* Layout: a word after a slash wraps whole, like Word (#2963) UAX #14 (LB13) forbids a break between a space and a slash, and the break after a slash is dropped on purpose (Word keeps "and/or" whole). Together "caption /word" had no break opportunity at all, so a line too short for both filled letter by letter and split the word. Add the break before a slash that follows whitespace and starts a word. Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com> * Layout: no break before a slash after a no-break space (#2963) The break before a slash word took any whitespace, U+00A0, U+2007 and U+202F included, so "Nr. /12" could wrap after the no-break space. Only a breakable space counts now. The parity checklist lists the rule on its own row as untested against Word. Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com> * Layout: test the slash word in a fixed-width table cell (#2963) The report came from a table cell, where the cell's own width is the line width. Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com> * Docs: gaps and typing parity for the slash-word break (#2963) Doc wording taken from #2994 (maxm11), with the test names of this PR. Co-Authored-By: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com> --------- Co-authored-by: Claude (ThinkSystem) <claude@thinksystem.local> Co-authored-by: Claude <noreply@anthropic.com>
45 KiB
Typing parity with Word
Last reviewed: 2026-10-11 · Last updated: 2026-10-18 · Change: trivial (a slash opening a word travels whole to the next line, #2963; previously trivial: typing over a selection takes the first selected character's formatting, also when the selection was made right to left, #2879; previously trivial: Turkish and Azerbaijani case mapping in AutoCorrect, #1923; previously trivial: smart quotes in Hebrew pinned: logical order, ” in acronyms as in Word, #1670; previously trivial: Backspace on a selected table, rows or columns deletes them, Delete clears them, #1844; previously trivial: typed text takes its direction from its own letters, #1543; previously trivial: an input method's request to erase text around the caret is honoured, so web typing in Cyrillic and other non-Latin text no longer repeats, #1480; previously trivial:
-->AutoCorrect replacement, #2223; previously trivial: a heading-list preset keeps Heading styles and makes other paragraphs Heading 1, as in Word, #1793; previously trivial: numbered headings: a heading-linked Multilevel List numbers new headings by their style; numbering keeps a heading a heading, #1793; previously trivial: reversing an automatic capital adds an exception, #1857; previously trivial: smart quotes open after guillemets and low quotes and nest; previously trivial: Enter on an empty list item numbered by its paragraph style moves it up a level, #2143; previously trivial: Backspace after a section break and Delete before it remove the break, also on the last paragraph, #2127; previously trivial: a table inserted in right-to-left text is right to left, so Tab moves left, #2634; previously trivial: Shift+Delete cuts the selection on every platform, #1669; previously trivial: Select All then Delete removes a table the document starts with, #1198; previously trivial: Alt+numpad character codes, #961; previously trivial: Down and Up from a line start beside a table go into it, #1007; previously trivial: sample-text formulas on Enter, #1067; previously trivial: Track Changes: Accept All after a tracked delete from a paragraph end keeps the next paragraph; Reject All after typing into an empty paragraph keeps it (#864); previously minor: Correct TWo INitial CApitals, cAPS LOCK and table-cell capitals, #544; previously trivial: complex-script caret and Backspace, #604; Move Paragraph Up/Down, Promote/Demote, Go Back and Alt+X keys, #343) · Target: Microsoft Word (Microsoft 365) for Mac 16.113.4
What Word does when you type, observed black-box (same keystrokes typed into Word and
WordCraft, results read back paragraph by paragraph) and pinned by tests in
crates/engine/src/tests_typing.rs. When typing behaviour changes, change it here and in the
tests together. Line breaking and pagination are in layout-parity.md; the
overall picture is in target-app-parity.md.
Sample text (#1067)
Enter at the end of a paragraph containing exactly =rand() or =lorem() replaces
the formula with five paragraphs of three sentences and leaves the caret in a following
empty paragraph. =rand(p) / =lorem(p) set the paragraph count; (p,s) sets both
counts. WordCraft accepts integers from 1 to 200 for each count; if either parameter
is invalid or outside that range, both revert to 5/3. Other text, a selection or Enter
inside the formula follows ordinary Enter behaviour. The English text is original to
WordCraft; lorem ipsum uses traditional pseudo-Latin. This implements the issue's
requested defaults; the exact numerical limits have not been compared in Word.
The replacement and its paragraph breaks are one undo step. Typing and paragraph
formatting use the existing editing primitives. Tests: sample_text_formulas_expand_on_enter,
sample_text_invalid_parameters_use_defaults, sample_text_requires_an_exact_paragraph_and_caret_at_end,
sample_text_preserves_typing_and_paragraph_formatting, sample_text_replacement_tracks_changes.
