Table Commands

To

Do This...

Insert a table in the document

Position the cursor at the appropriate point, and select the Table | Insert Table menu option. The New Table Parameters dialog displays, in which you specify the number of table rows and columns.

The editor initially creates cells of equal width. You can, however, change the cell width by dragging the cell borders using the mouse. When Page Mode is deselected, the table structure is not visible.

Add a header row

Select the rows to act on, and then select the Table | Header Row menu option. Apply any heading settings and formatting to the rows in the highlighted block.

Insert a new row above the current row

Select the Table | Insert Row menu option.

Insert a new column to the left of the current column

Select the Table | Insert Column menu option.

Merge cells

Select the cells to merge and select the Table | Merge Cells menu option. The width of the resulting cell is equal to the sum of the merged cells. You can merge cells across a row, down a column, and in a block spanning both rows and columns.

Split a cell

Select the cell to split and select the Table | Split Cell menu option. The selected cell is split into two cells of equal width. Any text in the original cell is assigned to the first cell. The second cell is created empty.

Delete cells

Select the cells to delete and select the Table | Delete Cells menu option. The Delete Table Cells dialog displays, on which you specify whether to delete:

• Cells - deletes the highlighted cells

• Columns - deletes all the cells in the highlighted column or columns
• Rows - deletes all the cells in the highlighted row or rows.

If you delete all cells in a table, the table itself is automatically deleted.

Position the table on the page

Click on any part of the table and select the Table | Row Position menu option. The Table Row Alignment dialog displays, on which you select to left-align, center or right-align the table on the page.

This option has little effect if the table is wide enough to span the page or text column.

Set the height of a row, or all rows

Select the row to adjust and select the Table | Row Height menu option

The Row Height Parameters dialog displays, enabling you to set an automatic row height, a minimum row height, or an exact row height. You can apply the setting to the selected rows only, or to all rows in the table.

Keep row text together if it continues over a page

Select the rows to protect (preferably all rows in the table) and select the Table | Keep Row Together menu option. If the row continues over the end of the page, the whole row is moved to the top of the next page.

Set text flow in rows

Select the rows and select the Table | Row Text Flow menu option. The Table Text Flow dialog displays, on which you select the direction of flow of the text and select to apply the setting to the selected rows or all rows in the table.

This option also moves the whole row over to the appropriate side of the page or column.

Set the width of selected cells

Select the cells to act on and select the Table | Cell Width menu option. The Set Cell Width dialog displays, on which you set the cell width and text margin and apply them to:

• All cells in a highlighted block
• The selected cells only

• All cells in the selected column or columns, or
• All cells in the selected row or rows.

Define the cell border width

Select the cells to act on and select the Table | Cell Border Width menu option. The Set Cell Border dialog displays, on which you set the width of the line at any or all of the top, bottom, left and right of a cell, or whether to draw a uniform border around the cells. You can also set the text margin, and apply all the settings to:

• All cells in a highlighted block
• The selected cells only

• All cells in the selected column or columns, or
• All cells in the selected row or rows.

Define the cell border color

Select the cells to act on and select the Table | Cell Border Color menu option. The Set Cell Border Color dialog displays, on which you set the color of the line at any or all of the top, bottom, left and right of a cell, or whether to have a uniformly colored border around the cells. You then apply the settings to:

• All cells in a highlighted block
• The selected cells only

• All cells in the selected column or columns, or
• All cells in the selected row or rows.

Define the cell shading

Select the cells to act on and select the Table | Cell Shading menu option. The Cell Shading Parameters dialog displays, on which you set the shading percentage. The value 0 indicates the palest background, whereas the value 100 indicates a black background. You then apply the setting to:

• All cells in a highlighted block
• The selected cells only

• All cells in the selected column or columns, or
• All cells in the selected row or rows.

Define the cell background color

Select the cells to act on and select the Table | Cell Color menu option. The Cell Color Parameters dialog displays, on which you set the cell background color. You then apply the color to:

• All cells in a highlighted block
• The selected cells only

• All cells in the selected column or columns, or
• All cells in the selected row or rows.

Vertically align cells

Select the cells to act on and select the Table | Cell Vertical Align menu option. The Cell Vertical Alignment dialog displays, on which you select to align the selected cells by top, center, bottom or baseline. You then select to align:

• All cells in a highlighted block
• The selected cells only

• All cells in the selected column or columns, or
• All cells in the selected row or rows.

Rotate cell text

Select the cells to act on and select the Table | Cell Rotate Text menu option. The Cell Text Rotation dialog displays. On which you select to display text horizontally across the cell, vertically up the cell, or vertically down the cell. You then select to apply the rotation to:

• All cells in a highlighted block
• The selected cells only

• All cells in the selected column or columns, or
• All cells in the selected row or rows.

Select column

Click on a cell and select the Table | Select Current Column menu option. The whole column is highlighted and selected for further formatting.

Show / hide table outline

Click on a table cell and select the Table | Show Gridlines menu option. This displays or hides the grid lines around the table cells. The grid lines are for display purpose only and do not appear on the printed document.