Learning Objectives

By the end of this session, students are expected to be able to:

Create a table in Microsoft Word

Edit tables in Microsoft Word

Format tables in Microsoft Word

Create a table of contents by using table of contents fields in Microsoft Word

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Tables allow large amounts of text and/or numbers to be presented in an organized and easy-to-read fashion.

Word has created an entire menu to help assist you in creating your first table.

A few important terms to know before you begin creating tables are

Row – A row runs horizontal in a table and is divided by borders.

Borders – Separating lines in the table.

Column – A column runs perpendicular in a table and is divided by borders.

Cell – A cell is the box that is created when your rows and your columns intersect each other. The cell contains your data or information.

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Click Table on the Menu Bar.

Select Insert and then Table from the cascading menu.

The ‘Insert Table’ dialog box appears.

Determine the number of columns and rows you need in your table.

You can add more columns later, but it is easier to insert the correct number of columns from the start.

For the number of rows, it is easier to add them later by pressing Tab at the end of a row.

To create a table as wide as your page, leave the ‘Fixed Column Width’ setting on Auto

Click OK.

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Creating Tables Using the Insert Table Button

Another automated way to create a quick table is by using the Insert Table button on the standard Toolbar

Click the Insert Tool Table button

Drag the number of columns and rows you want in your table.

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Custom-Made Tables

The ‘Insert Table’ dialog box and ‘Insert Table’ button offer a quick solution to making tables.

If you would like to custom create your table by drawing it yourself, you can use the ‘Draw Table’ button.

Creating Tables Using the Draw Tables Button

Open the Tables and Borders toolbar by clicking View on the Menu Bar

Select Toolbars and then Tables and Borders from the cascading menu.

The ‘Tables and Borders’ toolbar will appear.

Click the Draw Tables button on the Tables and Borders toolbar.

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The mouse pointer turns into a pencil.

Drag the pencil to create a rectangle about the size of the table you want.

Release the mouse button.

The border of the table appears in your document.

Use the pencil again to draw in column and row borders.

Click the Draw Table button again to change the pencil back into a cursor.

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Erasing Rows and Columns

If you make a mistake while drawing your table, you can erase both rows and columns by using the Eraser on the Tables and Borders toolbar.

Once you select the Eraser, the pointer will change to resemble the Eraser button.

Drag the Eraser over parts of the table you wish to erase.

When you are finished erasing, click the Eraser button again to put the Eraser away.

Enter text.

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Entering Text in a Table

Click inside any table cell to begin entering text or numbers.

Moving a Table Around

Use the Tab key or right arrow key to move right.

Use Shift + Tab or the left arrow key to move left.

The up and down arrow keys will move the insertion point above or below its current location.

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Selecting Text in Tables

A cell: triple click inside cell

A row: Move mouse to left of margins, point to the row, and click.

Multiple rows: Select the first row, click and drag the number of rows desired.

A column: Move the mouse above the column. It turns into a downward pointing arrow. Click once.

Multiple columns: Select the first column, click and drag the number of columns desired.

Entire Table: Choose Table and Select Table from the menu bar

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Selecting Cells

To act on a group of cells they must first be selected.

To select a cell or group of cells use the selection arrow.

This is shown when the cursor is placed near a left cell edge or the top of a column.

In a new document, create table 5 columns by 5 rows.

Select the first cell by moving near to its left edge and clicking the left mouse button when the arrow is displayed, as in the diagram.

Move the mouse down and click again to remove the selection.

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Table

Select the second column by moving near to the top edge of the column and clicking the mouse when the selection arrow is displayed.

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Select the entire third row by double clicking when the arrow is displayed at the edge of any cell in the row or by clicking once when the arrow is in the Selection bar on the left.

Select the nine cells in the middle of the table by clicking and dragging.

Close the document without saving.

To select a row/column, position the cursor within the row/column then use Table, Select Row/Column.

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Once you have created your table, you may find that you need to format text within your table, insert or delete rows and columns, or perhaps just change the appearance of your table so that it is more visually appealing.

Formatting Text in Tables

Formatting text within a table can be accomplished through a variety of means, including the Formatting menu, the Tables and Borders toolbar, the Task Pane and keyboard shortcuts.

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To rotate text in a table cell to make it run vertically, face right or left:

Select the cell(s) you want to rotate.

Click the Change Text Direction button

on the ‘Tables and Borders’ toolbar.

Clicking the Change Text Direction button once turns text to the vertically left, the second click turns text to vertically right, and the third click will bring your text back to a horizontal position

The insertion point rotates when entering vertical text, but editing vertical text is really no different than editing horizontal text

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Inserting and Deleting Columns and Rows

Estimating how many rows and columns you will need in a table is not always easy.

Therefore, it is important to know how to insert and delete rows and columns in your existing table.

Add rows to a table

Move the insertion point to the last cell in the table and press Tab.

Insert rows in the middle of the table

Place the insertion point anywhere in the table.

Choose Table Insert Rows above

OR

Rows below

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Delete rows

Select the row(s) you want to delete.

