Create Tables

Ribbon

Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > [option]

Insert a table in the document

Position the cursor on the point in the text to create the table, and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Insert Table'.

The 'New Table Parameters' dialog displays, in which you specify the number of table rows and columns. For a model section table in a report template you can accept the default values of two rows and three columns. Click on the OK button.

Your table might be invisible; if so, select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Show Gridlines' to reveal the table and cell borders in dotted lines. These lines are for guidance in creating the document, and do not display on the printed document. You can add printable borders using other context menu options.

The editor initially creates a table with cells of equal width across the page; you can change the cell width by dragging the cell borders using the mouse, or using other context menu options.

Insert a new row above the current row

Click on a row and then select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Insert Row'.

Insert a new column to the left of the current column

Click on a column and then select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Insert Column'.

Merge cells

Highlight the cells to merge and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Merge Cells'.

The width and/or height of the resulting cell is the sum of the widths and/or the sum of the heights 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 option:

• 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Split Cell Horizontally' to split the selected cell into two cells of equal width within the column
• 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Split Cell Vertically' to split the cell into two cells of equal height, doubling the height of the whole row

Any text in the original cell is assigned to the first cell, and the second cell is created empty.

Delete cells

Select the cells to delete and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Delete Cells'.

The 'Delete Table Cells' dialog displays, on which you specify whether to delete:

• Cells - deletes the highlighted cells; realign the column and/or row after doing this
• Columns - deletes the column or columns containing the highlighted cells, or
• Rows - deletes the row or rows containing the highlighted cells

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 option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Row Position'.

The 'Table Row Alignment' dialog displays, on which you select a radio button to left-justify, center or right-justify the table on the page.

Leave the 'All Rows in the Table' checkbox selected.

This menu option has greater effect if the table is narrower than the page or text column.

Set the height of a row, or all rows

Highlight the rows to adjust and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Row Height'.

The 'Row Height Parameters' dialog displays; you can select to:

• Allow the row height to be determined automatically
• Set a minimum row height, or
• Set an exact row height

If you are setting the height, type the value in twips.

You can apply the setting to the selected rows only, or select the 'Apply to all rows in the current table' checkbox to set the height of all rows in the table.

Add a header row

Select the top row of the table, and then select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Header Row'. Apply any heading text, settings and formatting to the highlighted row.

In the document or compiled report, the heading row is repeated at the top of the columns each time the table flows on to a new page. In a report, if the heading row is populated with the values from field names, the heading rows on subsequent pages reflect the values from that first row.

This option operates on the single row at the top of the table, and not on multiple rows. If you edit the table and add a row to the top of the table to act as a new header, selecting the menu option on the new row clears the previous setting.

Keep row text together if it continues over a page

Select the rows to protect (preferably all rows in the table) and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Keep Row Together'.

If the row continues over the end of the page, the whole row is moved to the top of the next page.

Set the text flow in the table rows

Select the rows and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Row Text Flow'.

The 'Table Text Flow' dialog displays, on which you select a radio button to set the text flow in the rows to:

• Left to right
• Right to left
• Default

You can apply the text flow to just the selected rows, or select the 'Apply to all rows in the current table' checkbox to set the text flow for all rows in the table.

This option also moves the selected rows 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 option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Cell Width'.

The 'Set Cell Width' dialog displays, on which you set the width of the cells and the margin between the text and the left and right sides of each cell, both in twips. You can apply the settings to:

• All cells in the table
• The selected cells only
• The complete column or columns containing the selected cells, or
• The complete row or rows containing the selected cells

Define the width of the cell borders

Select the cells to act on and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Cell Border Width'.

The 'Set Cell Border' dialog displays, on which you set the width of the lines at any or all of the top, bottom, left and right of the selected cells. If you want the border to enclose:

• The selected cells as a block, select the 'Draw outline border around the selected cells' checkbox
• Each selected cell separately, leave the checkbox unselected

You can also set the margin between the text in each cell and the left and right borders, in twips, and apply all the settings to:

• All cells in the table
• The selected cells only
• The complete column or columns containing the selected cells, or
• The complete row or rows containing the selected cells

Define the color of the cell borders

Select the cells to act on and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Cell Border Color'.

The 'Set Cell Border Color' dialog displays, on which you set the color of each of the lines at the top, bottom, left and right of a cell, or all of the cell borders at once.

You can apply the settings to:

• All cells in the table
• The selected cells only
• The complete column or columns containing the selected cells, or
• The complete row or rows containing the selected cells

Define the degree of shading on the cell color

Select the cells to act on and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Cell Shading'.

The 'Cell Shading Parameters' dialog displays, in which you type the shading percentage.

Shading is the intensity of the cell background color, expressed as a percentage, and is uniform across the selected cells. If the cells have no colored background, a shading of 0% is white. For colored backgrounds, 0% is the color initially set. In all cases, a shading of 100% is black.

You can apply the setting to:

• All cells in the table
• The selected cells only
• The complete column or columns containing the selected cells, or
• The complete row or rows containing the selected cells

Define the background color of the cell

Select the cells to act on and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Cell Color'.

The 'Cell Color Parameters' dialog displays. Click on the Set Color button to display the 'Color' dialog, on which you select a basic color or define a more specific color.

When you have selected the color, click on the OK button.

You can apply the setting to:

• All cells in the table
• The selected cells only
• The complete column or columns containing the selected cells, or
• The complete row or rows containing the selected cells

Vertically align text in cells

Select the cells to act on and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Cell Vertical Align'.

The 'Cell Vertical Alignment' dialog displays, on which you select to align the text in the selected cells by the top, center or bottom of the cell or the baseline of the lowest top line of text.

Text in a table defaults to being aligned with the top of the cell and, as you type it in, it scrolls downwards. You can change this alignment to the center or bottom of the cell so that text scrolls out from the center or up from the bottom of the cell.

If you have special formatting - such as 'before-paragraph' spacing - you can align the text to the base of the lowest first line (the baseline), so that text in a row of cells is aligned with the special formatted text rather than with the top or bottom of the cell. If the special formatting is changed or removed, the text remains aligned.

You can apply the setting to:

• All cells in the table
• The selected cells only
• The complete column or columns containing the selected cells, or
• The complete row or rows containing the selected cells

Rotate the text of a cell to display vertically

Select the cells to act on and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Cell Rotate Text'.

The 'Cell Text Rotation' dialog displays, on which you select to display text vertically up the cell, vertically down the cell or, if the text is already vertical, horizontally across the cell,

Text in a table defaults to running horizontally across the cell from left to right, and scrolling down the cell from top to bottom. You can change the text position so that the text is rotated through 90 degrees to display:

• From top to bottom, scrolling across the cell from right to left, or
• From bottom to top, scrolling across the cell from left to right

If the text is running horizontally, you can type as much as you need - the row height increases to accommodate the text. If the text is running vertically, you adjust the row height and column width manually to accommodate your text.

You can apply the setting to:

• All cells in the table
• The selected cells only
• The complete column or columns containing the selected cells, or
• The complete row or rows containing the selected cells

Select a column

Click on a cell and select the option 'Document-Edit > Paragraph > Table > Select Current Column'.

The whole column is highlighted and selected for further formatting.

Show gridlines

Show or hide grid lines for the current table. Note that, for printing purposes, 'Border Width' must be set to a non-zero value.