Lists
| Keys | Word's result | Test |
|---|---|---|
* item Enter Enter text |
the second Enter ends the list; text is a Normal paragraph (no list indent left behind) |
enter_twice_after_a_list_item_ends_the_list, the_paragraph_after_a_list_is_normal_text |
| … Enter ×3, ×4 | each further Enter adds a blank Normal paragraph (never swallowed) | more_enters_after_a_list_make_blank_paragraphs |
| Enter on an empty nested item | moves it up one level; only a top-level empty item leaves the list. The same when the list comes from the paragraph style (List Number 2 in a Word file, #2143) | enter_on_an_empty_nested_item_moves_it_up_a_level_first, enter_on_an_empty_item_numbered_by_its_style_moves_it_up_a_level |
* Enter (nothing typed) |
list cancelled, Normal paragraph | enter_right_after_starting_a_list_cancels_it |
| Tab / Shift+Tab at the start of an item | demote / promote | shift_tab_and_tab_change_list_levels |
| Backspace at the start of an item | 1st: number removed, indent kept; 2nd: Normal paragraph — not joined to the one above | backspace_at_the_start_of_an_item_removes_the_number_then_the_indent |
| Enter mid-item / at item start | splits the item / inserts an empty item above | enter_in_the_middle_or_at_the_start_of_an_item |
| Shift+Enter in an item | line break inside the same item | shift_enter_stays_inside_the_list_item |
Paste: Keep Text Only A, empty line, B into an empty item |
three paragraphs A, empty, B: pasted paragraph breaks are text, not Enter (they never end the list) |
plain_text_paste_keeps_an_empty_paragraph_in_a_list |
* - 1. 1) a. a) A. i. I. + text |
bullet, dash bullet, 1. 1) a. a) A. i. I. lists | list_autoformat_triggers |
> -> => + text |
bulleted list with an arrow bullet (➢ ➔ ⇨; Word takes them from a symbol font, we use the Unicode arrows) ¹ | arrow_bullets |
1. after other text |
a new list restarting at 1 (never continues an earlier list) | typing_1_dot_starts_numbering_again |
Heading 1 One, Heading 2 Two, Heading 1 Three, the caret in Three, Multilevel List › the "1 / 1.1 / 1.1.1" heading list, then at the end Enter, Heading 2, Four Enter Body |
One = 1, Two = 1.1, Three = 2, styles kept; the new Heading 2 is numbered 2.1 by itself (the heading styles carry the list); Body (Normal) stays unnumbered |
a_new_heading_after_a_heading_linked_list_is_numbered |
| Numbering on a Heading 1 | "1. One", still Heading 1 | numbering_a_heading_keeps_the_heading_style |
| The "1 / 1.1 / 1.1.1" heading list with a caret or a selection | paragraphs already in a Heading style keep their style and level; every other paragraph style (Normal, Quote, Title…) becomes Heading 1. One H1 / Body / Two H2 → 1, Body H1 "2", Two H2 "2.1"; Two H2 + Three H3 with no Heading 1 above → 1.1, 1.1.1; caret in a Heading 2 → stays Heading 2 "1.1"; Normal alone → Heading 1 "1" (checked in Word for Mac, 2026-10-16) | a_heading_preset_keeps_headings_and_makes_other_paragraphs_heading_1, a_heading_preset_on_a_lone_normal_paragraph_makes_it_heading_1 |
| Undo after a heading list | one step: paragraph styles and the heading styles' numbers come back | undo_takes_a_heading_preset_back_in_one_step |
| A paragraph whose numbering was switched off, then Heading 2 from a heading-linked list | numbered (1.1) by the style | applying_a_numbered_heading_style_numbers_the_paragraph |
1. typed in a Heading 1 (also a) in a Heading 2, 1. in a Subtitle) |
numbered, the style kept; only body text becomes List Paragraph (checked in Word for Mac, 2026-10-15) | typing_1_dot_in_a_heading_keeps_the_heading_style |
| ⌘Z right after an AutoFormat | undoes only the AutoFormat (* comes back as text) |
undo_right_after_autoformat_undoes_only_the_autoformat |
Undo
| Keys | Word's result | Test |
|---|---|---|
| type, select some of it, type over it | two undo steps: the first ⌘Z brings the selected text back (still selected), the second removes the typing. Uninterrupted typing stays one step | typing_then_selecting_then_typing_are_two_undo_steps |
| ⌘B with nothing selected, ⌘Z, type | the text isn't bold (Undo takes the waiting caret formatting back too); ⌘Y brings it back | undoing_bold_at_the_caret_turns_bold_typing_off_again |
Paste
| Keys | Word's result | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Paste (⌘V) of plain text with several lines from another program, in the middle of a right-to-left paragraph | pasted as Keep Text Only pastes it: every line becomes a paragraph formatted like the paragraph it lands in (direction, style, alignment, indents, list), and so does the text after the caret. One ⌘Z takes the whole paste out ² | plain_text_paste_gives_every_line_the_formatting_of_its_paragraph |
| … with empty lines, or a line break at the end | each empty line is an empty paragraph with that formatting too, in a list an empty item. The text takes the formatting before the caret (bold there makes it bold) ² | plain_text_paste_keeps_empty_lines_as_paragraphs, plain_text_paste_keeps_an_empty_paragraph_in_a_list |
² From Microsoft's description of the paste options: Word offers no options for text without formatting, and Keep Text Only gives text the style of the paragraph where it is pasted and the formatting of the text before the cursor. Not yet compared side by side in Word.
