[Originally appeared 2000.]
We continue the series of columns on tables started in Word of Law No. 20. Of the ten questions listed in that issue, we have covered the first four. The next question asked how organizations can standardize the formatting of tables in their Word documents. Regular readers of this column might wonder how that question could be answered without exploring the answer to the eighth question, “How should styles be used in tables?”
In fact, it has taken enormous restraint to write about tables without explaining the potential for paragraph styles. So, let’s address that question next. In the course of addressing it, we will touch on issues that relate to several of the table formatting questions.
For this discussion, please read or reread first the Seven Laws of Styles in Word of Law No. 1. Please note that references to “styles” here mean paragraph styles.
Following these rules, styles enable Word to apply consistent formatting to paragraphs that have the same function. Named and applied consistently, paragraph styles also allow the formatting of documents or components of documents to be transformed to meet the formatting standards of different groups within an organization. Can this approach work for tables?
To answer that question, we need to understand what aspects of the formatting of a table, its cells and the contents of its cells can or should be controlled by styles. This gets quite intricate and is aimed at master users, help desk staff and developers.
First, we need to understand where the paragraphs are in tables. Each table cell contains at least one paragraph. If the view settings show paragraph marks, an empty table cell (as well as the end of row marker) shows a table cell marker symbol (a circle with 4 small straight lines pointing outward at about 2:00, 4:00, 8:00 and 10:00 viewed as a clock face). A table cell may contain multiple paragraphs. If it does, then the paragraph marks for all but the last paragraph in the cell appear as the standard paragraph mark character.
If no direct formatting has been applied to the paragraphs in table cells, they will have the formatting characteristics of the style that has been applied to them. These include font, line spacing, spacing before and after, tabs, left and right indents, first line indent and alignment. They could also include borders and shading and numbering. These settings apply to each paragraph. If a cell only contains one paragraph, they will apply to that paragraph. If it contains multiple paragraphs, they will apply to all of the paragraphs.
Table cells have several formatting settings that can overlap or interact with these paragraph based settings. These include borders and shading and cell height and width. These settings apply to the cell as a whole.
When an empty table is inserted into a document, Word applies to each paragraph of the table the formatting of the paragraph in which the table was inserted. For instance, if a table is inserted in a paragraph to which Body Text Indent style has been applied, and Body Text Indent has a font of 12 point Bembo, left and right indents of 1 inch and space before and after of 6 points, then each of the cells in the table will inherit the application of the style and most of the formatting. The fonts, tabs and line spacing are inherited without change. The left indent and first line indent are reset to 0 automatically in the table, using direct formatting. A more dramatic instance of this inheritance occurs if the paragraph or style had numbering applied. Then all of the cells in the table will inherit the numbering. These behaviors are the same in Word 97 and Word 2000.
The paragraph settings applied to the table cells include both those from the style applicable to the paragraph in which the table is inserted and any direct formatting applied to that paragraph.
We can begin to draw some conclusions from these observations. First, styles used outside of tables are not likely to work properly in tables. Indents and tab settings that work in the body of a document can throw a table completely out of whack. Thus, tables will need their own set of styles. Styles for tables should not control borders and shading. Those should be controlled by the table cell formatting.
Second, insertion of a table in any paragraph that has special formatting or numbering applied will have unintended consequences (at least) in the table. We hope that those troubleshooting table formatting will find this explanation of table formats helpful.
A safe starting point for inserting a table is to first insert an empty paragraph and apply Normal style to it. Then insert the table. Select a desired format for the table with Table AutoFormat.
Yes, these instructions violate two of the Laws of Styles. In fact, observing the Laws of Styles helps make this strategy work. Normal Style should have the least possible formatting settings, perhaps only the base font for the document. This approach does not achieve all the goals for standardizing table formats in an organization, but it may help keep many users out of trouble.
We will continue the exploration of tables in the next column.
This 2000 article originally appeared in Office Watch. Subscribe to Office Watch free at http://www.office-watch.com/.