How to create a table in Word.

Method #1

The basic method of creating a table in Word using the quick setup of its parameters. It is recommended to use this method in cases when you need to insert one or two tables throughout the document.

To create a table, you need to:

1. Go to the "Insert" tab.
2. Click on the "Table" button in the corresponding section.
3. In the resulting menu, select the necessary number of columns horizontally and number of rows vertically.
4. Click the left mouse button to insert the table into the document.

After creating the table, the toolbar will automatically switch to the "Design" tab. In the "Table Styles" section, when you click on the button in the form of a down arrow, a menu with a list of different layouts will appear.

By clicking on any of the layouts, its style will be applied to the inserted table. By clicking on the button at the end of the menu, "Change Table Style", you can manually adjust the borders, fill, font, and other elements.

Method #2

This method is suitable for cases when the parameters of the future table are already known in advance. It is performed using almost the same tools as in the first case.

To insert a table with certain parameters, you need to:

1. Go to the "Insert" tab.
2. Click on the "Table" button, select the "Insert Table" option in the menu.
3. In the "Insert Table" window, specify the number of columns and rows in the "Table Size" subsection.
4. In the "Adjust Column Width" subsection, select the desired condition.
5. If you plan to use similar tables in the future when working with the document, check the "Default for new tables" checkbox.
6. Confirm the changes by clicking the "OK" button.

When adjusting the column width, there are three options available. The first one is fixed, which means that the width will automatically change when the field is filled. The second option is fit to contents. In this case, the columns will have a minimum size and expand as information is added. The third option is fit to window. The size of the table will depend on the width of the document's working area.

Method #3

The "Draw Table" tool allows you to create a table with individual parameters when, for example, cell merging, different heights, and widths are required. The tool is quite simple and intuitive.

To draw a table in Word with individual parameters, you need to:

• Go to the "Insert" tab, click the "Table" button.
• In the opened menu, select the "Draw Table" option.
• The regular cursor will be replaced with a drawing tool. Then, using the same method as in the Paint graphics editor, draw the table borders.
• After that, add the desired number of columns by drawing a vertical line from top to bottom or bottom to top.
• Draw the rows in a similar way, but this time you need to draw them from right to left or from left to right.
• If you need to delete a certain element, click on the "Eraser" tool in the "Drawing" section of the toolbar and click the left mouse button once on the desired border.

After completing the work, you can switch to the "Design" tab and choose/create the desired table style through the "Table Styles" section. This method is most optimal when you need to create a table with a non-standard arrangement of rows, columns, and cells.

Method #4

Microsoft continuously adds more features to each new version of Word, including features for working with tables. In the latest versions, there are templates for creating so-called "quick tables." They are used when you need to insert a table for a list, calendar, with subheadings, etc.

To insert a quick table, you need to:

1. Click on the "Insert" tab.
2. Go to the "Table" menu and click on "Quick Tables".
3. In the displayed menu, select the desired table template according to your requirements.
4. Edit the table according to your preferences in the standard way.

The list of quick tables in Word is not very large and only includes standard solutions. However, developers have provided an option for users to create a template and add it to the existing list. To do this, create a table using any convenient method, for example, through the "Draw Table" tool. Then, adjust the border thickness and other elements.

After that, click on the table move icon in the top left corner or select it by clicking LMB. The table will be selected. Then go to the "Insert" tab, click on the "Table" button, and select "Quick Tables" -> "Save Selection to Quick Tables Gallery...". In the opened window, enter the name of the added table, description, and other items (you can leave them as default), and confirm by clicking "OK".

Method #5

Sometimes documents already contain information that will be presented in the form of a table in the future. This means that the user will create a table and manually transfer the data to the desired cells using the "copy/paste" method. This is a typical but rather laborious method.

In MS Word, there is a method for converting text into a table, where the selected part of the text will be automatically placed in its cells. For example, if there is a list with categories listed in the left part and some values or parameters in the right part.

To convert text into a table, you need to:

1. In the "Home" tab, enable the display of hidden characters in the "Paragraph" section by clicking on the corresponding icon on the toolbar (see image) or using the "Ctrl + *" keyboard shortcut.
2. To ensure correct cell division, you need to insert a delimiter between the text that needs to be distributed to different cells: period, comma, semicolon, etc.
3. In our example, we use the "Tab" key for separation. The text between the delimiters will be converted into cells of a row.
4. Each line must end with a delimiter. It is important to have only one delimiter. This is necessary for the correct conversion of the table rows.
5. In our example, we have prepared text for a table consisting of five rows and five columns.
6. After that, select the text by clicking the left mouse button, go to the "Insert" tab, click the "Tables" button, and select "Convert Text to Table".
7. In the "Convert Table" window, check the correctness of the automatic determination of the number of columns and rows. If the values are different, carefully check the text for extra delimiters.
8. In the "AutoFit behavior for columns" subsection, select the desired option. By default, it is set to "Fixed" with the value "Auto".
9. In the "Separator" subsection, make sure you have selected the correct option that matches the delimiter used.
10. Confirm the conversion by clicking the "OK" button.

After the conversion, manual editing of the table will be required. In conclusion, you can turn off the display of special characters and continue working with the document.

Method #6

In the Microsoft Office suite, Excel is responsible for working with tables, and its tools are fully oriented towards tables. Despite this, you can transfer any table from Excel to Word thanks to the compatibility between the spreadsheet and word processor. The easiest method is to select a table segment in Excel using the LMB, then press Ctrl + C, go to Word, and press Ctrl + V.

Additionally, there is a tool for creating an Excel table in Word:

• Click on the "Insert" tab and go to the "Table" menu, select "Excel Table".
• The "Sheet1" from Excel will be inserted into the document. The toolbar will transform and become similar to the one in Excel.
• Then, create a table of the required size. Formulate headers, enter information into cells, and edit as desired.
• After filling in the table, click the left mouse button on an empty area of ​​the Word page. The Excel table editing will automatically end, and the result will be displayed in the familiar form.

Method #7

The last method of creating a table in Microsoft Word is to copy a ready-made table from any website on the Internet. To do this, go to the website where the desired table is located. Select the table using the left mouse button and press Ctrl + C.

Switch to Word, click the LMB in the place where you want to copy the table and press Ctrl + V. If necessary, further edit the table by changing the width and height of the cells.

Word 2003

Currently, Microsoft Word 2003 is rarely used, but it is still relevant as a text processor with basic functions. It is also perfectly suited for very weak personal computers.

To create a table in Word 2003, go to the "Table" tab on the toolbar. In the dropdown menu, select "Insert" and click on "Table" on the right side. In the "Insert Table" window, specify the desired number of columns and rows, select the desired condition in the "AutoFit behavior for columns" subsection, and confirm the creation by clicking the "OK" button.

The second method is to click on the corresponding icon on the toolbar, select the number of rows and columns in the dropdown menu, and finally click with the LMB.