PREPARING GOOD LOOKING DOCUMENTS
Table Talk: Using tables in Word
Peter Murdoch
March 2014
The University of Adelaide
Table Talk: Using tables in Word
The thoughtful and effective use of tables can help to
provide for the easier interpretation and clearer
understanding of information.
Tables, simply described, are a collection of cells to
hold data which are arranged in groups as rows and
columns.
Slide 1
The University of Adelaide
Using tables for data or layout
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The University of Adelaide
Using tables for data or layout
• Data tables
– Insert a table manually or copy & paste from another file
– Convert tab delimited text (or csv)
– Tables can include text, number and graphic data
• Presentation and structure tables
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To
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control alignment (not using tabs and spaces)
keep related content together
control layout in instructions/procedures or forms
show hierarchies of grouping and order
• Page layout tables
– Structure to arrange the various elements on the page
– Controlling page layout can introduce difficulties
Slide 3
The University of Adelaide
Determining table size/dimensions
Right-click
Slide 4
The University of Adelaide
Determining table size/dimensions
• Calculating overall table size
– Table dimensions – total number of rows & columns
– Converting tabbed text - equal number of tabs in all rows
– Converting text files - watch out for CR and LF
• Setting table dimensions
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'Table Tools' ribbon, or 'Table Properties'
Table width, row height, column width, cell width
Enter measurements in any format
Copy/paste table into 'portrait' page - hidden cells
Add new row/column – end cell, copy/paste, Table Tools
Remove row/column - select & hit Backspace
To adjust positioning – have 'Ruler' selected in 'View'
The University of Adelaide
Determining table size/dimensions
Slide 6
The University of Adelaide
Determining table size/dimensions
• Merging cells
– Highlight all the cells to combine, right click and select
'Merge Cells'
– When merging, the contents of the cells combine and
take on the styles of the first cell in the sequence.
– Take care about when you merge data cells, to avoid
having to 'split' a lot of cells for adjustments later.
Slide 7
The University of Adelaide
Controlling table rows and columns
Slide 8
The University of Adelaide
Controlling table rows and columns
• Adjusting rows and columns
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'Table Properties' or 'Layout' ribbon
Fixed or fluid row height & column width – grow/shrink
Fixed in size - content disappears on bottom edge
Cell spacing & cell padding - easier to read, visual appeal
Allow rows to break across pages or not – break content
• Adding and deleting rows and columns
– Add rows/columns - right-click, ribbon, or copy/paste
– Copy whole row/column, pastes in front, uses size of
selected row/column – number of cells must match
– Delete rows/columns - select and hit 'Backspace'
Slide 9
The University of Adelaide
Controlling table rows and columns
• Controlling styling in table cells
– Adding tabs into a table cell - use Ctrl + Tab
– Bullets - use button on the 'Home' ribbon
– Paragraph settings within cells (tab placement,
indenting) - use 'Paragraph' dialog box or the Ruler
– Copy paragraph formatting with 'Format Painter' tool not for border and shading styles
Slide 10
The University of Adelaide
Adding borders and shading
Borders and shading can be used to add colour and
interest to a table, to help improve the readability by
grouping related information or by separating
individual rows of data, and to focus attention on key
data by highlighting it.
http://www.behance.net/gallery/Designing-Effective-Data-Tables/885004
Slide 11
The University of Adelaide
Adding borders and shading
• Borders
– Using the Borders and Shading dialog box
– Top, bottom, left, right, and/or middle borders; relative
to the cells selected
– Controlling borders can be trial and error
– Watch out for duplicated borders on abutting tables
• Shading
– Be wary of colours - when printed in black on white
– Examples - see Designing Effective Data Tables
• Table styles
– pre-defined table styles - apply and modify to suit
– create your own table style - consistent presentation
Slide 12
The University of Adelaide
Using basic functions
Ctrl + F9
to insert field
Alt + F9
to toggle field
code & value
Slide 13
The University of Adelaide
Using basic functions
• Calculation functions
– Mathematical operations - counting, addition,
subtraction, multiplication & division
– Numeric picture switch – display fractions & percentages
– Caution re ABOVE, BELOW, LEFT & RIGHT parameters –
use cell list (a1,a2,a3) or range (a1:a4) instead
– In Word, functions (e.g. IF) are a special type of 'field' use Ctrl + F9 to add field markers
• Interactivity
– Use form 'controls' to include basic interactivity calculate a result, display a response
– Select from a list of choices - use Submit button
– Example – STP Module 3: Learning Environments
Slide 14
The University of Adelaide
Tables for merge documents
Creating merge documents requires setting up a main
document that contains static information and
placeholders (mergefields) for changing information.
The changing information is stored in a data
document, as records in a table, which is then linked
dynamically to the main document.
Slide 15
The University of Adelaide
Tables for merge documents
• Merge documents
– Labels, letters, certificates & catalog lists
– Set up data & main files separately, or both via main doc
• Setting up the data file
– Plain data file - easy to edit; format in main document
– Include a header row - field names - easy to understand
– Avoid tabs and paragraph returns in data cells
• Setting up the main document
– Use a 'Create' option in the 'Mailings' ribbon, or
– click on 'Start Mail Merge' and select 'Step by Step
Mail Merge Wizard'
Slide 16
The University of Adelaide
Tables for merge documents
• Setting up the main document
– Select the type of main document
– Link to your data file
– Set up main document - add merge field placeholders
from field name list
– Format main document, applying styling to fonts,
paragraphs etc.
– Preview the merge results
– Merge to - new document, printer, or PDF
Slide 17
The University of Adelaide
Summary
The effective use of tables can have a great impact on
the readability of your document and the clear
presentation of your content.
As well as providing structure for layout and assisting
the logical interpretation of data, tables can also be
used to support basic calculations on collected data, to
provide simple interactivity within documents for
students, and to individualise documents with specific
data using the features of mail merge.
Slide 18
The University of Adelaide
Thank You
© The University of Adelaide 2014
Slide 19
The University of Adelaide