Watch that Formatting

September 1, 2004
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‘- Warning About using Copy and Paste with the eRules Rule Analysis Forms
A rule filer called this evening with a problem. Seems someone else in the office prepared a well-written, nicely formatted word processing document in response to the questions asked on the Rule Analysis form. This document used styles, bulleted lists, hard returns, and other formatting. Our rule filer then selected text from the formatted document, copied its content, and pasted it into the box on the Rule Analysis.

Expecting a string of plain text, eRules didn’t know how to process the formatting codes that were part of the pasted document. As a result of these codes, eRules returned an error message screen.

Moral: If you copy and paste text from a word processing document into the eRules form, make certain that the text is not formatted with styles, bulleted lists, and the like. Also, make certain that you have already turned off the “AutoCorrect” or “QuickCorrect” features of your word processor, as they insert non-standard codes as well. Instructions to turn off Word’s AutoCorrect functions are available at http://www.rules.utah.gov/main/index.php?module=Pagesetter&func=viewpub&tid=1&pid=29.

– Completing the Rule Analysis
When completing the Rule Analysis form, please do not use hard returns (paragraph marks), just let the text wrap. Hard returns do not print when the form is printed from eRules. The hard returns have to be removed before the Bulletin is published.

– Text Formatting
Please do not use headers and footers, page numbers, and line numbers in the rule text filed with the Division. The text may be returned to you for reformatting.