Microsoft Word 2010 : Working with Outlines - Creating a Standard Outline

The easiest way to create an outline is by beginning in Outline view. Choose View > Document Views > Outline or just click the Outline view icon located on the status bar. While in Outline view, you see a new tab at the beginning of the Ribbon. The Outlining tab is designed to assist you in creating your outline (see Figure 1). The Outlining tab also allows you to display different outline detail levels and reorganize your outline.

Figure 1. The Outlining tab on the Ribbon.

Generating Headings

On a blank document screen in Outline view, you see a small circle with a minus sign. Next to the circle is your blinking insertion point where you begin entering your headings.

Word considers the first line of text you type in an outline to be a Level 1 heading, the top-most level. Word uses styles to track outline headings and subheadings, and a Level 1 heading is a style. Type the first line of your outline and then press the Enter key, which moves the insertion point to the next line. Type the second line of your outline. Notice from the Outlining tab that the text still appears as a Level 1 heading. Continue entering your main topic headings as needed. Level 1 headings are formatted with the Heading 1 Quick Style. 

When you want to create subheadings, use the Tab key to indent the text. Word automatically assigns a Level 2 heading. Each time you press the Tab key, Word creates a lower level subheading. A Word outline can contain up to nine different heading levels. Again, Word automatically assigns a Quick Style to your subheadings. Word uses Heading 2 styles for a Level 2 heading, Heading 3 for a Level 3 heading, and so forth.

When you need to return to a higher level, press the Shift+Tab keys. Figure 2 illustrates a sample document outline with two different heading levels.

Figure 2. A sample outline.

Creating Body Text

If you want to add text to your outline that isn't really an outline heading, you create body text. Typically, body text elaborates more on the outline level heading directly above it. You create body text by using the Outlining tab.

Type the text you want as body text and click the Demote to Body Text button. See Figure 3 for an example of body text.

Figure 3. An outline with body text.

If you enter your text in Outline view and switch to Draft or Print Layout view, the text retains its Heading styles unless you switch it to body text which uses a Normal style. If you type text in Draft or Print Layout view, and then switch to Outline view, Word assigns a Body Text level to the text you typed in the other views.

Viewing the Outline

While in Outline view, you can expand or collapse the various levels to view only the portions you want to see. For example, you can view upper-level headings only to get an overview of the entire document, thereby helping you further organize your thoughts. Additionally, you can turn the formatting display on or off. Word includes several areas on the Outlining tab to assist you with viewing your outline.

• On the outline body, double-click a Heading button that looks like a circle with a plus sign in it (called an Expand and Collapse icon). If the Heading button has a minus sign, there are no subheadings or body text under that heading; however, a plus sign indicates additional items. Word collapses the body text and subheadings of the first level below the currently selected heading, or, if the heading is already collapsed, Word expands the first heading level below the currently selected heading. Each double-click will collapse or expand additional headings.

• From the Outline Tools group on the Outlining tab, click the Show Level down arrow, which displays a drop-down list of heading options. Select a level, and Word displays only the headings at the level you chose and those that are higher. For example, as shown in Figure 4, if you select Show Level 2, both Level 1 and Level 2 headings appear but not body text or any Level 3 headings.

Figure 4. Displaying only the levels you want to view.

• Choose Outlining > Outline Tools > Show First Line Only. The outline display toggles between displaying all the body text or only the first line of each body text paragraph. (See Figure 5.) In lengthier documents, you don’t have to scroll through pages of text to keep your overall perspective. Show First Line Only applies only to body text. If your headings have multiple lines, Word still displays them in their entirety.

Figure 5. Show only the first line of each paragraph.

• Choose Outlining > Outline Tools > Show Text Formatting. The Outline view toggles between displaying the outline with or without character formatting. When viewed without character formatting, you can see more of your document on a page. Figure 6 illustrates the outline without text formatting.

Figure 6. Viewing an unformatted outline.

Reorganizing the Outline

Most of us, when typing the main points we want to relay in a document, will change our minds several times. You determine you should point out Topic B before you mention Topic A. That’s okay because it’s very quick and easy to reorganize your outline.

Promoting or Demoting Headings

A Level 1 heading is the highest level in an outline, and a Level 9 heading is the lowest. You have a choice of using the click-and-drag method of moving headings (and body text) or using the buttons on the Outlining tab. Use any of the following methods to promote or demote your headings:

• Place the insertion point anywhere in the line you want to promote and click the Promote button or press Shift+Tab. You either click the Promote button or press Shift+Tab for each level you want to promote the text. If you want to demote the heading to a lower level, place the insertion point anywhere in the line and click the Demote button or press the Tab key.

• Click anywhere in the line you want to change and click the Current Outline Level drop-down list and choose from the resulting list shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7. Choosing a new level.

• Click the Expand and Collapse icon for the level you want to move. Word highlights the text. Drag the Expand and Collapse icon left or right in the outline. As you drag the mouse, a gray line appears, as shown in Figure 8. Release the mouse when the line indicates the level to which you want the text moved.

Figure 8. Dragging text to a new level.

Moving Levels Up or Down

As you organize your thoughts and ideas in an outline, you might change your mind and want to cover a topic earlier than originally planned. You can move selected headings along with any associated subheadings and body text up or down to any location in your outline. Click the Heading icon of the section you want to move and either click the Move Up button or click the Move Down button.

The selected section moves up or down one line with each click of the button.

Optionally, click the Expand and Collapse icon for the level you want to move. Word highlights the text. Drag the Expand and Collapse icon up or down the outline. As you drag the mouse, a gray line appears, as shown in Figure 9. Release the mouse when the line indicates where you want the text moved.

Figure 9. Moving text up or down the outline.