how to move text selection up/down

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Level 1

10 points

how to move text selection up/down

I am hoping that someone can help me with a tip on how to move a text selection (single line of text, complete paragraph or even bullet list point) up/down within a iWork Pages document.

The method I use currently in Pages is to highlight the text I want to move and hold down the mouse button until the cursor changes into a pointer. Then drag and drop the selection to the desired location and release the mouse button. This works reasonably well, but can get a little tricky to move to an exact location when there are numerous bullet lists and indents.

If it helps to explain my question, Microsoft Word has this feature where you simply highlight the text you want to move up/down within your document and then hold down Option+Shift while using the up or down arrow key to move the selection up or down within your document. This works for a single line of text, complete paragraph or even bullet list point as I mentioned earlier and is very accurate in comparison to the other method.

Looking forward to your reply

Regards

Posted on Mar 7, 2013 3:06 AM

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Answer 1

Yellowbox

Level 7

21,939 points

Mar 7, 2013 3:29 AM in response to murray_qeq

Hi Murray,

I use a MacBook. If you are using an iThing, this may not help (I don't know how to use an iThing).

Select your text, then Menu > Edit > Cut (command x)

Place the cursor where you want to insert that text and Menu > Edit > Paste (command v)

It does make a difference whether you include the paragraph mark in your Cut. I use Menu > View > Show Invisibles to see paragraph marks (and spaces etc.) but then I am a reformed Windows person!

Regards,

Ian.

Message was edited by: Yellowbox. papgraph replaced with paragraph. No Spell Checker here!

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Answer 2

Mar 7, 2013 5:51 AM in response to murray_qeq

Murray,

Moving a selection can be tricky, as you've noted, but short of cutting it and inserting it elsewhere as suggested by YB, you are using the best method that Pages has. iWork is a suite of apps with modest feature sets. They lack many of the conveniences of Office apps. You pay less and you get fewer features, but the ones you do get can be real gems.

Jerry

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Answer 3

murray_qeq Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 8, 2013 3:04 AM in response to Yellowbox

Hello Ian,

Thanks for your prompt response. I'm a long time Windows user myself and being a recent Mac convert naturally there are always little things you can do on one system and not the other....although Mac wins hands down IMHO. I have tried the Cut n Paste method and although it does provide a degree of accuracy it's not quite there either. But thank you for your suggestion.

Murray

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Answer 4

murray_qeq Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 8, 2013 3:06 AM in response to Jerrold Green1

Hello Jerry,

Thank you also for your prompt response. I would agree that iWork is not quite equivalent to the Office suite apps but yes there are some "real gems" as you say, that make using these apps worthwhile.

Murray

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Answer 5

Yellowbox

Level 7

21,939 points

Mar 8, 2013 3:58 AM in response to murray_qeq

Hi Murray,

can get a little tricky to move to an exact location when there are numerous bullet lists and indents.

Are you having a problem with matching styles when you drag and drop?

Pages 81-82 of the Pages'09UserGuide (Chapter 5, Working with text):

Deleting, Copying, and Pasting Text

To have the copied text retain its style formatting, choose Edit > Paste.

To have the copied text take on the style formatting of the text around it, choose Edit > “Paste and Match Style.”

Perhaps option 2 will make the pasted text match the bullets and indents. Try your Cut with and without the paragraph mark.

The User Guide can be downloaded from the Help Menu in Pages. Well worth a read

Regards,

Ian.

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Answer 6

murray_qeq Author

Level 1

10 points

Mar 17, 2013 4:08 AM in response to Yellowbox

Hi Ian,

Thanks again for yet another good suggestion. I do use this method as a workaround sometimes or for copying text between documents that have different formatting. It just doesn't appear as though there is an equivalent to what I can do in MS Word. Although having said that I'm gradually migrating all my word processing over to Pages and will one day no longer have the need to use MS Word at all. Just a feature that I found handy, but I'm quickly learning to use Pages and find it an overall better experience with less quirks than MS Word. Thanks again for posting.

Regards

Murray

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