Choose Table Delete Rows

OR

right-click and choose Table Delete Rows from the shortcut menu

Delete single table cell

Place the insertion point inside the cell you wish to delete.

Choose Table Delete Cells from the menu bar

The ‘Delete Cells’ dialog box appears.

Click Shift cells left, Shift cells up, Delete entire row, or Delete entire column

Insert a column

Position the mouse pointer where you want the column to be located.

Choose Table  Insert Columns to the Right

or Insert Columns to the Left.

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The insertion point changes to a ‘double-headed arrow’.

Drag the border either left or right or up and down.

To automatically adjust the size, select the entire Table and then choose Table  AutoFit AutoFit to Content.

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AutoFormat

Just as Word offers document templates for memos, faxes, reports and other items, Word also offers templates for tables.

To use AutoFormat

Create your table.

Click anywhere in the table.

Go to the toolbar and select Table and then Table AutoFormat.

The ‘Table AutoFormat’ dialog box appears.

Scroll through the Table Styles until you find a table you like.

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You can preview the Table Style in the Preview Box.

Check and uncheck the options in the ‘Apply special Formats’ to sections to slightly change parts of your table.

Check out your changes using the ‘Preview’ box.

Click the New button to customize your own table style.

Click the Modify button to change parts of an existing table style.

Click OK

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Adding Borders

Many of the tables in the ‘AutoFormat’ dialog box use unique borders and shading options.

To add these special features to your own table, you can use the ‘Tables and Borders’ toolbar.

To change line style or line weight on an existing table

Click the drop down arrows (next to the buttons) to view and select from the list of choices.

The mouse pointer turns into a pencil

Trace the line(s) you want to change.

Click anywhere outside the table to change to pencil back into the cursor.

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To change the border color on an existing table

Click the drop down arrow next to the Border Color button.

A color menu appears.

Select a color.

The cursor becomes the pencil.

Using the pencil, trace the border(s) that you want to color

To apply a border

Select the Line Style, Line Weight, and Border Color you would like.

Select the cells you want bordered.

Click the Outside Border button drop down menu and choose the location of your border.

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Add Shading

Select or place the insertion point inside the cell(s) you want shaded.

Click the Shading Color button drop down arrow.

A shading color menu appears.

Click on a color.

Your cell(s) are automatically shaded

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Changing Column Width

Open the document Table.

Select ViewRuler to display the ruler if it is not already on the screen.

Move the cursor into the table. When inside the table the ruler shows the table column divides as symbols within the ruler.

A column width can be changed by clicking on the divide, then dragging to a new position before releasing the mouse button.

A double-headed arrow appears when the mouse pointer is over the division.

Column width, cell size and text alignment can be changed from the column and cell tabs. (fig. table properties)

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Place the insertion point in front of the heading.

You want to add a Table of Contents field here so that it will appear in the table of contents.

Press Alt + Shift + O (the letter O, not the number 0) to mark the selected text as a table of contents entry.

The ‘Mark Table of Contents Entry’ dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 14 on following pages.

Now you need to enter what you want to appear in the table of contents entry.

Type in the entry box.

Next, you need to specify the level of the table of contents entry by clicking the Level list.

If you want this table of contents entry to appear at the top level of the table of contents, you don’t need to change the ‘Level list 4’.

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Click Mark and then close.

If you want to add another table of contents field here, spot the text you want to appear in the table of contents field.

Highlight it before pressing Alt + Shift + O

The ‘Mark Table of Contents Entry’ dialog box reappears.

Since you selected the text before pressing Alt + Shift + O, you don’t have to type a table of contents entry, but you still need to specify the table of contents level.

Type 3 in the ‘Level box’ and click Mark then close.

You’ve just created a level 3 table of contents entry

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Creating a Table of Contents based on Table of Contents Entries

Press Ctrl + Home to go to the beginning of the document.

You have to delete the old table of contents before you can insert the new one.

Select the table of contents.

Right-click the table of contents and select Toggle Fields Codes from the shortcut menu.

This is the field code that tells Word to create a table of contents.

By displaying the field code, you can easily delete the table of contents.

Delete the table of contents field code by selecting it and pressing the Delete key.

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Insert the new table of contents.

Select Insert → Reference → Index and Tables from the menu

Click the Table of Contents tab if necessary.

The ‘Index and Tables’ dialog box appears with the Table of Contents tab in front.

By default, Word builds the table of contents using any heading styles it finds in a document, so you have to specify that you want to build the table of contents using table of contents fields.

To do this, you need to click the Options button first.

The ‘Table of Contents Options’ dialog box appears.

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You can specify how you want to build your table of contents, from:

Styles: This option builds a table of contents based on the heading styles in your document.

Outline levels: This option builds a table of contents based on text marked with outline levels in your document, instead of, or in addition to, styles

Table entry fields: This option builds a table of contents based on any table of contents entries you’ve defined.

Both: By checking more than one checkbox, you can build a table of contents that includes both options in your document.

Uncheck the Styles, and Outline levels options. Check the Table entry fields checkbox, click OK, and OK again.

Word builds a new table of contents based on the fields you inserted in the document

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Fig 14

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