Tables

A well designed table can help readers understand what you are saying. You can use tables for text or numbers and/or you can put other objects such as pictures in cells.

Open A New Text Document

Click File > New > Text Document. (The document appears.)

Create A Table

You can click "View > Toolbars > Table" to make the "Table Toolbar" visible. The "Table Toolbar" appears automatically when you create a table or select an existing Table.

1. Click Table > Insert > Table or click the Table icon on the Table Toolbar to insert a table. (The “Insert Table” window appears.)

2. In the Name box, you will see Table1. (This means that this is the first table you inserted in this document. If you insert another table in this document, the name will be “Table2”.)

3. Under Size, Columns, click on the to change the number to 5. Under Rows, click on the to change the number to 5.

4. Under Options > Borders > OK. (A table appears that has 5 rows and 5 columns. There is a check mark by Borders by default. To have a table without the borders being seen or printed, remove the check mark by Borders. The "Table Toolbar" appears automatically if you have not already clicked "View > Toolbars > Table" to make the "Table Toolbar" visible.)

Use "AutoFormat" To Create A Table

You can use "AutoFormat" to make your table formats consistent.

1. Click Table > Insert or click the Table icon on the Table Toolbar.

2. Click AutoFormat located at the bottom left corner of the Insert Table window or click the AutoFormat icon on the Table Toolbar. (The “AutoFormat” window appears. On the left, you will see a list of formatted tables.)

3. Click Black 1

4. At the bottom right, click More. You can change Number, Borders, Fonts , Pattern, and Alignment. Click each of these to see the changes in the menu box.

5. Click OK. (The table appears in your document. If you cannot see the rows and columns, click "Table > Table Boundaries", a check mark will appear before "Table Boundaries". If you were to print the table now, there would be no lines/borders around the cells. "Table Boundaries" can be shown or hidden around table cells. The boundaries are only visible on screen and are not printed.)

6. In the Black row, type Measurements. (“Measurements” appears as white text on the black background.)

7. In the first row in the left column, type 1 cup

8. In the second row in the left column, type 4 cups.

9. In the first row in the right column, type 8 fluid ounces.

10. In the second row in the right column, type 32 fluid ounces.

Use AutoText To Store A Table

You can store formatted text, text with graphics, tables, and fields as "AutoText". You may create the “AutoText” in a new text document by clicking "New > Text Document" or you can create it in the same document where you want to use the table more than once. Note: If your table is at the beginning of the page, you will not see a paragraph mark above the table. Click in the table to add a space above the table so that the paragraph mark will be visible above the table. Click in the space after the table so the paragraph mark will be visible.

Create The AutoText

1. Using the table below, press CTRL- F10 or click the Nonprinting Characters icon to make the paragraph marks visible.

2. Place the cursor to the left of the paragraph mark that is just above the table.

3. Drag down so the entire line just below the table is selected.

4. Click Edit > AutoText or press CTRL-F3 to bring up the AutoText menu. (In the menu box, there is a list of "AutoText".)

5. Click My AutoText, if it is not already selected. In the Name dialog box, type My Lessons as the name for the table.

6. After you type My Lessons, the suggestion for the shortcut is ML or ml. (You may use the suggested shortcut or type a shortcut of your choice.)

7. Click AutoText > New. Check Show preview.. (This makes the table an “AutoText”. You only have to do this once. You can now use the shortcut to use this table in any document.) Click Close.

8. Click File > New > Text Document. (The document appears.)

9. Click where you want the table to be inserted. Click Edit > Autotext or CTRL F3 (The "Autotext" window appears.), choose the My Lessons AutoText, click Insert. (The table will appear in your document.)

10. Or to quickly insert AutoText, type the shortcut for the AutoText in your document where you want the AutoText and then press F3. (Type the shortcut, ML or ml, on your document and press F3. The table will appear in your document.)

Insert Row(s)

1. To add additional rows, click after the last word in the last column on the right. Press the tab key. (A row appears after the last row.)

2. To add rows between rows, click in the row in the Table where you wish to add a row before or after.

3. Click Table > Insert > Rows or click the Insert Rows icon on the Table Toolbar to insert one row at a time.

4. Under Insert, Amount, click on the and select the number, 4, for the number of rows. Under Position, click Before. (“After” is the default selection. 4 new rows are added in the Table.)

