Ordinarily the Tab key does just insert a tab character. But if you have
"Tabs and backspace set left indent" (Tools | Options | Edit in Word 2000
and earlier) or "Set left- and first-indent with tabs and backspaces" (Tools
| AutoCorrect Options | AutoFormat As You Type in Word 2002 and 2003)
enabled, then pressing Tab indents the paragraph to the first tab stop.

A better way to create a first-line indent (assuming that's what you're
after) is to drag the first-line indent button on the ruler (see
http://word.mvps.org/faqs/formatting/UsingRulers.htm) or set an indent in
the Format | Paragraph dialog. Then every time you press Enter and get a new
paragraph, it will have a first-line indent. Or you can select a style, such
as Body Text First Indent, that has this property built in.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"Robert M. Franz" wrote in message
...
Hello Jann

Jann wrote:
Thank you. What is the difference beetween a "tab" and
and "indent"? to me, the Tab is the key you press to
create an indent. So why would the Smart Tag think I'm
doing two opposite things when, to me, they are one and
the same?

To observe what the standard behaviour is for pressing the TAB
character, imagine what happens in (or open up) Notepad when you press
that button. If you do so at the beginning of a line, why yes, that
*looks* like an indent, but in effect, there's a tab-character inserted
which makes the cursor jump to the next default tab position. You see
that easily if you press TAB after having written a couple of words.

Greetings
Robert
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