# more on punctuation, notes

**URL:** <https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/more-on-punctuation-notes/264>\
**Category:** CSL Development\
**Created:** [April 29, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/more-on-punctuation-notes/264 "2007-04-29T14:55:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Bruce\_D\_Arcus1](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/u/Bruce_D_Arcus1)\
**Post date:** [April 29, 2007, 2:55pm UTC](https://discourse.citationstyles.org/t/more-on-punctuation-notes/264/1 "2007-04-29T14:55:13Z")

</div>

More from John, first with his question, and then eventual resolution  
(in VBA code I presume; BTW, anybody notice MS is dropping VBA from  
future Mac versions of Office??):

In working on the Zotero Word plug-in, I see an issue that is, I think,  
outside CSL, but about which you might have some wisdom.

The issue is punctuation and spacing around citations when switching  
styles.  
For example, an in-line citation at the end of a sentence should have a  
space before the opening parenthesis, a period after the closing  
parenthesis. If a note style is selected, the period should come before  
the  
reference mark and no space should precede the period. There are other  
examples involving different punctuation.

One part of the solution is separating the responsibilities of the  
user, of  
the format specification, and of the processor. I assume the  
specification  
should be neutral on such issues. I also assume you’d like the user not  
to  
have to worry about it, that is, you’d rather the user not need to worry  
about whether he does or doesn’t include a space before the citation.  
That  
would all mean the processor needs some rules for juggling the spacing  
and  
punctuation around citations. Is that right?

If so, have you by chance developed a set of such rules? If so, would  
you  
share them with me? Either way, could I get from you any thoughts on the  
matter?===

I then suggested as a strawman these sorts of rules:

For note-based citations, preceding spaces should be removed. If the  
citation comes at the end of a sentence, the note mark should be moved  
outside the end-of-sentence period. If switching from note to in-text  
styles, a preceding space should be added to the citation, and  
end-of-sentence citations should be moved inside the period.

===

John’s result:

If isNote Then  
’ convert to note-based  
fField.Select  
’ remove preceding space if one is there  
If Selection.Start \> 0 Then  
selectstart = Selection.Start  
Set a = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=Selection.Range.Start - 1,  
End:=Selection.Range.Start)  
If a.text = " " Then  
a.text = ""  
End If  
’ move following punctuation mark, if one is there, to before  
the  
citation field  
’ and within any quotation marks if . or ,  
fField.Select  
Set b = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=Selection.End,  
End:=Selection.End + 1)  
If b.text = “.” Or b.text = “;” Or b.text = “:” Or b.text = “,“  
Or  
b.text = “?” Or b.text = “!” Then  
insideQuotationMarks = (b.text = “.” Or b.text = “,”)  
punc = b.text  
b.Cut  
Set a = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=Selection.Start - 1,  
End:=Selection.Start)  
If insideQuotationMarks Then  
Do While a.text = " " Or a.text = “’” Or a.text =  
Chr(34) Or  
a.text = Chr(148) Or a.text = Chr(146)  
a.SetRange Start:=a.Start - 1, End:=a.End - 1  
Loop  
End If  
a.InsertAfter punc  
End If  
End If  
Else  
’ convert from note-based  
fField.Select  
’ move preceding . , ; : ? ! if one is there, to after the citation  
field  
’ for . , look even inside quotation marks  
If Selection.Start \> 0 Then  
Set a = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=Selection.Start - 1,  
End:=Selection.Start)  
If a.text = “.” Or a.text = “;” Or a = “:” Or a = “,” Or a =  
”?” Or  
a = “!” Then  
punc = a.text  
a.text = ""  
Set b = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=Selection.End,  
End:=Selection.End)  
b.InsertAfter (punc)  
Else  
’ move left until character is not either ’ " or right curly  
versions of same  
Do While a.text = “’” Or a.text = Chr(34) Or a.text =  
Chr(148)  
Or a.text = Chr(146)  
a.SetRange Start:=a.Start - 1, End:=a.End - 1  
Loop  
If a.text = “.” Or a.text = “,” Then  
punc = a.text  
a.text = "“  
Set b = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=Selection.End,  
End:=Selection.End)  
b.InsertAfter (punc)  
End If  
End If  
End If  
’ add a preceding space unless there is a break (page/section,  
paragraph  
or column) there already  
If Selection.Start \> 0 Then  
Set a = ActiveDocument.Range(Start:=Selection.Start - 1,  
End:=Selection.Start)  
If a.text \<\> " " And a.text \<\> vbCr And a.text \<\> Asc(12) And  
a.text  
\<\> Asc(14) Then  
Selection.InsertBefore (” ")  
End If  
End If  
End if