Word 2007[c] The Missing Manual

10. Organizing Your Information with Tables

If you think of tables as an ugly grid for holding numbers in place, something more suited to a spreadsheet than a Word document, think again. Or, better yet, talk to someone who's done some Web design. Tables are incredible tools for page design, both the printed page as well as a Web page. With tables, you can group related text and pictures so that they stay together no matter how your document changes. You can use background and border colors to give your words a visual splash and to draw attention to important parts of your message. If you're presenting numbers to your readers, you need the rows and columns that tables offer to line everything up and provide totals. Once you're comfortable creating and modifying tables, you'll probably find all sorts of ways to use them.

Word's table feature has grown stronger and more versatile with each passing version. For example, you can choose from a few different ways to create tables and multiple ways to modify them by inserting or deleting rows, columns, and individual cells . You can also get really creative and add color and other formatting. If you're a number cruncher, you can use tables as a simplified spreadsheet right in your document. Word 2007 also offers Quick Tables, preformatted tables for things like calendars and other common uses.