Copying parts of one document to another can be a pain in Word 6, 7, and 97. You have to select the text, copy it to the clipboard, switch document windows, paste the text from the clipboard, then switch document windows again, repeating the process until you're done.

A short macro can help automate the job. To use this macro, open only the source and the destination documents. Next, select the first block of text or the first object that you want to copy, and then run the macro to transfer the material. To specify where you want the copied material to go, click on the desired position in the destination document before making a selection in the source file.

Repeat the procedure as needed until all the copying is done. To speed things up further, add the macro to a toolbar.

Here's how to set up the MoveIt macro:

Word 97

1. With Word running, select Tools-Macro-Macros.

2. Type MoveIt in the 'Macro name' field of the Macros dialogue box, then click Create.

3. In the macro editor, carefully type the macro text below, including the punctuation characters, between the Sub MoveIt and End Sub lines.

4. Select File-Save Normal, and then select File-Close and Return to Microsoft Word.

1. With Word running, select Tools-Macro.

2. Type MoveIt in the Macro Name field of the Macro dialogue box, and click Create.

3. Carefully type the macro text below, between the Sub Main and End Sub lines, into Word.

4. Select File-Close and click Yes when you are prompted to save the changes in the macro.

Here's how to place the macro created above on a toolbar, in three popular versions of Word. (For copying multiple items in Word 2000, see the next tip.)

1. Select Tools-Customize.

2. Click the Commands tab in the Customize dialogue box, then select Macros from the Categories list (you'll find it near the bottom of that list).

3. From the Commands list, click and drag Normal.NewMacros.MoveIt, and drop it in the desired spot on the toolbar.

4. To replace the text button with an icon, click Modify Selection in the Customize dialogue box, then select Default Style from the pop-up menu. Click Modify Selection again, then select Change Button Image and click the icon you want to assign to this macro. Click Close to finish the job.

1. Select Tools-Customize.

2. Click the Toolbars tab in the Customize dialogue box, then select Macros from the Categories list.

3. Click MoveIt in the Macros list, then drag and drop it on the desired toolbar. When you see the Custom Button dialogue box, select an icon for the button, or choose Text Button. Then click Assign, and finally select Close.