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Smart & Easy Software Tips: Word Table Tricks-September 2004, #2
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Smart & Easy Software Tips, Tricks & Techniques
September 2004 - Issue 2
Publisher: Dawn Bjork Buzbee mailto:Dawn@SoftwarePro.com
The Software Pro (tm), Microsoft Certified Office Expert
http://www.SoftwarePro.com

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IN THIS ISSUE - Microsoft Word: Table Tricks & Tips-Part 1

1. Adding Text Above Tables
2. Easy Table Select Button
3. The Best Ways to Size Columns & Rows
4. What is the Exact Size?

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Microsoft Word tables are a powerful and flexible tool for
improving the look and layout of text. Here are some techniques
that make it even easier to use tables in your Word documents.

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1. Adding Text Above Tables
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Oops! Now you have a great table at the top of your document
but forgot to add room for text. If you hit [Enter], the new
line is added to the table. The simple solution: 1) press [Ctrl]
+ [Home] to move to the top of the document, 2) then press
together: [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [Enter] to automatically add a new
blank line above the table.

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2. Easy Table Select Button
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Move into any location in a table and look above the upper-left
corner for a four-sided arrow button. How can you use this
button?

* Click once to select the table and then apply formatting.
* Click and hold once and move your mouse to move the table
(another solution when you need a blank line above your table)
* Double-click to open the Table Properties dialog box for
changes to the table, rows, columns, and cells.

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3. The Best Way to Size Columns & Rows
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When you want to re-size a column or row did you know that your
results depend on where you go to change the width or height?

There are 2 basic approaches: changing column or row sizes
inside the table or in the ruler at the top or left of your
document. What should you pick when you want to, for instance,
change a column width?

* Inside the table: re-size a column by dragging the right edge
of a column. This technique doesn't change the overall width of
the table, and so, the new width will add or remove the space
from other columns, usually the column immediately to the
right. By the way, re-size any row by dragging the bottom edge
of the row.

* In the ruler: click into any location in a table and the
ruler at the top displays gray, square dividers between columns.
Move your mouse up to any of these and drag left or right to
change the column width of the column to the left of the
divider. The result: the overall width of the table changes but
no other columns will need to adjust to accommodate the new
width.

Careful: either of these techniques applies either to the
entire column (or row) unless specific cells are selected and
then only those will be re-sized.

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4. What is the Exact Size?
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Okay, so now you have some great ways to size the columns and
rows in your table, but how big are they? Try this cool trick:
hold down the [Alt] key while sizing/dragging the column width
or row height. Regardless of your approach, the ruler will
display the current size in inches which helps you compare
multiple areas in a table and helps you pick the right size.

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Please pass this along to others who may appreciate it!
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Dawn Bjork Buzbee
The Software Pro (tm)
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Englewood, CO 80155-5319 USA
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