Track Changes
| Keys | Word's result | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Enter (tracking on) | the new paragraph mark is a tracked insertion; Reject All joins the paragraphs again, Accept All keeps them | tracked_enter_and_backspace_track_the_paragraph_mark, tests::reject_all_removes_a_tracked_paragraph_break |
| Paste of several paragraphs (tracking on) | every paragraph mark the paste adds is a tracked insertion; Reject All restores the one paragraph, Accept All keeps the pasted ones | reject_all_takes_out_the_paragraph_breaks_a_tracked_paste_inserted |
| Backspace at a paragraph start / Delete at a paragraph end (tracking on) | the paragraph mark is marked deleted (still shown); the caret moves before it (Backspace) or past it (Delete). Accept joins the paragraphs, Reject keeps them. A mark you inserted yourself is just removed | tracked_enter_and_backspace_track_the_paragraph_mark, tests::tracked_backspace_and_delete_mark_a_paragraph_break_deleted |
| Delete a range from the end of one paragraph into a later one (tracking on) | the paragraph marks and text in the range are tracked deletions. Accept All removes exactly those, so the paragraph after the range stays a paragraph of its own; Reject All restores everything. Typing into an empty paragraph and rejecting leaves that paragraph | tests::accept_all_after_a_tracked_delete_from_a_paragraph_end_keeps_the_next_paragraph, tests::reject_all_after_typing_into_an_empty_paragraph_keeps_the_paragraph |
| Backspace just after a section break / Delete just before it | the break goes and the two paragraphs join; the text before it takes the following section's page setup (Word's documented behaviour: a break holds the setup of the section before it); headers and footers the following section showed by linking to the previous one stay. Delete at the end of the last paragraph removes a break on its mark too, with no paragraph to join (with Track Changes on it still does nothing there). Undo brings the break back. Breaks read from a .docx and breaks inserted here alike (#2127) | backspace_and_delete_remove_a_section_break, delete_removes_a_section_break_on_the_last_paragraph |
| Select All, then Delete or Backspace | the whole document goes, tables included, also when it starts with a table; one empty paragraph is left | select_all_then_delete_removes_tables |
| Backspace / Delete with a whole table selected (Select Table, or every cell dragged over) | Backspace removes the table, like Delete Table (one undo step; with tracking on its text is marked deleted and the structure stays); the caret goes to the paragraph after it. Delete clears the cells and keeps the table. A nested table goes on its own and leaves the cell's paragraph; a table that was the only block leaves one empty paragraph | backspace_with_the_whole_table_selected_removes_the_table, delete_with_the_whole_table_selected_clears_the_cells_and_keeps_the_table, backspace_on_a_selected_nested_table_removes_only_it, backspace_on_a_selected_table_that_is_the_only_block_leaves_an_empty_paragraph, tracked_backspace_on_a_selected_table_marks_its_text_deleted_like_delete_table |
| Backspace / Delete with a table and the paragraph before or after it selected | both remove the table, whatever end the selection starts in; the text around joins. Any table the selection covers whole goes, at any nesting level | delete_or_backspace_with_the_table_and_the_paragraph_after_selected_removes_the_table, delete_or_backspace_with_the_paragraph_before_and_the_table_selected_removes_the_table |
| Backspace / Delete with whole rows or columns selected | Backspace deletes the rows or columns (Delete Rows / Delete Columns); Delete clears their cells. One selected cell is just that cell, also in a one-row or one-column table: Backspace clears it. Differs: in a 1×1 table, Select Cell then Backspace removes the table (WordCraft has no end-of-row mark to tell the cell from the whole table; the end-of-row caret position is still missing, #1844) | backspace_deletes_selected_rows_and_delete_clears_them, backspace_deletes_selected_columns_and_delete_clears_them, backspace_on_one_selected_cell_of_a_one_row_or_one_column_table_clears_it; delete_range edge cases: edit::tests::a_range_ending_at_the_end_of_a_cell_that_isnt_the_last_keeps_the_table and five more (other tables, nested tables, story ends, headers and footnotes, content controls, nesting past the paragraph walk) |
| Table Layout › Delete Table / Rows / Columns / Cells (tracking on) | like Word deleting a selected table: the cells' text is marked deleted and the table structure stays (WordCraft has no tracked row or column deletion, w:trPr/w:del, so rows and columns keep their cells too, where Word's Accept removes the rows); text you inserted yourself is just removed; Reject All restores the text. A table, row or column with no text at all (empty, or its deletion already accepted) is removed as with tracking off; one whose text is all already marked deleted is left alone with a message (accept or reject first). Delete Columns leaves a merged cell that also spans a kept column alone (it narrows, keeping its text). A content control locked against deletion, or content locked against editing, refuses the delete with tracking on or off |
tests_revision_checks::tracked_table_delete_marks_the_text_deleted_and_reject_all_restores_it, tracked_row_column_and_cell_deletes_mark_their_text_deleted, tracked_table_delete_over_tracked_insertions_rejects_back_to_the_original, table_deletes_refuse_a_control_locked_against_deletion, tracked_delete_table_removes_a_table_with_no_live_text, delete_columns_leaves_a_merged_cell_that_keeps_a_column_alone, tracked_row_and_column_deletes_over_tracked_changes_reject_back_to_the_original |
| Change Case (Shift+F3, Home › Aa) (tracking on) | Word shows no insertion or deletion markup (checked with Formatting markup set to none, so Word may record it as a hidden formatting revision). Differs: WordCraft records the changed letters as a tracked deletion of the old and insertion of the new, since case isn't a run property a formatting revision could hold; Reject All restores the old case, Accept All keeps the new. Your own tracked insertion is rewritten in place; already-deleted text is left alone and doesn't count (with tracking off too), so changing case again (or Shift+F3) works from the visible text. Refused in content locked against editing | tests_revision_checks::tracked_change_case_rejects_back_to_the_original_case, tracked_change_case_of_own_insertion_stays_an_insertion, tracked_change_case_twice_reads_only_the_live_text, tracked_change_case_handles_sharp_s_and_mixed_formatting, change_case_refuses_content_locked_against_editing |
| Unlink Fields (Ctrl+Shift+F9) (tracking on) | not tracked, like Word: the field's result stays as ordinary text. Refused in content locked against editing | tests_revision_checks::tracked_unlink_keeps_the_result_as_plain_text, unlink_refuses_a_field_in_content_locked_against_editing |
Editing keys
Word's documented keyboard behaviour (Microsoft's shortcut list, feature names only); the Windows/Linux keys are given first, macOS second.