Insert Column(s)

1. Click in the second column, click Table > Insert > Columns or you can click the Insert Column icon on the Table Toolbar to insert one column at a time.

2. Under Insert, Amount, click on the and click 1.

3. Select the position of column(s) Before > OK. (“After” is the default selection. A column appears between the original first and second columns.)

Delete Rows Or Columns

1. Click in one of the empty rows you just added. Click Table > Delete, > Rows or click the Delete Row icon on the Table Toolbar. (The row is deleted.)

2. Click in the empty column you just added. Click Table > Delete > Columns or click the Delete Column icon on the Table Toolbar. (The middle column is deleted.)

Merge Cells

1. Click outside the margin to the left of the one of the rows that you just added or click the Select Row icon on the Table Toolbar. (The pointer becomes a small arrow when it is outside the Table margin. You will see "Select table row". The row is highlighted.)

2. Click Table > Merge Cells or click the Merge Cells icon on the Table Toolbar. (The table row is one long row with just one cell (column).

Split Cells

1. Click in the left cell (column) of one of the rows you added. Click Table > Split Cells or click the Split Cells icon on the Table Toolbar. (The "Split Cells" window appears.)

2. Under Split cell into, click on the to change the number to 3.

3. Under Direction, click Horizontally > Into equal proportions. (The cell is divided into 3 equal sections.)

4. Click in the right cell. Click Table > Split Cells. Under Split cell into, click on the to change the number to 3.

5. Under Direction, click Vertically . (The cell is divided into 3 parts.)

Resize/Move The Table

By default, tables are the full width of the page. Tables can be resized by dragging the borders of columns and rows or the border of the Table to change the width. You use the same method to change the height of the columns and the table. This method can be frustrating. There is another way.

1. Click Table > Table Properties... or click the Properties icon on the Table Toolbar.

2. Click the Tables tab. (The “Table Format” window appears.)

3. Under Properties, Width, click Relative.

4. Click the to change the number to 50%.

5. Under Alignment, click Center > OK. (The Table is smaller and centered. You can also move the Table to the left or to the right.)

Merge Tables

Combine two consecutive tables into a single table. The tables must be directly next to each other and not separated by an empty paragraph. If you choose this command when the cursor is in the middle of three consecutive tables, you are prompted to select the table that you want to merge with.

1. Type the shortcut, ml. Press F3. (A new table appears.)

2. Type the shortcut ML. Press F3. (A second table appears below the first table.)

3. Delete the spaces between the two Tables. Click Table > Merge Table. (The two Tables become one Table.)

Split Table

Split Table gives you choices of split table with heading or without heading.

Click anywhere in the table. Click Table > Split Table > Copy heading. (The Table splits into two tables. Both tables have the table heading. )

Convert Text To Table and Table to Text

Writer makes it easy for you to convert from a table to text or text to a table.

1. Type In most cases your eyeglasses will be adjusted by the optical store where you had your prescription filled. (Start a new Paragraph here) When a local optical professional is adjusting your eyeglasses for you, it is called a “fitting”.

2. Highlight the text and click Table > Convert > Text to Table > Paragraph if it is not already selected. (The "Convert Text To Table" window appears. There is a dot in the circle before “Paragraph”.) Under Separate text at , you must select Tabs or Semicolon or Other to determine what will be used to divide the data into different cells. (A table appears with each paragraph in its own row.)

3. Click in the table. Click Table > Convert > Table to Text > Paragraph if it is not already selected. (The text appears as you typed it.)

4. Highlight the text below, click Table > Convert > Text to Table > Semicolons if it is not already selected. (You will get a table like the one in Step 5 .)

1 inch [in];;2.54 cm

1 foot [ft];12 in;0.3048 m

1 yard [yd];3 ft;0.9144 m

1 mile;1760 yd;1.6093 km

1 int nautical mile;2025.4 yd;1.853 km

1 int nautical mile;2025.4 yd;1.853 km

5. Using the table below, click in the table. Click Table > Convert > Table to Text > Semicolons if it is not already selected. (You will get the text in Step 4 .)

Delete A Table

1. Click in the table you want to delete.

2. Click Table > Delete > Table.;The table is deleted.

3. To undo Delete Table, click on the Undo , icon on the Standard Toolbar.

NOTE

Tutorials are improved by input from users. We solicit your constructive criticism.

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Edited by Sue Barron and George Hans

Tables        11/03/06

Last modified: 2008-04-30 01:42 UTC