Please note : This help page is not for the latest version of Enterprise Architect. The latest help can be found here.

Format Paragraphs

When you create a document template or document the default paragraph styles are already defined, as they are derived directly from the Normal.rtf style template file. Within the document you can edit any of these paragraph styles or apply individual formatting to text blocks as you wish.

Each formatting option operates on the current paragraph, or on a highlighted block of text.

Access    Select options from the menu bar at the top of the Document Editor window, or right-click within either:
 
                 -  The Content panel of the Document Template Designer or
                 -  The text area of the document

Paragraph formatting options

To

Action

See also

Clear all paragraph formatting

Select the Paragraph | Normal menu option.

All paragraph formatting applied whilst you have been within the file is removed.

 

 

Set text flow in document

To set the text flow for:

·A highlighted block of text, select the Paragraph | Text Flow menu option;  the Paragraph Text Flow dialog displays
·The entire document, select the Edit | Document Text Flow menu option;  the Document Text Flow dialog displays
 

In either case, select the required text flow direction and click on the OK button. The options are:

·Left to right
·Right to left
·Default
 

The Default action depends on the language setting of the system; for example, if the system language is Hebrew or Chinese, the default text flow is right to left.

 

 

Center text

Select the Paragraph | Center menu option, or press Alt+8.

 

 

Right-justify text

Select the Paragraph | Right Justify menu option, or press Alt+9.

 

 

Justify both sides of text

 

Select the Paragraph | Justify Both menu option.

 

Indent paragraph left

Select the Paragraph | Indent Left menu option, or press Alt+L.

Select the option again to increase the indent.

To reduce or cancel the indent, click on the Indent Left icon on the lower toolbar above the text area.

 

 

Indent paragraph right

Select the Paragraph | Indent Right menu option or press Alt+R.

Select the option again to increase the indent.

 

 

Create hanging indent

Select the Paragraph | Hanging Indent menu option or press Alt+T.

Select the option again to increase the indent of all lines below the first.

 

 

Keep paragraph lines together

Select the Paragraph | Keep Together menu option.

The editor attempts to keep all lines within the paragraph on the same page.

 

 

Keep paragraphs together

Select the Paragraph | Keep with Next menu option.

The editor attempts to keep the last line of the current paragraph and the first line of the next paragraph on the same page.

 

 

Prevent 'widow' and 'orphan' lines

Select the Paragraph | Widow/Orphan Control menu option.

The editor attempts to avoid having:

·the first line of the paragraph on the previous page ('widow' line)
·the last line of the paragraph on the next page ('orphan' line)

 

 

Start text on new page

Move the cursor to the point at which to start the new page, and select the Paragraph | Page Break Before menu option.

 

 

Insert border and shading for text block

Select the Paragraph | Border and Shading menu option.

The Paragraph Box Parameters dialog displays, on which you specify:

·which sides of the box to display (including a line between text lines)
·whether the lines are thick or doubled
·the degree of gray shading behind the text
·the color of the lines

 

 

Define line spacing

Select the Paragraph | Paragraph Spacing menu option.

The Paragraph Spacing Parameters dialog displays, on which you specify the line spacing and the point spacing before and after lines.

Alternatively, to just set double line spacing, select the Paragraph | Double Space menu option.

 

 

Set a background color for text space

Select the Paragraph | Background Color menu option.

The Color dialog displays, on which you select the background color.

The editor highlights the full width of the page in that color, for the selected lines.

 

 

Create a bulleted list

Select the Paragraph | Bullet menu option.

The editor formats the lines into a simple bullet list.

If you want to indent the list (or a part of it) further, select the Paragraph | Increase Level menu option. If you have increased the indent but now want to decrease it, select the Paragraph | Decrease Level option.

 

 

Create a numbered list

Highlight the required lines of text and select the Paragraph | Numbering menu option.

The editor formats the lines into a simple numbered list.

To create multiple-level numbered lists, see the entry below.

 

 

Apply numbering to paragraphs

(Used in the Document Template Editor.)

1.Set up a numbering list and overrides (Edit | List and Overrides).
2.Apply the numbering levels to the template sections (Paragraph | List Numbering).
 

Apply User-Defined Section Numbering

Set the list characters

When you have set up your bulleted or numbered list elements, you can toggle between the list character options using the drop-down arrow icon just to the left of the bullet list icon on the lower toolbar of the document template editor.

When you click on this icon, you are prompted to select between a single-level list format and a multiple-level list format. When you select one of these options, you then make a further selection between:

·Single-level: Arabic numerals, Roman numerals, Upper-case letters of the alphabet and lower-case letters
·Multiple-level: Arabic numerals, Roman numerals and bullet symbols
 

 

Apply a paragraph style from the template stylesheet

Select the Paragraph | Style menu option.

The Select a Style dialog displays, listing the currently-defined paragraph styles in the template stylesheet.

Select the required style and click on the OK button.

 

Styles, Special Text & Table of Contents

Learn more