| Keys | Word's result | Test |
|---|---|---|
| select text right to left (from its end), type | the new text takes the first selected character's formatting (font, size…), as with a selection made left to right; not the text's before it (#2879) | typing_over_backward_selection_keeps_its_font |
| Down / Up (↓ / ↑) from a line beside a table | into the table's nearest row: the cell under the caret, or the nearest one when the caret is left or right of the cells' text (the start of the line above a table is left of the first cell's text); never past the table to the paragraph beyond it | down_and_up_from_a_line_start_beside_a_table_go_into_it |
| Alt+Shift+Up / Down (⌃⇧↑ / ⌃⇧↓) | the paragraphs the selection touches swap with the paragraph above / below, keeping style and list membership; the selection moves with them; one undo step. A selection ending at the start of a paragraph doesn't take it along. Refused at the top or bottom of the story or cell, next to a table and across a section break | alt_shift_down_then_up_moves_a_paragraph_and_back_and_undoes |
| Alt+Shift+Left / Right (⌃⇧← / ⌃⇧→) | Promote / Demote: a heading goes up or down one level (Heading 1 and Heading 9 are the ends); promoted body text becomes a heading at the level of the heading before it; a list item changes level like Shift+Tab / Tab | alt_shift_left_and_right_promote_and_demote_headings_and_list_items |
| Outline view: Alt+Shift+Up / Down, Left / Right | as above, but a collapsed heading takes what is hidden under it along: moving passes whole shown paragraphs with their hidden content; promote/demote shifts the hidden subheadings too | outline_collapse_hides_descendants_and_expand_restores |
| Outline view: Alt+Shift+Plus / Minus, Alt+Shift+1–9, Alt+Shift+A | Expand / Collapse the heading (one level at a time); Show Level 1–9; show all levels. The caret never stays in hidden text: it moves on to the next shown paragraph | outline_show_level_filters_paragraphs |
| Ctrl+Left / Right (⌥← / ⌥→); Home / End (⌘← / ⌘→) | one word left / right; the start / end of the line. On macOS ⌘← / ⌘→ go to the line's ends, as in every Mac text field, and ⌥ moves by word (#954); Shift extends the selection | word_default_shortcuts_resolve |
| Shift+F5 | Go Back: the caret cycles through the last four places edited, most recent first | shift_f5_goes_back_through_the_last_edits |
| Alt+X (no macOS default) | the hex code before the caret (up to six digits, U+ optional) or the selected code becomes its character; otherwise the character before the caret becomes its code (é ↔ 00E9); one undo step |
alt_x_toggles_between_a_character_and_its_code |
| Shift+Backspace / Shift+Delete | Shift+Backspace erases like Backspace (#707). Shift+Delete cuts the selection to the clipboard and does nothing without one (Word for Windows, observed 2026-10-14). Windows delivers Shift+Delete as a Cut; macOS and Linux deliver the key, which did nothing (#1669) | shift_delete_cuts_the_selection_and_shift_backspace_erases |
| Alt+numpad code (Windows and Linux; not macOS) | hold Alt, type a decimal code, release Alt: the character appears at the caret as typed text (one undo step). With a leading 0 the code is the ANSI code page — Windows-1252 by default (0233 → é, 0128 → €); without one, 1–255 is the OEM code page — 437 by default and in US English (233 → Θ, 1 → ☺, 7 → •), 850 for Western European locales and English outside the US (155 → ø; 233 is Ú there, per the CP850 mapping file — é is 130 in both). On Windows the system locale picks both pages (text.typeCode ansi/oem): Central European 1250/852 (Polish 0185 and 165 → ą), Cyrillic 1251/866, Greek 1253/737, Turkish 1254/857, and for codes up to 255 the character Windows composes itself replaces ours (it knows every code page, double-byte ones too); Linux keeps 1252 and 437/850. Above 255, with or without the 0, the Unicode character with that decimal value (8364 → €). Control characters, 0, unassigned bytes and values past Unicode type nothing; auto-repeat of a held digit adds nothing, and switching windows drops a half-typed code. Word counts only keypad digits; egui reports keypad and top-row digits alike, so top-row digits with Alt alone compose codes too. An Alt code never opens KeyTips |
alt_numpad_codes_map_like_word_on_windows, alt_numpad_code_types_one_character, ui-egui alt_numpad_code_types_its_character_without_keytips |
| Shift+Right (⇧→) at the end of a cell's text | the whole cell is selected first (its end-of-cell mark); the next Shift+Right selects the next cell with it. In an empty cell the first press selects the cell | shift_right_at_the_end_of_a_cell_selects_the_cell_first |
AutoCorrect and AutoFormat as you type
The --> replacement produces → when completed with a space (#2223), including
at paragraph start without creating a list. It respects AutoCorrect preferences, user
entries and undo. The existing -> paragraph-start arrow bullet is unchanged.
