Tables are objects you can add to your document to help organize text and other content on a page. It's simply a container that works very much like a closet organizer or that tray in your silverware drawer: it provides separate space for each of your important items so that things are easy to find, and helps you fit more without crowding.

You can add tables to your document to display text and data, to create simple and professional forms that others complete electronically, or to help organize the elements on a page for complex documents like presentations and report.

To insert a new table into your document, first click to place your insertion point where you want the table to appear. Next, go to the Insert menu and choose Table.

You can create a table even more quickly by using the Insert Table button in the Table group located in the Insert tab.

The Insert Table dialog will be displayed:

Here you can fix the number of columns and rows you need for the table and then different settings to personalize it like Table Format and options related to Borders (Width, Style, Color) and Cells (Padding, Vertical and Horizontal Align) which became visible once you select Custom in the dialog. You click OK and the table appears in the document at the present position of the cursor.

Tables have a feature called gridlines, which enable you to see the structure of the table but do not print. Seeing the table's structure can save you time and make it easier to edit and format it. If you don't see gridlines on your tables, click Show Gridlines on the Table menu.

Getting around in your table is just as easy. Just click in any cell. If you prefer using the keyboard, press TAB to move forward one cell at a time and SHIFT+TAB to move backward one cell at a time. You can also use the arrow keys to move throughout the table.

If you right-click you will see all the options you have in order to make changes to your table: Undo, Redo, Cut, Copy, Paste, Insert, Delete, Span, AutoFormat Table, Absolute Positioning, Convert to Repeating Row, Properties.

To add text to any cell in your table, simply click in the cell and begin typing. When you finish typing the text you need in any cell, you can press the TAB key to move to the next cell.

You can delete a column or row (the ones where the cursor is placed), even the entire table with the option Delete.

Option Insert refers to add a row above or below, a column at right or left the one/ones where the cursor is, or to add header row or footer row in case they aren't visible from the format you choose.

AutoFormat Table gives you the opportunity to change the table's format when you need to.

You can format columns, rows and cells individually. They can have different properties.

Span property allows you to increase/decrease row or column span.

Choosing Absolute Positioning for your table will place it at the exact pixel you specify or are specified by default.

A table can be static or dynamic. Convert to Repeating Row transforms a table from a static into a dynamic one by repeating rows according to XML input.

Tables can be transparent, colored and have background images. To set these properties or any other properties you want, right-click on the table and select Properties.

In the left side of your document it will be displayed the Properties dialog bar which contains different other fields regarding option for you to edit your table like : Alignment & Indentation, Background, Borders, Font, Hyphenation, Keeps & Breaks, Margins, Miscellaneous, Padding, Positioning and Signature.

You can insert a table in a table and handle each-one's property individually.

You can also insert a picture or graphic into a table cell just as you do in the body of your document, by pasting or using the options on the Insert menu.

Note:

See also:

      Properties, Table Tools