[Harry Sauers]

When using (Office 2007 SP1) Word 2007 content controls, specifically nested
group content controls, I have noticed that usually the content controls have
triangles/arrows within the visible tags of the control as shown in Design
Mode (Word Developer tab Design Mode toggled on). Sometimes I have noticed
these controls do not show these triangles/arrows within their beginning and
ending tags. I have noticed these arrows disappearing from nested content
controls (content controls contained within a group content control) when
whitespace (space, newline, etc) is added or removed from the area of the
document near the contained content control and within the same parent group
content control.

When the group content control does not have these arrows, I have noticed
that it behaves differently than when it does have these arrows. For example,
I have noticed that once these arrows are no longer visible on a nested group
content control that a new paragraph (ENTER/hard return) cannot be inserted
within the group content control.

1) What is the significance or purpose of the triangles/arrows within the
visible tags of the Word 2007 content controls when design mode is enabled?
2) Why do these arrows disappear in some cases, changing the behavior of the
editor within the control?
3) What can be done to avoid this group content control state that does not
allow new lines (hard returns) to be entered?

Thanks,
Harry Sauers


Steps to reproduce this behavior:
1) In Word 2007, enable the Developer tab
2) Developer Tab Insert a plain text content control (second €œAa€� icon in
the Controls button group).
3) Toggle Design Mode on
4) Select the entire plain text content control that was just created,
including its tags.
5) Group the selection (create a group content control around the selection).
6) Select the entire group content control that was just created, including
its tags.
7) Group the selection (create another group content control around the
selection).
Note the arrows decorating the beginning and ending tags of all of the
content controls.
8) Place cursor within the outer group content control, but outside of the
inner group content controls tags. Keyboard arrow keys may be necessary for
this.
9) Enter a space in this area between the 2 group content controls closing
tags.
* The arrows of the inner group content control and its contained plain text
content control disappear.
* Hard returns (ENTER) can no longer be entered within the inner group
content control.

[Stefan Blom]

You may want to ask this question in a programming newsgroup such as
microsoft.public.word.vba.general, where you are more likely to get a
knowledgeable answer.

--
Stefan Blom
Microsoft Word MVP


"Harry Sauers" wrote:

When using (Office 2007 SP1) Word 2007 content controls, specifically nested
group content controls, I have noticed that usually the content controls have
triangles/arrows within the visible tags of the control as shown in Design
Mode (Word Developer tab Design Mode toggled on). Sometimes I have noticed
these controls do not show these triangles/arrows within their beginning and
ending tags. I have noticed these arrows disappearing from nested content
controls (content controls contained within a group content control) when
whitespace (space, newline, etc) is added or removed from the area of the
document near the contained content control and within the same parent group
content control.

When the group content control does not have these arrows, I have noticed
that it behaves differently than when it does have these arrows. For example,
I have noticed that once these arrows are no longer visible on a nested group
content control that a new paragraph (ENTER/hard return) cannot be inserted
within the group content control.

1) What is the significance or purpose of the triangles/arrows within the
visible tags of the Word 2007 content controls when design mode is enabled?
2) Why do these arrows disappear in some cases, changing the behavior of the
editor within the control?
3) What can be done to avoid this group content control state that does not
allow new lines (hard returns) to be entered?

Thanks,
Harry Sauers


Steps to reproduce this behavior:
1) In Word 2007, enable the Developer tab
2) Developer Tab Insert a plain text content control (second €œAa€� icon in
the Controls button group).
3) Toggle Design Mode on
4) Select the entire plain text content control that was just created,
including its tags.
5) Group the selection (create a group content control around the selection).
6) Select the entire group content control that was just created, including
its tags.
7) Group the selection (create another group content control around the
selection).
Note the arrows decorating the beginning and ending tags of all of the
content controls.
8) Place cursor within the outer group content control, but outside of the
inner group content controls tags. Keyboard arrow keys may be necessary for
this.
9) Enter a space in this area between the 2 group content controls closing
tags.
* The arrows of the inner group content control and its contained plain text
content control disappear.
* Hard returns (ENTER) can no longer be entered within the inner group
content control.