type        : kbinfo

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.