Can't find setting

users
#1

For some reason, I am no longer able to make a series of spaces using
the space bar. After one space, pressing the space bar will not advance
the cursor. I don't remember changing anything so I have no idea where
to even begin to look for whatever setting I assume I must have changed
to cause this behavior. Can someone help me how please?

#2

For some reason, I am no longer able to make a series of spaces using the space bar. After one space, pressing the space bar will not advance the cursor.

Rejoice! This is how all word processors should work. Countable spaces exist only in Typewriterland. With proper type faces, the space between words is anything from a minimum value up to whatever is required to range across a line. The spacebar no longer represents an actual amount of space but merely indicates a word break in the text. If you need to space material differently, you do it properly - using tabs, tables, frames, or whatever.

I don't remember changing anything so I have no idea where to even begin to look for whatever setting I assume I must have changed to cause this behavior. Can someone help me how please?

Yes: forget about multiple spaces and set up proper spacing using the correct facilities of your word processor, whichever that is.

(Oh, but if you really want to fossilize in Typewriterland in the previous millennium, go to Tools | AutoCorrect Options... | Options and remove the tick from "Ignore double spaces". And hang your head in shame.)

;^)

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

#3

Brian Barker wrote:

Rejoice! This is how all word processors should work. Countable
spaces exist only in Typewriterland. With proper type faces, the
space between words is anything from a minimum value up to whatever is
required to range across a line. The spacebar no longer represents an
actual amount of space but merely indicates a word break in the text.
If you need to space material differently, you do it properly - using
tabs, tables, frames, or whatever.

I have long been in the habit of putting a double space between
sentences. I learned that in a typing class, IIRC. What's the proper
proceedure in LO?

#4

The typographic standard is to only use one space between sentences with proportionally spaced fonts. However, if you use a fixed-width font, like Courier, then using two spaces is appropriate. But, you should only use a fixed-width font if you are required to by some outside party.

Virgil

#5

Hi :slight_smile:
That is not really something defined by the word-processor.

I think current fashion is to use a single space to make it less obvious where a new sentence begins and thus mke it marginally more difficult to read.  I still tend to use 2 spaces.  Doubtless, fashion will change back to the way you&i learned, or maybe go to a new paragraph per sentence as i have seen some people do in mainstream articles.

End of sentences is not really what Brian was talking about.  I'm sure you have seen tables and all sorts of things that are obviously meant to be lined up but somehow end up raggedy. 
Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

#6

I remember reading several years ago that the double spaces are no longer needed because the software "knows" to adjust the spacing. So I would say that with the modern text editors, the proper procedure would be to just use a single space and let the software handle the spacing. If you forget and use a double space, well, I guess the software will handle that too. :wink:

Ruth Ann, Cincinnati, OH USA

#7

Only on rare occasion do I have need for formal writing in a word
processor. Basically, the juice ain't worth the squeeze for me to
create tabs, etc. just for a quick note or message. Having said that, I
can certainly see where an administrative assistant or person having a
similar job would have need of more formal and standardized formatting.

And thanks again for the setting information.

#8

Virgil Arrington wrote:

The typographic standard is to only use one space between sentences
with proportionally spaced fonts.

In the old hand set type (which I have worked with) there were different
width spaces (en & em quads), depending on where they were used.
Typically, an en quad was used between words and an em quad between
sentences. The names refer to the width of upper case N and M
characters. So, the space between words was as wide as an N and between
sentences, an M. There were also wider ones, such as double M and
triple M. Typesetting machines, such as the Linotype also had provision
for different width spaces.

#9

Ruth Ann wrote:

I remember reading several years ago that the double spaces are no
longer needed because the software "knows" to adjust the spacing. So I
would say that with the modern text editors, the proper procedure
would be to just use a single space and let the software handle the
spacing. If you forget and use a double space, well, I guess the
software will handle that too. :wink:

So, how would it tell the difference between the end of a sentence,
terminated with a period and a sentence containing a period used as part
of an abbreviation such as "Dr." or "etc."?

#10

Tom Davies wrote:

I think current fashion is to use a single space to make it less obvious where a new sentence begins and thus mke it marginally more difficult to read. I still tend to use 2 spaces. Doubtless, fashion will change back to the way you&i learned, or maybe go to a new paragraph per sentence as i have seen some people do in mainstream articles.

There have been many occasions when I have struggled to read something
where proper sentence and paragraph form (not to mention spelling and
punctuation) were not followed. There's a reason for such structures
and that is to make it easier to read and comprehend things.

#11

Having just spent several weeks learning all about Object Oriented Programming, I would answer that by saying it should not matter how it can tell the difference, but only that it does. :wink:

#12

Well, that's what someone decided, and it is the standard for HTML, but it still is not universally accepted. A double space, whatever minimal width the space is, makes it clear that a sentence has ended. There is an obvious difference from a single space following an abbreviation, for example. I don't expect a word processor to eliminate extra spaces (and I long ago disabled that "correction").

Dave

#13

Which would be fine, but it doesn't.

Dave

#14

Umm!! No Dave, that's what thousands of years of language and millions of literary academics and scholars, since time of man to present decided on in language standards, especially as we are referring to here, the English language.

Nothing to do with just HTML, a computer born programming language and not a literary language. The single space IS universally accepted as the norm for correct spacing in whatever medium we are writing / typing / printing in. It's what individuals do and teach incorrectly, but unchallenged on the whole, in adding double spaces between sentences. What one does and what is a standard is two different things.

Regards

Andrew Brown

#15

I got my information from Robert Bringhurst's book "The Elements of Typographic Style."

I have noticed that older books from the 19th century had wider spacing after sentence ending punctuation. Newer books, say from the mid 20th century on, seem to have narrower spacing between sentences.

Virgil

#16

Ruth,

I think you may be right about digital typesetting programs like LaTeX. By default, it automatically inserts a wider space after sentence ending punctuation. This can be disabled with the \frenchspacing command.

However, word processors, like LO, aren't as smart. I don't believe they make any adjustments after sentence ending punctuation. I think most typographic experts would recommend using only one space when preparing a document with a word processor and proportionally spaced type.

Virgil

#17

Andrew Brown wrote:

on in language standards, especially as we are referring to here, the
English language.

Nothing to do with just HTML, a computer born programming language and
not a literary language. The single space IS universally accepted as
the norm for correct spacing in whatever medium we are writing /
typing / printing in. It's what individuals do and teach incorrectly,
but unchallenged on the whole, in adding double spaces between
sentences. What one does and what is a standard is two different things.

A wider space between sentences more clearly delineates the sentence and
makes it easier to read.

#18

When I was learning such things back in the 1960s and 70s, a single space between sentences would have been marked as wrong. Things do have a way of constantly changing (evolving or deteriorating, depending on your opinion), but I still stick to the two-space standard after the sentence. I think that makes things more readable, and I believe readability should be the paramount goal.

-- Tim Deaton

#19

An interesting observation Virgil.

When I went to school, mind you it was several lifetimes ago and in the backwoods of the Australian outback so it may not be too relevant to anywhere else on the planet but, I was told to always leave a double space at the end of every sentence. That was with hand writing, before typewriters were invented, at least there were none within several hundred miles of where I grew up.
These days with modern word processors I just don't bother to even try and insert two spaces at the end of sentences but I suppose I should, it certainly looks nicer and may even be proper.
It would be nice if modern word processors at least provided the option of a setting to do this automatically. Perhaps it should be the default setting.

(please note no double spaces used in this text)

Cheers all,

Bruce Carlson

#20

But that would have been on a real typewriter - or at least with a teacher who had yet to emigrate from Typewriterland.

Brian Barker