Section 9.2. Moving Around a Table

9.2. Moving Around a Table

Working with tables, columns , rows, and cells is different from working with plain text. Still, you want to do the same things, such as select bits and pieces so that you can copy, move or delete them. And when you type in text and numbers , you want to be able to move around the table, preferably without taking your hands off the keyboard.

If you're rapidly entering text in an empty table, the best way to move from cell to cell is with the Tab key. Just hit Tab when you're finished typing in a cell. Word selects the next cell , and you can continue typing. It's important to note that the cursor doesn't just move to the next cell; everything in the cell is selected, so if text is already in there, Word deletes it when you start typing. If you want to move backward, use Shift+Tab.

The arrow keys work pretty much as you'd expect, moving the insertion point one character at a time through your document. When you get to the point between two columns, the insertion point hops over to the next cell. The up and down arrows behave in a similar way. The up arrow moves the insertion point to the next line of text above it; that line may be in the same cell, or it may be in the row above.

Here are some keyboard shortcuts you can use to move around and work in your table:

Command	Keyboard Shortcut
Select next cell	Tab
Select previous cell	Shift+Tab
Move to first cell in a row	Alt+Home
Move to last cell in a row	Alt+End
Move to last cell in a column	Alt+PageDn
Move to first cell in a column	Alt+PageUp
Create new paragraphs in a cell	Enter
Insert tabs in a cell	Ctrl+Tab