Qwestion about how MS word sees tables.

[sheana]

I you create a table 5 columns and 6 rows, and then use the tables and
borders function to erase all the horizontal lines in the first column, and
erase (inrow 1) columns 2,3 and 4 .....does MS word act as if the rows and
columns were never erased?

I ask this because in trying to use the functions Distribute Rows evenly and
Distribute columns evenly, I can use the former but not the latter, when I
select the entire table.

The error message I get is: Word cannot distruibute the selected columns.
When the selection contains cells that extend across more than one row, the
number of columns selected must be the same for all rows in the selection.

Please explain this. Thanks in advance.

 

[Terry Farrell]

If you merge 2 cells in a column, then you can still distribute columns
evenly.

Ditto if you merge 2 cells in a row, you can still distribute rows evenly.

But once you have merged 2 cells in a column, you lose function to
distribute cells evenly in rows and vice versa.

 

[Jay Freedman]

I think the key misunderstanding is this: When you use the "eraser" tool on
the Tables toolbar, you are merging the cells on either side of (or
above/below) the erased border. You can see this clearly if you turn on
nonprinting characters (the ¶ button): What was originally two cells with
two cell-marker characters is now one cell with one marker. That's when you
run into problems with distribution.

If instead you use the borders button (or the Format > Borders dialog) to
make the border between two cells invisible except for the nonprinting
gridline, then they remain two separate cells and can be distributed evenly.

--
Regards,
Jay Freedman
Microsoft Word MVP
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.