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help v.t.. 1. Provide (person etc.) with means towards what is needed or sought, be of use or service to (person, or abs.). 2. n. Action of helping or being helped; person or thing that helps. [OE helpan, = OS helpan,.OHG helfan, ON hjalpa, Goth. hilpan f Gmc *help-, *halp-, *hulp- ].

 

Tables

  
     
Overview

Tables provide a particularly useful way of formatting information for your reader. In the days of typewriters, columns of information were aligned using tabs. Although some people still use tabs (I'm not sure why), tables provide a much quicker way of aligning text in columns. They are also more reliable than tabs and can be adjusted or reformatted quickly if you need to make changes to the width of columns of information.

Whenever you are thinking of using tabs, use a table instead. The only place you should think of using tabs is in a footer. (We'll talk more about this later).

 
Preformatted Scribe Tables

The Scribe Template provides preformatted tables that enable you to create two, three and four column tables in the Scribe format. These tables are preformatted to align with blocks. The tables are also preformatted with column headings (Arial, bold, 9pt, centred) and cells (Normal style).

 
Create a Preformatted Scribe Table

Scribe tables are one of the few pages elements that are created outside blocks.

To create a preformatted two column table:

  1. Click on a paragraph mark at the left hand end of a block line.
  2. Click on Scribe on the menu bar. (The Scribe menu will open).
  3. In the Scribe menu, click on Two Column Table. (A pre-formatted two column table will be added to your page).
  

Insert a Row

 The Insert Row button inserts a row in your table above the row in which the cursor is located.

To insert a row:

  1. Click in the row below where you want a row to be inserted.
    2.
  2. On the Scribe toolbar, click the Insert Row button .
    3.

Note: You can also insert a row using shortcut keys. Hit Ctrl+Shift+I on your keyboard to insert a row.

 

Delete a Row

 To delete a row:
  1. Click in the row you want to delete.
    2.
  2. On the Scribe toolbar, click the Delete Row button . (The row will be deleted).
    3.
Note: You can also delete a row using shortcut keys. Hit Ctrl+Shift+D on your keyboard to delete a row. 		 
Add a Column

Occasionally, you may need to add an additional column to a table.

To add a column:

  1. Click in a column just to the left or right of the location at which you want to add a column.
    2.
  2. Click Table on the menu bar. (The Table menu will open).
    3.
  3. In the Table menu, hover over Insert. (The Insert fly-out menu will open).
    4.
  4. In the Insert fly-out menu, click on Columns to the Left or Columns to the Right depending on where you want the new column to be added. (The column will be added to your table).
 
Resize Columns on the Page MSWord provides a number of ways to resize columns. The method you choose will depend on what you are trying to achieve. To resize columns on the page:
  1. Click in the column you want to resize.
    2.
  2. Hover over the vertical line or gridlinethat divides the columns you want to resize. When you are correctly over the line, your cursor will change to .
    3.
  3. Click and drag the line to resize the column.
    4.
 
Resize Columns on the Ruler You can resize columns using the ruler at the top of the page. To resize columns using the ruler:
  1. Click anywhere in the table you want to work on.
    2.
  2. Hover over the column indicator on the ruler at the top of the page. (The cursor will change to a double-headed arrow).

  1. Click and drag the column indicator along the ruler until your column is the right size.
Note: Formatting columns in this way affects the right margin of the page.		  
Resize Columns with AutoFit MSWord provides the option to make columns of equal width automatically. To do this:
  1. Click and drag over the columns you want to be equal width.
    2.
  2. Click Table on the menu bar. (The Table menu will open).
    3.
  3. In the Table menu, click AutoFit. (The AutoFit fly-out menu will open).
    4.
  4. In the AutoFit fly-out menu, click Distribute Columns Evenly. (The columns you have selected will be formatted to equal width).
  

Merge Cells

 MSWord allows you to combine (or merge) cells that are next to each other. To merge cells:
  1. Click and drag across the cells you want to merge.
    2.
  2. On the Scribe toolbar, click the Merge Cells button . (The cells will be merged).
    3.
 

Split a Cell/s

 MSWord also allows you to split a cell or cells into rows and columns. To split a cell:
  1. Click in the cell you want to split.
    2.
  2. On the Scribe toolbar, click the Split Cells button . (The Split Cells dialogue box will open).
    3.
  3. In the Split Cells dialogue box, enter the number of rows and columns you want.
    4.
  4. Click OK.
    5.
 

Split a Table

 The Split Table function can be used to split long tables when they fall across pages. It can also be used to split two blocks that have become combined into a table. To split a table:
  1. Click in the row below the location at which you want the split to occur.
    2.
  2. On the Scribe toolbar, click on the Split Table button .
    3.
Note: The Scribe Template also enables you to split a table using shortcut keys. The shortcut key combination is Ctrl+Shift+X. 		 

Add Borders to Cells

 MSWord allows you to switch cell and table borders on and off to change the appearance of a table when it is printed. To add borders to cells:
  1. On the Scribe toolbar, click on the down arrow beside the Borders button.
(The Borders fly-out menu will open).
  1. In the Borders fly-out menu Click on the buttons to add or remove cell borders as required.

  

Add Borders to All Cells

 To add borders to all the cells in a table:
  1. Click and drag across the entire table to select all the cells (or click and drag over the cells you want to be surrounded by borders).
    2.
  2. On the Scribe toolbar, click on the down arrow beside the Borders button.
(The Borders fly-out menu will open).
  1. In the Borders fly-out menu, click the All Borders button . (Borders will be added to all the cells you have selected).
    2.
 
Remove Borders from All Cells To remove borders from all the cells in a table:
  1. Click and drag across the entire table to select all the cells (or click and drag over the cells from which you wish to remove borders.
    2.
  2. On the Scribe toolbar, click on the down arrow beside the Borders button. (The Borders fly-out menu will open).
    3.
(The Borders fly-out menu will open).
  1. In the Borders fly-out menu, click the No Borders button
    2. .
 
 
Click here if you need further help.
  
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