Changing Table defaults, or creating a new Table format

[Mar]

I'm working in Word 2000. I use the same table format 99 times out of 100. I want to either a)preferably- make it my default when I draw a table or b) at least have it be an option for me in Table Auto Format. When I got to Table Auto Format, there is no option for me to create a new style.

I create documents w/50+ tables in them - it drives me nuts to have to individually format each one

Thanks for any help you can offer.

 

[garfield-n-odie]

I don't think you can do either of the things you suggest, but what will
work is to create an AutoText entry containing your formatted table.
Then instead of using the Insert Table command, you would use the Insert
AutoText command to insert your predefined table.

Create a table and format it as you wish. Select the table. Click on
Insert | AutoText | New | <MyTable or whatever you want to call it> |
OK. Close Word. Say "yes" if you are prompted to save the Normal.dot
global template. Start Word again.

To insert the table, place your cursor where you want to insert it and
click on Insert | AutoText | AutoText | <select entry from list>, or if
you have Autocomplete turned on, just type the name of the AutoText
entry and press Enter.

 

[Klaus Linke]

Hi Mar,

Might be a reason to update to Word2002/2003, which have table styles ;-)

In older versions, I've usually written some macro(s) to format tables
according to my liking.
If you need table styles more often, you might look at Romke Soldaat's MSDN
article on table styles in Word2000:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/dnovba00/html/TableStyles.asp

Regards,
Klaus

 

[Mar]

garfield-n-odie

Thanks! That's one of those things where I say - why didn't I think of that myself! Until I am able to afford an upgrade to Word 2002/3, that will at least save me a few steps.

Thanks for your time
mar

 

[Mar]

Klaus

I am jealous of table styles - all my researching told me how Word 02/03 has it. Very jealous! Well, maybe in a few months.

I am just starting to learn to write some macros, and thought of that, but figured I'd try to see if I was missing something obvious. Thanks for the other resource as well - lots of good info.

Thanks for your time
Mar

 

[Aelfgifu]

I wouldn't be TOO jealous of table styles. They work fine
if you happen to like the built-in ones, but modifying
them in any way is just asking for trouble.

Some problems I've experienced:
1. Tables reset themselves back to whatever the
underlying style happens to be, e.g., Normal
2. If your table style has Bold in it and you apply
another style with Bold in it (e.g. Heading 1), the two
Bolds cancel each other out. So you apply Bold manually,
close the document & open it up again and you find it's
back to Not-Bold again. [See problem 1].
3. The "Preview" mode doesn't work for fonts or borders.
If the table has Times New Roman as the font and you
chnage the font to Arial, the preview still displays as
Times, so you have no idea if it's working or not. It's
usually Not.

I'm seriously thinking of using the information in the
article that Klaus suggested and write a macro.

-----Original Message-----
Klaus -

I am jealous of table styles - all my researching told

me how Word 02/03 has it. Very jealous! Well, maybe in a
few months.

I am just starting to learn to write some macros, and

thought of that, but figured I'd try to see if I was
missing something obvious. Thanks for the other resource
as well - lots of good info.