Break a table row where I want?

[Gary]

Word 2007

I have rows (in tables) that span multiple pages. Is there a way to break a
row where I want (without splitting the row in two)? For example (see
below), is there a way to keep Step 4 with Steps A, B, C, D (without
splitting the row or putting in multiple hard returns before Step 4)?:

4. To place a yammick on the brockle, do the following:
-------[natural page break]-------
a. Pick up yammick.
b. Grab brockle in kung-fu grip.
c. Whistle a little ditty.
d. Figure out how to get brockle out from under work table because you
forgot the kung-fu grip.

Thanks!

Gary

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If you allow a row to break at all, Word can break it anywhere it likes
("Keep with next" and "Keep lines together" have no effect within table
rows). You can keep *rows* together by formatting the text in the first one
as "Keep with next." If you just want a manual page break before step 4
(without splitting the table), you can format the row as "Page break
before."

So, to review the bidding:

1. If Steps 4 and a, b, c, and d are in the same row, format the row as "Do
not break."

2. If Steps 4 and a, b, c, and d are in separate rows, format the first four
rows (all but d) as "Keep with next."

 

[Cathy]

I cam here looking for the exact same help today! Thanks so much for the
reply. I've always found the help I need here.

If you allow a row to break at all, Word can break it anywhere it likes
("Keep with next" and "Keep lines together" have no effect within table
rows). You can keep *rows* together by formatting the text in the first one
as "Keep with next." If you just want a manual page break before step 4
(without splitting the table), you can format the row as "Page break
before."

So, to review the bidding:

1. If Steps 4 and a, b, c, and d are in the same row, format the row as "Do
not break."

2. If Steps 4 and a, b, c, and d are in separate rows, format the first four
rows (all but d) as "Keep with next."

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Word 2007

I have rows (in tables) that span multiple pages. Is there a way to break
a row where I want (without splitting the row in two)? For example (see
below), is there a way to keep Step 4 with Steps A, B, C, D (without
splitting the row or putting in multiple hard returns before Step 4)?:

4. To place a yammick on the brockle, do the following:
-------[natural page break]-------
a. Pick up yammick.
b. Grab brockle in kung-fu grip.
c. Whistle a little ditty.
d. Figure out how to get brockle out from under work table because you
forgot the kung-fu grip.

Thanks!

Gary

 

[Gary]

Thanks. I guess I'll have to make "fake" rows (rows with invisible lines
above and/or below) to break where I need. Le sigh. Though as I think about
it it's not too bad of a kludge as I'll never want a page break in the
middle of certain step sequences anyway.

I think.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I don't understand why you think you have to do this. Why can't you use the
applicable method as described?

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I'm glad you found it helpful.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

I cam here looking for the exact same help today! Thanks so much for the
reply. I've always found the help I need here.

If you allow a row to break at all, Word can break it anywhere it likes
("Keep with next" and "Keep lines together" have no effect within table
rows). You can keep *rows* together by formatting the text in the first
one
as "Keep with next." If you just want a manual page break before step 4
(without splitting the table), you can format the row as "Page break
before."

So, to review the bidding:

1. If Steps 4 and a, b, c, and d are in the same row, format the row as
"Do
not break."

2. If Steps 4 and a, b, c, and d are in separate rows, format the first
four
rows (all but d) as "Keep with next."

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Word 2007

I have rows (in tables) that span multiple pages. Is there a way to
break
a row where I want (without splitting the row in two)? For example (see
below), is there a way to keep Step 4 with Steps A, B, C, D (without
splitting the row or putting in multiple hard returns before Step 4)?:

4. To place a yammick on the brockle, do the following:
-------[natural page break]-------
a. Pick up yammick.
b. Grab brockle in kung-fu grip.
c. Whistle a little ditty.
d. Figure out how to get brockle out from under work table because
you
forgot the kung-fu grip.

Thanks!

Gary

 

[Gary]

I created tables for my step procedures, but each row is broken out by
functional group (not by steps). For example, the first row is Customer,
with step 1. Row two is Cashier with steps 2 thru 7. Row three is Records
and Billing with steps 8 and 9 to close out the procedure.

So the Cashier row is steps 2 thru 7 and the page breaks in the middle of
step 6. Step 2 is near the top of that page so I can't break before the row
without leaving step 1 (the Customer row) by itself on a page. So the only
way around this, I think, is to "force" a new row starting with step 6 and
tell that row not to allow breaks, so it starts at the top of the next page.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

But why not have a row for each sub-step?

 

[Gary]

I have two columns. The column on the left has the name of the group
performing the steps. The column on the right are the steps. If I make each
step its own row, I'll have lines dividing up the left column. Unless I make
the interior lines invisible, but then I won't have a line at the bottom of
the table if it page breaks mid substep.

Unless I nest a table with inviso-lines inside the right column ... hmmm, I
wonder if that would work.

 

[Gary]

Or I could create a row for each substep, and then just merge the cells in
the left column to get rid of the lines over there. That'd be easier than
nesting.

 

[grammatim]

I have two columns. The column on the left has the name of the group
performing the steps. The column on the right are the steps. If I make each
step its own row, I'll have lines dividing up the left column. Unless I make
the interior lines invisible, but then I won't have a line at the bottom of
the table if it page breaks mid substep.

Unless I nest a table with inviso-lines inside the right column ... hmmm, I
wonder if that would work.

You usually don't want a line at the bottom of a table that breaks
onto a new page (to hint to the reader that there's more to come), but
if you do I think there's a box to check to have it added. (Can't
check because, as of yesterday afternoon, I'm not getting my PC back
until this afternoon ...)

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Be aware that, in order to allow the left merged cell to break, you'll have
to allow all the rows to break, which will defeat the purpose of trying to
keep each step intact. In any case, I had thought you were wanting to keep
each substep with the main step. There's probably going to be a way to do
it, but it may require hand tweaking as pages reflow.

 

[Gary]

Thanks for all your help!

Yeah, it looks like I'll be doing some tweaking. But hopefully this won't
happen too often in the guide. So far (I'm about 50 pages in) this has
happened once (just jinxed myself, didn't I) as I'm able to chunk the
information into fairly small chunks. Even in this case, it's only six
steps, but there just happens to be more supporting text amongst the steps
than has happened thus far.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Good luck!