By default, PerfectIt checks for consistency. For example, if it finds a word that appears with and without a hyphen (such as ‘part time’ and ‘part-time’), PerfectIt suggests that this inconsistency may be an issue.

If your organization has a preference for one of these terms (e.g. ‘part-time’), you can use the Style Sheet Editor to enforce that preference. Once PerfectIt has been customized to find a preferred form, it will do this whether or not both forms are in the document. To add a preference for ‘part-time’ open the Style Sheet Editor and choose Always Find.

The Style Sheet Editor prompts you to fill in new entries. It states:

‘When PerfectIt is running the check for:’ and presents a dropdown menu. Click that dropdown menu and choose Hyphenation of Phrases.
‘It should warn if it finds the phrase:’ and presents an empty text box. Type the search term part time in that text box.
‘If it finds the phrase, it should suggest:’ and presents another empty text box. Type the preferred term part-time in that box, then click Add.

Putting the three steps together, we have given PerfectIt this instruction:

When PerfectIt is running the check for Hyphenation of Phrases, it should warn if it finds the phrase ‘part time’ and it should suggest ‘part-time’.

Clicking on Add creates a new line in the Style Sheet Editor, as shown above.

You may wish to add guidance for the user or exceptions that PerfectIt should ignore in the Instructions column. Details of the various features of Instructions can be found in Working with Instructions.

Once you save this style sheet, PerfectIt can use it to suggest ‘part-time’ as the preferred option in any document in which it finds the phrase ‘part time’. It will give you the option to change the phrase in each location.

Note

It is important to make sure you are using the correct check for each customization. If the alternative to hyphenation is closed, use the Hyphenation of Words check. If the alternative to hyphenation is open, use the Hyphenation of Phrases check.

See also

The Checks: Hyphenation and Dashes

Hyphenation Consistency

Prefixes

Video Tutorials: Hyphenation, En Dashes, Accents and Phrases in Capitals

Video Tutorials: Comments, Abbreviations and Adding Exceptions

Always Find and Never Find