Using Tables to Structure Text


Microsoft Office Specialist: Create and modify tables

Sometimes you can use a table in Word to create elements of a document not normally thought of as tables. For example, you can use a table to create a letterhead or fax cover sheet form. By using the table structure, you can more easily manipulate blocks of text that appear side by side, because they are contained in different cells of the table. In this topic, you ll create a simple header for a business travel expense form.

Converting Text into a Table

Suppose you want to create a travel expense form that consists of a letterhead displayed in a table, followed by a form. In this section, you will first create the letterhead with text, and then you ll convert it into a table. (You ll add the form later in the chapter.) Follow these steps to create the letterhead in a new document:

  1. On the Standard toolbar, click the New Blank Document button to open a new, blank document.

  2. Type IN THE BAG , press Tab , type Business Travel Expenses , and press Enter .

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    Other ways to convert text to a table

    Another way to create a table from text is to click the DrawTable button on the Tables andBorders toolbar and drag theDraw Table tool diagonally across the text. If you want to convert very simple text to a table ”such as single words or numbers that are separated by tabs ”you can select the text and then click theInsert Table button.

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    Converting a table into text

    To convert a table to tabular text, select the entire table, and on the Table menu, click Convert and then Table to Text. Indicate how you want Word to separate the columnar information, and click OK. Word removes the table grid and separates the text as you indicated.

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  3. Select the paragraph containing the text.

  4. On the Table menu, click Convert and then Text to Table .

    The Convert Text to Table dialog box shown in this graphic opens:

  5. In the Table size area, make sure the Number of columns setting is 2 .

  6. In the AutoFit behavior area, select the AutoFit to window option.

    This option tells Word to make the table to be as wide as the text area of your document.

  7. In the Separate text at area, check that the Tabs option is selected, and then click OK .

    Word converts the text to a table.

  8. Click away from the table to release the selection.

    Your table looks like the one shown in this graphic:

    click to expand
  9. Save the document as Travel Expenses Form .

Shading a Table Cell

The letterhead doesn t look like much yet, so let s add some formatting to jazz it up a bit. First, we ll add some dark shading to one of the cells and make the text stand out within it. Follow these steps:

  1. Select the text in the first cell, and change its font to 48-point, bold Arial.

  2. On the Tables and Borders toolbar, click the Shading Color button s down arrow, and click Black (the first option in the fourth row) on the drop-down color chart.

    Word changes the background to black, although you cannot see this effect because your text is still selected.

  3. On the Format menu, click Font .

  4. Click the down arrow at the right end of the Font color text box, and click White on the drop-down color chart.

  5. In the Effects area, select the Small caps check box, and then click OK .

  6. Click away from the table to see the results.

Changing Character Spacing

Another useful technique when setting up display elements such as letterheads is the ability to adjust the spacing between characters in a word. For example, you can change the character spacing between the letters in the company name , In the Bag . Follow these steps to make this adjustment in the travel expenses letterhead:

  1. Select the company name, and then on the Format menu, click Font , and click the Character Spacing tab.

  2. Click the down arrow at the right end of the Spacing box, and on the drop-down list, click Expanded .

  3. Change the By setting to 7.5 pt , and then click OK .

  4. Click away from the table to see the results.

    Your table now looks like the one shown in the graphic on the next page.

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Changing Text Alignment in a Table Cell

Now you want to format the second column of the header by adjusting the way the text aligns with the cell. By default, table text is horizontally aligned to the left, but you can also center or right-align it. By default it is vertically aligned at the top of its cell, but you can also center or bottom-align it. Follow these steps to modify the text in the second cell:

  1. Select the text in the second cell, and change its font to 14- point Times New Roman.

  2. On the Tables and Borders toolbar, click the Align button s down arrow, and then click the Align Center Left button.

    Now you will adjust the column widths.

  3. Select the first column, and on the Table menu, click Table Properties .

  4. Click the Column tab.

    Word displays the options shown in this graphic:

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    More text-alignment tools for tables

    In addition to the many options available when you click theAlign button, several other text- alignment buttons are available on the Tables and Borders tool- bar. For example, you can rotate the text within its cell by selecting it and clicking the ChangeText Direction button. To return the text to its default settings, select the cell, rotate it so that its text reads from left to right, and then click the Align button and select Align Top Left.

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  5. Change the Preferred width setting to 5 and the Measure in setting to Inches .

  6. Click the Next Column button, change the Preferred width setting to 1" , and click OK.

  7. Press Ctrl+End to move the insertion point to the end of the document, releasing the selection.

    Your table now looks like the one shown in this graphic:

    click to expand
  8. Click the Tables and Borders button to close the Tables and Borders toolbar.

  9. Save the document.




Online Traning Solutions - Quick Course in Microsoft Word 2002
Online Traning Solutions - Quick Course in Microsoft Word 2002
ISBN: N/A
EAN: N/A
Year: 2003
Pages: 74

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