Applied when a word is finished by a space, punctuation or Enter (enter_finishes_a_word_for_autocorrect):
-
First letter of a sentence (paragraph or list item start, after
. ! ?) is capitalised; not after abbreviations (e.g.,Dr., …) or initials (J.), and not for mixed-case words (iPhone) or single-letter labels (a.).teh→the,i→I,(c)→©,(tm)→™,wait...→wait…, smart quotes (autocorrect_as_you_type); a quote opens after a space, an opening bracket, a dash,«‹„‚, or the other kind of opening quote, so nested quotes curl correctly (smart_quotes_nested_and_opening_delimiters). Smart quotes in Hebrew (and other right-to-left text) are chosen from the characters around the quote in logical order, whatever the display direction:"after a space or at the start is “ (U+201C) even though it shows on the right of the word, after a letter ” (U+201D); in an acronym (צה"ל) it becomes ” as in Word for Mac 16.113.4, not gershayim (״);'after a letter (ג'ירפה) is ’ as after any letter, with no geresh conversion (not yet checked in Word;smart_quotes_in_hebrew_use_logical_order, #1670). -
Correct TWo INitial CApitals: a finished word of three or more letters with two capitals and the rest lowercase loses its second capital (
WOrd→Word,TEh→The); not the exceptions (IDs,CDs,PCs,TVs, … plus the user's,tools.autocorrect {"addInitialCapsException"}) (two_initial_capitals_are_corrected). -
Reversing an automatic capital makes an exception (Word's "Automatically add words to list", observed on the Mac, #1857): Undo of the sentence capital's own step adds the word before it to the First Letter list (
there.; only words ending in a full stop, the one form seen in Word), and so does Backspacing over the capitalised word and typing it again; the word is then not capitalised afterthere.any more. Any other Undo (of later typing, of a paste) adds nothing, and the capital is forgotten once another Undo runs, a new document is opened, or the undo history is cleared. Each list has its own switch (tools.autocorrect {"autoAddFirstLetter", "autoAddInitialCaps"}, on by default); words over 255 characters or with spaces are never added. Undoing a replacement (teh→the) adds nothing: Word doesn't either. Undoing a TWo INitial CApitals fix adds the word to the INitial CAps list (as in Word, checked on the Mac:TWotyped again isn't corrected; same switch rule as First Letter). The first word of a paragraph has no word before it, so nothing is added there; Word also left the retyped first word ("hello") lowercase in that paragraph, which WordCraft doesn't (paragraph-level suppression, only for the paragraph where the Undo happened: Word capitalises the first word of a new paragraph again; a separate follow-up). Word adds nothing in bulleted-list paragraphs; not covered (undoing_a_sentence_capital_adds_a_first_letter_exception,backspacing_a_sentence_capital_and_retyping_adds_a_first_letter_exception,automatic_exceptions_can_be_turned_off,undoing_a_replacement_adds_no_exception,undoing_an_initial_caps_fix_adds_an_initial_caps_exception,undoing_other_edits_after_a_capital_adds_no_exception,a_full_undo_history_does_not_match_later_undos,a_new_document_forgets_the_capital,an_overlong_word_is_not_added_as_an_exception). -
Correct accidental usage of cAPS LOCK:
wORD→Word(three or more letters; notiOS,mRNA, …). Word also switches Caps Lock off; we only correct the word (accidental_caps_lock_is_corrected). -
Capitalize first letter of table cells: the first word typed in a cell is capitalised like a sentence start, under its own option (
first_letter_of_a_table_cell_is_capitalised). -
Each fix is one undo step right after it, and each has its own switch (
twoInitialCaps,capsLock,capCellsontools.autocorrect; on by default) (capitalisation_fixes_undo_and_turn_off). -
1/2 1/4 3/4→½ ¼ ¾;1st 22nd 13thget superscript suffixes (ordinals_become_superscript). -
word -- word→ en dash,word - word→ en dash,word--word→ em dash (dashes). -
Web addresses become links; following text isn't linked (
web_addresses_become_links). -
A hyperlink covers only its own text: typing at either end of it, or after Enter at its end, isn't linked; typing inside it is. Linking a whole paragraph doesn't link its mark, so the paragraphs Enter makes from it aren't links (#413;
a_link_covers_only_its_own_text,typing_at_either_end_of_a_link_is_not_linked). -
A field covers only its own result: text typed or pasted with the caret just after a field (a Zotero citation at the end of a paragraph, the caret put there with a click) goes after the field, not into its result (#898;
typing_after_a_citation_goes_outside_its_field). -
Enter after
---===***___~~~###→ a bottom border on the paragraph above (single, double, dotted, thick, wave, triple) (border_line_autoformat). ⌘Z right after brings the characters back and removes the border; the Enter stays (one undo step) ¹ (undo_right_after_a_border_line_brings_the_characters_back). -
+---+------+Enter (plus signs around runs of hyphens, the whole paragraph) → a one-row table across the text width, each column as wide as its share of the hyphens; the caret goes into the first cell. ⌘Z right after brings the characters back. More than 63 columns stay text ¹ (plus_and_hyphen_line_becomes_a_table). -
Smileys
:):-):(:-(:|→ ☺ ☹ 😐, also straight after a word (ok:)→ok☺) ¹ (smileys_are_replaced_inside_words_too). -
Turkish, Azerbaijani and Crimean Tatar text (the word's language, else the editing language) maps
i→İandı→Iwhen a sentence or day is capitalised, andI→ıwhen TWo INitial CApitals / cAPS LOCK lowercase a letter (istanbul→İstanbul,İNgilizce→İngilizce,ılık→Ilık; observed in Word for Mac with Turkish proofing). Lowercasingİgives the single letteriin every language, neveri+ combining dot. Other languages keep the Unicode default (istanbul→Istanbulin English) (autocorrect_capitalisation_follows_turkic_case_mapping). Format > Change Case is not yet Turkish-aware. -
Names of days are capitalised (
monday→Monday). AutoCorrect Options (#412,tools.autocorrect, saved per user) switch each of these off: replacements, sentence and table-cell capitals, days, smart quotes, fractions, ordinals, dashes, links, bulleted and numbered lists, border lines; user entries are added, replaced or deleted (built-in ones too), and "don't capitalize after" exceptions extend the abbreviation list. A replacement of several words takes a sentence capital on its first (autocorrect_options_change_what_typing_does). -
The built-in replacement list is English: its words (
teh,i,dont…) are replaced only in English text (the run'sw:lang, then its style, then the document default; text with no language at all is in the editing language, so with a Polish interface a.docxwithoutw:langis Polish). English is decided as proofing decides it (ProofLang:en,eng). PolishAla i kotkeeps itsi("and"); symbols ((c),->,1/2) and the user's own entries apply in every language (#835;autocorrect_replacement_list_follows_the_texts_language). Croatian, Bosnian and Serbianiis kept only when the text is tagged with that language: those interfaces don't set an editing language yet. Per-language lists for other languages aren't there yet (#735).
