17.3.1.37 tab

This element specifies a single custom tab stop defined within a set of paragraph properties in a document. A tab stop location shall always be measured relative to the leading edge of the paragraph in which it is used (that is, the left edge for a left-to-right paragraph, and the right edge for a right-to-left paragraph).

[Example: Consider a custom tab stops at 1.5" in a WordprocessingML document. This tab stop would be contained within a tab element defining the tab stop as follows:

<w:tab w:val="start" w:pos="2160" />

The tab element specifies all of the properties for the custom tab stop for the current paragraph property set. end example]

Attributes

val (Tab Stop Type)

Specifies the style of custom tab stop, which determines the behavior of the tab stop and the alignment which shall be applied to text entered at the current custom tab stop.

The value of clear is unique and specifies that this tab stop shall be removed when the document is next edited by a consumer which supports rendering the document contents.

[Example: Consider a custom tab stops at 1.5" in a WordprocessingML document. This tab stop would be contained within a tab element defining the tab stop as follows:

  <w:tab w:val="start" w:pos="2160" />

The val attribute specifies that this custom tab stop must align all text entered at its location to its left. end example]

The possible values for this attribute are defined by the ST_TabJc simple type (17.18.84).

pos (Tab Stop Position)

Specifies the position of the current custom tab stop with respect to the current page margins.

Negative values are permitted and move the tab stop into the current page margin the specified amount.

[Example: Consider a custom tab stops at 1.5" in a WordprocessingML document. This tab stop would be contained within a tab element defining the tab stop as follows:

  <w:tab w:val="start" w:pos="2160" />

The pos attribute specifies that this custom tab stop must be located 2160 points (1.5 inches) inside the starting text margin. end example]

The possible values for this attribute are defined by the ST_SignedTwipsMeasure simple type (17.18.81).

leader (Tab Leader Character)

Specifies the character which shall be used to fill in the space created by a tab which ends at this custom tab stop. This character shall be repeated as required to completely fill the tab spacing generated by the tab character.

If this attribute is omitted, then no tab leader character shall be used.

[Example: Consider a tab stop which should be preceded by a sequence of underscore characters, as follows:

______________Text at the tab stop

This tab stop would have a leader attribute value of underscore, indicating that the tab stop must be preceded by underscore characters as needed to fill the tab spacing. end example]

The possible values for this attribute are defined by the ST_TabTlc simple type (17.18.85).

[Note: The W3C XML Schema definition of this element’s content model (CT_TabStop) is located in A.1. end note]