Formatting table layout

OpenOffice.org 3 Writer Guide

Chapter 9: Working with Tables

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• Creating a table
• Formatting the table layout
• Resizing and positioning the table
• Resizing, positioning, and inserting rows and columns
• Merging and splitting cells
• Borders, backgrounds, and boundaries
• Formatting the table text
• Data entry and manipulation in tables
• Additional table operations
• Table menu and toolbar

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Formatting the table layout

Formatting a table is, generally speaking, a two-step process: formatting of the table layout (the subject of this section) and formatting of the table text (the subject of the next section).

Formatting the layout normally involves one or more of the following operations:

• Adjusting the size of the table and its position on the page
• Adding or removing rows or columns
• Merging and splitting individual cells
• Changing borders and background

Default parameters

If you create a table using the Insert Table dialog box or the Table icon on the Standard toolbar and activate the Heading option, the following defaults are set:

• The cells in the heading row (or rows) use the Table Heading paragraph style. In the default template, the text is centered and set with a bold and italic font.
• The remaining cells use the Table Contents paragraph style, which, in the default template, is identical to the Default paragraph style.
• The default table occupies all the space from margin to margin (text area).
• The default table has thin black borders around each cell (grid).