¹ From Word's documented AutoFormat and AutoCorrect options; not yet keystroke-compared with Word.
Spelling as you type (#1552)
Word draws no red squiggle under the word being typed. The squiggle comes when the word ends (space, punctuation, Enter, Tab) or when the caret leaves it any other way (arrow keys, Home, End, a click, a selection). Only the word being typed is exempt: clicking into a misspelled word that is already there does not hide its squiggle, and typing into it makes it the word being typed again. F7 and the Spelling pane report the word all the while. Grammar marks are not held back.
| Keys | Result | Test |
|---|---|---|
The helo |
no squiggle under helo; review.issues and F7 (review.spelling) still list it |
the_word_being_typed_is_not_marked_until_it_ends |
The helo then space, ., Enter or Tab |
helo underlined |
same |
The helo then Left, Home, Ctrl+Left, Ctrl+Home or Select All; End after that |
helo underlined, and still underlined when the caret comes back |
moving_the_caret_out_of_the_typed_word_marks_it |
The helo in one paragraph, a click into another, a click back, o typed into it |
underlined on leaving; still underlined on return ¹; typing into it hides the mark again until the next space ¹ | a_click_elsewhere_marks_the_typed_word_and_a_click_back_keeps_the_mark |
The helo then Backspace |
the mark goes while the word is edited again ¹ | backspace_into_a_finished_word_edits_it_again |
I typed teh (AutoCorrect); a phrase by one text.insert; Undo |
AutoCorrect's result is checked as usual; of inserted text only the word the caret ends in is exempt; Undo moves the caret, so what is left is marked | autocorrect_and_inserted_text_are_marked_as_usual |
It doesn' (smart quotes make it doesn’); The nonn- then exist |
no squiggle until the word ends: the apostrophe and the hyphen stay part of the word, as in the spelling check ¹ | apostrophes_and_hyphens_stay_part_of_the_word_being_typed |
A click at the end of helo, then Insert, Delete with nothing after the caret, or Shift+Tab |
helo stays underlined: only an edit to the text makes it the word being typed ¹ |
text_commands_that_edit_nothing_leave_an_existing_word_marked |
¹ Follows the rule above; not yet keystroke-compared with Word.
The exemption is a layout input (LayoutOptions::typing_word, filtered in
crates/layout/src/para.rs). The Session records the word after a text.* command that changes
the caret's paragraph, and drops it once the caret is anywhere else or the word changed under it
(crates/engine/src/session.rs), so a caret move without an edit lays only that paragraph out
again.
Editing options (File › Options › Advanced)
| Keys / setting | Result | Test |
|---|---|---|
| Typing over a selection | replaces it (Word's default); with "Typing replaces selected text" off, the text goes in front of the selection, which stays | typing_over_a_selection_follows_the_replace_selection_option |
| Overtype on, typing | each character replaces the one after the caret, never the paragraph mark or an object; Insert switches overtype only with the Insert-key option on (off by default, as in Word) | overtype_replaces_the_characters_after_the_caret |
Text direction
- Typing Arabic, Hebrew or another right-to-left script as the first letters of a paragraph
whose direction nothing sets (not the paragraph, its style or the document defaults) makes it
a right-to-left paragraph, so the caret starts at the right margin. A paragraph that already
has letters keeps its direction, and so do opened documents: a paragraph without
w:bidistays left-to-right whatever its text (typing_rtl_letters_into_an_empty_paragraph_makes_it_rtl). Word takes the direction from the keyboard language instead; not yet compared side by side. - A table inserted in a right-to-left paragraph is a right-to-left table (its first cell at the
right), as in Word, so Tab moves to the cell on the left (the next one in reading order) and
Shift+Tab back; in a left-to-right table Tab still moves right (#2634,
tab_in_a_table_inserted_in_right_to_left_text_moves_left). - Text typed or inserted (links, fields, symbols, pasted text with merged formatting) takes its
direction from its own letters, not from the run around the caret, keeping only that run's
bidi language: Latin typed into Hebrew from a reopened file is saved as left-to-right text, and
the saved file marks the right-to-left pieces
w:rtlitself (#1543,latin_typed_into_reopened_hebrew_is_saved_left_to_right). Known display difference: spaces, digits and punctuation typed into reopened Hebrew text draw in the Latin font, not the complex-script font, until the file is saved and reopened.
