MS Word quick format: two interface quirks when editing citation

First quirk
1. Edit an existing citation in your Word document
2. Behind the existing citation, type something (this will trigger the select box)
3. Ctrl+Shift+Left Arrow to select what you just typed (you want to replace it)
4. Now either type your new search term or hit backspace. In both cases, not only what you just typed (and selected) is deleted, but the existing citations are wiped too!

Second quirk
1. Edit a citation, preferably one with multiple items.
2. Click on one of the cited items and add some text in the prefix field; one common case would be sth like "for more information on this topic, see "
3. Immediately the preview in the QF dialog shows the prefix text, but the QF box does not resize. The consequence is that all other refs fall out of sight. In fact it looks like they've been deleted because there may be quite some whitespace to the right of the only item left. Only if you trustingly hit enter and edit again, the dialog is sized to accomodate all info.

Obviously the desired behaviour would be to resize to accomodate content. A reasonable other solution would be to provide a visual indicator that stuff is pushed offscreen.
  • More generally, the way backspace works in the quick format can be annoying - e.g. if I mistype a page number and use backspace, it clears the whole citation:
    Say I want Smith 1776 p. 123, I select Smith, (mis)type p. 13 and then hit backspace I have to start over again.
    Not quite what mark is saying (which sounds to me like an actual bug) but seems related.
  • edited May 9, 2012
    I agree that the behaviour adamsmith describes adds to the occassional counterintuitiveness of the quick format box. Somehow the ordering of edit/select/delete processes in the quick format dialog is wrong.
  • I've documented a second quirk and changed the topic title accordingly to keep everything in one place.
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