You can create tables in your web pages to better display data visually. The Table Properties dialog box lets you configure the table size, display properties and other settings.
The Table Properties tab allows you to configure the table dimensions and how the table appears in the document. It contains these options:
Rows: Number of rows in the table. If you are using a header, the header row is included as one of the rows entered in this field.
Columns: Number of columns in the table.
Width: Width of the table cells. By default, this value is expressed in pixels. You can also specify a variety of other units. For example, you can enter 1 in for inches. Entering the width as a percent value lets you set the proportion of the editing area that the table occupies.
By default, the width of a new table is set to 500px, which is the browser default. However, if the web page links to a style sheet with a default table style that specifies a table width, the Width field appears blank because the width is set through the style. You can, however, enter another value to override the style.
Height: Height of the table cells. By default, this value is expressed in pixels. You can also specify a variety of other units. For example, you can enter 1 in for inches. Entering the height as a percent value lets you set the proportion of the editing area that the table occupies.
Headers: Defines how a heading cell is formatted. You can apply header formatting to First Row, First Column or Both. A None setting uses the same format as normal cells for the first row and first column.
Border size: Thickness of the table border in pixels.
Alignment: Alignment of the table on the page. The following options are available: Left, Center, Right.
Cell spacing: Space, in pixels, between individual cells or cells and table borders.
Cell padding: Space, in pixels, between the cell border and its contents.
Caption: Label that displays on top of the table.
Summary: Summary of the table contents that is available for assistive devices like screen readers. It is a good practice to provide your tables with meaningful summary text in order to make content accessible to users with disabilities. See Accessible Overview in Appendix D: Accessible Content for more information.
Table Type: Designates the table as a layout or data table. A data table usually contains a heading row with a column of data under each heading. A layout table is used by a web designer to control the layout of a web page.
Table Styles
If you are not using styles, the initial attributes of a table are based on the browser defaults. While you can use direct formatting to change the different table elements each time you create a new table, you may want to create one or more table styles that apply specified formatting to the individual table elements. If you create a default table style, the attributes of that style are automatically applied when you create a new table. You can create several non-default table styles if you use different styles for different types of tables. For example, you may want to create a default table style with a border around the table and no interior cell lines, and a non-default table style that applies gray shading for alternating rows. To use a non-default table style, you must first create a table in the web page to add the table element. Once you add the table element, you can select another table style from the Styles list.
You can save a great deal of time using styles to format tables instead of direct formatting. In addition, styles help maintain a consistent look for your tables. See Format Table Styles in the Format Styles section of the Create Styles to Format Content chapter for more information about creating table styles.
Note: If you are applying a style to an existing table whose width is set in the Table Properties dialog box, the table style will not override the width setting as this is considered direct formatting. In order to allow the existing table to use the width setting from the style, you must delete the width setting for the table in the Table Properties dialog box. Alternatively, you can remove all direct formatting from a table by pointing to a table border and clicking the border when the mouse pointer shows a four-headed crossed-arrow. This selects the entire table. You can then use the Clear Formatting from Text icon to remove all direct formatting from the table.
To create a Table:
On the Web Page Editor - Insert toolbar, click Insert New Table.
Type the number of Rows and Columns you want in the table.
Select a Header option.
Note: If the style sheet contains a default table style that formats row, column, or both headers, the formatting does not appear in the table if you do not select a corresponding header option.
Set other properties to create the desired table format.
Click OK.
Note: To insert a new paragraph above or below a table, move the cursor over the table until a red dotted line appears. Click on the red return icon on the right side of the line to add a new paragraph.
To create a Table:
Insert New Table.