Layout
- No line break right after a slash (
and/or, URLs) unless the word can't fit a line (layout::tests::no_line_break_right_after_a_slash). A slash that opens a word after a space (Kazakh /Russiancaptions) travels with it: the break is before the slash, so/заполняетсяmoves to the next line whole and is never split between its letters (#2963,layout::tests::a_word_after_a_slash_wraps_whole, also in a fixed table cell and not after a no-break space).
Complex scripts
- Myanmar, Khmer and the Indic scripts are typed in memory order (consonant, medials, then
vowel signs such as ေ, which is drawn before its consonant); the caret steps over whole
syllables (Myanmar vowel signs and stacked consonants never split off), Backspace removes one
character (vowel sign, medial, stacked consonant), Delete the whole syllable — the platforms'
standard behaviour, not yet compared against Word (#604,
myanmar_typing_steps_by_syllable_and_backspaces_by_sign,indic_and_khmer_backspace_removes_one_character).
Input methods
- An input method can ask to erase characters before and after the caret (
DeleteSurrounding) and send replacement text. The web build's hidden text field does this whenever its contents change other than by adding to the end: Backspace and corrections from phone keyboards, and the Chrome caret jump below. The desktop builds never receive it (egui-winit 0.36 doesn't send it). WordCraft erases those characters as Backspace erases a selection, stopping at the paragraph's ends, then types the new text. The new text keeps the erased text's formatting and never overtypes what follows. Erasing and retyping stay in the open typing undo step, and typing after them joins it too (#1480,keys::tests::delete_surrounding_from_the_web_text_agent_does_not_repeat_text,delete_surrounding_erases_characters_on_both_sides_of_the_caret,delete_surrounding_stays_inside_the_paragraph,delete_surrounding_joins_the_typing_undo_step,delete_surrounding_keeps_the_replaced_texts_formatting,delete_surrounding_text_does_not_overtype,delete_surrounding_rewrite_ends_at_a_key_press). - After AutoCorrect or AutoFormat changes the text as you type, the web build tells its hidden
text field to start afresh. Its later counts then can't reach past the change
(
automatic_change_asks_the_input_method_to_start_afresh). The reset itself happens in eframe and hasn't been checked in a browser.
Known gaps
- Web (#1480): Chrome has been seen moving the caret of eframe's hidden text field to its
start after the first non-Latin character. Later letters then go in before what was typed
since the field was last cleared, so
hellothenмирgivesриhelloм. The text is no longer repeated, but the cause of the caret jump hasn't been found and isn't worked around. - Word's body font Aptos isn't installed outside Office; our substitute (Carlito, else Helvetica Neue) is wider, so lines wrap earlier than in Word. Needs a metric-matched open substitute.
- Moving paragraphs with Track Changes on isn't recorded as a tracked move; whole table rows don't move yet (a selection across cells is refused). Go Back's places aren't mapped through later edits (they are clamped to the document).
- Not yet compared: keystroke-by-keystroke comparison of Correct TWo INitial CApitals, cAPS LOCK and table-cell capitals (implemented from Word's AutoCorrect options; Word's exception list not compared); the rows marked ¹ above.
How to compare
- WordCraft: the headless
ui_shotexample (no window, no focus) withUI_SHOT_FULL=1prints the wholedocument.inspect; drive it withui.text/ui.keylines so keys take the real input path. - Word: the machine is shared. Prefer AppleScript that doesn't take focus (open, read
paragraphs, export PDF). Keystroke runs steal focus and race the person at the keyboard: keep
them short, read the document back to verify, and ask first. Screenshots of Word's window only,
under
plan/word/screenshots/.
Revision history
| Date | Change | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-18 | trivial | Typing over a selection takes the first selected character's formatting, also when the selection was made right to left (#2879) |
| 2026-10-17 | trivial | A table inserted in a right-to-left paragraph is a right-to-left table, so Tab moves to the cell on the left (#2634) |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Backspace after a section break and Delete before it remove the break, also one on the last paragraph's mark; the text takes the following section's setup and keeps the headers it showed (#2127) |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Enter on an empty nested list item whose numbering comes from its paragraph style (List Number 2) moves it up a level instead of adding another item (#2143) |
| 2026-10-18 | trivial | Smart quotes open after « ‹ „ ‚ and after the other kind of opening quote, so nested quotes curl correctly |
| 2026-10-15 | minor | AutoCorrect: undoing the capital's own step (or backspacing it and retyping) adds an exception; "Automatically add words to list" switches (#1857) |
| 2026-10-16 | trivial | #1793: a heading-list preset keeps paragraphs already in a Heading style at their level and makes other paragraphs Heading 1 (rechecked in Word for Mac); undo test |
| 2026-10-16 | trivial | #1793: a heading-linked Multilevel List preset makes every selected paragraph its first level (Heading 1), checked in Word for Mac; 1. in a heading checked in Word; a single Heading 2 becoming Heading 1 is unchecked |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Numbered headings (#1793): a heading-linked Multilevel List numbers headings through their styles, so a new Heading 2 after the list is numbered by itself; Numbering and 1. keep a heading a heading; applying a numbered heading style numbers the paragraph |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Add the missing --> → → AutoCorrect entry (#2223), with typing, undo and preference regression coverage; existing arrow bullets unchanged |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Input methods (#1480 review): the rewritten text keeps its formatting, doesn't overtype, keeps the typing undo group; AutoCorrect/AutoFormat reset the web text field; desktop doesn't receive DeleteSurrounding |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Input methods: DeleteSurrounding erases around the caret, so web typing in non-Latin text no longer repeats; Chrome's caret jump in the hidden field is listed as a known gap (#1480) |
| 2026-10-15 | minor | Backspace with a whole table, whole rows or whole columns selected deletes them; Delete clears them; a selection covering a table and the text beside it removes the table (#1844) |
| 2026-10-16 | trivial | Smart quotes in Hebrew follow logical order; ” (not gershayim) in acronyms, as Word does (#1670) |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Paste: plain text from another program pastes as Keep Text Only does. Every line takes the formatting of the paragraph it lands in (a right-to-left paragraph stays right-to-left), and empty lines stay empty paragraphs |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Spelling as you type: the word being typed, apostrophes and hyphens included, is not marked until the caret leaves it; F7 and the Spelling pane still report it (#1552) |
| 2026-10-14 | trivial | Shift+Delete cuts the selection, and does nothing without one, on macOS and Linux too, as in Word for Windows (#1669); Shift+Backspace already erased (#707) |
| 2026-10-13 | trivial | Select All then Delete or Backspace removes a table the document starts with (#1198) |
| 2026-10-12 | trivial | Editing keys: Down and Up from the start of a line beside a table go into it instead of skipping it (#1007) |
| 2026-10-12 | trivial | Sample-text formulas on Enter (#1067), exact matching, bounded parameters, original English and one-step undo |
| 2026-10-13 | minor | Alt+numpad decimal character codes: the ANSI code page with a leading 0, the OEM page without (the system locale's on Windows: 1250–1254, 437/737/850/852/857/866), Unicode above 255 (#961) |
| 2026-10-13 | trivial | Fields: text typed or pasted just after a field (a Zotero citation) goes outside it (#898) |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | AutoCorrect: Turkish/Azerbaijani case mapping (i↔İ, ı↔I), no combining dot from İ (#1923) |
| 2026-10-14 | trivial | Track Changes: a table delete over text already marked deleted changes nothing, so Reject All still restores it (#1329 review 2) |
| 2026-10-14 | trivial | Track Changes: empty tables are removed under tracking; Delete Columns leaves merged cells that keep a column; repeated Change Case reads only live text (#1329 review) |
| 2026-10-14 | trivial | Track Changes: table deletes mark the cells' text deleted and keep the table; Change Case is a tracked delete+insert (differs from Word's hidden formatting revision); Unlink Fields stays untracked; all three refuse locked content controls (#1329) |
| 2026-10-12 | trivial | Track Changes: Accept All after a tracked delete from a paragraph end keeps the next paragraph; Reject All after typing into an empty paragraph keeps it (#864) |
| 2026-10-12 | trivial | macOS: ⌘← / ⌘→ go to the line's start and end instead of moving by word (#954) |
| 2026-10-12 | minor | AutoCorrect: Correct TWo INitial CApitals, accidental cAPS LOCK, capitalize first letter of table cells (#544) |
| 2026-10-12 | trivial | Editing keys: Shift+Right at the end of a cell's text selects the cell first, then the next cell with it (#971) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Text direction: right-to-left letters typed into an empty paragraph make it right-to-left; existing paragraphs keep theirs (#713) |
| 2026-10-12 | trivial | AutoCorrect: untagged text follows the editing language; English decided as proofing does (#835 review) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Grammar proofing (not AutoCorrect) no longer suggests capitalising a sentence after ... or … (proof::tests::ellipses_do_not_start_sentences) |
| 2026-10-12 | minor | AutoCorrect: the English replacement list applies only to English (or untagged) text; Polish i stays (#835) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | AutoFormat tables from +---+, arrow bullets, smileys inside words, undo after a border line (#546) |
| 2026-10-11 | trivial | Outline view keys: expand/collapse, Show Level, moving and promoting with collapsed content (#493) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Editing options: typing replaces selection, overtype and the Insert key (#485) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Pasted paragraph breaks: tracked under Track Changes (#417), kept in a list by Keep Text Only (#422) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Complex scripts: caret by syllable, Backspace by character (#604) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Undo rows: a selection ends the typing group (#419); Undo of Bold at the caret restores unbolded typing (#424) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Names of days capitalised; AutoCorrect Options (user entries, deleted built-ins, exceptions, every AutoCorrect/AutoFormat switch) change typing (#412) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Editing keys: Move Paragraph Up/Down, Promote/Demote, Go Back (Shift+F5), Alt+X (#343) |
| 2026-10-11 | minor | Hyperlinks: text typed at either end of a link or after Enter stays outside it (#413) |
| 2026-10-10 | trivial | Status line, revision history and cross-links added (progress-docs standard) |
| 2026-10-10 | minor | Track Changes rows: tracked Enter, Backspace and Delete on paragraph marks (#244) |
| 2026-10-10 | major | First version: lists, AutoCorrect and AutoFormat as you type, observed against Word (#204) |
| 2026-10-15 | trivial | Text direction: typed and inserted text takes its direction from its own letters, not the caret's run; spaces typed into reopened Hebrew draw in the Latin font until reopened (#1543) |