This month in Verve in action, we're talking tables.
Tables created within the Verve WYSIWYG editor are a great way to neatly format text or align lists of text in columns or rows. For those who want to get more out of using tables within the WYSIWYG editor or for those who simply need a refresher, read on for our tips on some of the basics.
Creating tables
- plan ahead and decide on the number of rows and columns required
- position cursor at point where table is to be inserted
- choose the Insert/Edit Table icon from the editor toolbar (a popup box will display)
- set the width at 98 percent to ensure adequate spacing and if using pixels, work out the width of the html content area to ensure that your table is not too wide
- set the border size to 0 if you are creating a table for layout purposes and don't wish the borders to be seen
- set the border size to 1 if you need to illustrate the table as a table and want the borders to display
See illustrated example
TIP: Carefully plan your table before setting it up to save having to make changes mid-way through the process.
Editing Tables
Merging Columns
- you may choose to merge columns by using your cursor to highlight the two or more columns to be merged, then right clicking your mouse and choosing > cell > merge cells
See illustrated example
Setting Column widths
- as you begin adding content your columns will auto-size according to the length of text in each cell
- in order to set column widths, you need to set the width for the first cell of each column. The width should be a percentage of 98% for e.g. I have a 3 column table of which I want to set the first column as 30%, the second column at 40% and the final column at 28% to give a total of 98% (the width at which the table was originally set)
- setting the width for the first cell in each column will set the width for that entire column
See illustrated example
Aligning & formatting text
- within your table, you may choose to align text either vertically or horizontally by highlighting the appropriate copy within a cell, then right clicking your mouse and choosing cell > cell properties > vertical or horizontal alignment (& choosing centre or middle as options)
- you can also bold or italicise text by highlighting the appropriate copy within a cell and choosing the B or Ioptions in the editor
See illustrated example
TIP: Don't forget to apply the cleaner tool if you're copying and pasting text from another document like Word.
Adding or deleting columns & rows
It's important to try and set up your table with the correct rows and columns at the outset, however you may have a need to add or delete columns or rows, so:
- when adding a column, click on any cell in the column to the left of where the new column needs to be inserted, right click your mouse and choose column > insert column
- when deleting a column, click on any cell in the column that needs to be deleted, right click your mouse and choose column > delete column
- when adding a row, click on any cell in the row above where the new row needs to be inserted, right click your mouse and choose row > insert row
- when deleting a row, click on any cell in the row that needs to be deleted, right click your mouse and choose row > delete row
See illustrated example
TIP: Edit tables by making changes in the individual cells and remember that when setting the width of a columns within a table, you need only set the width of the first cell within that column and it will carry through to the remaining cells in the column.
Deleting Tables
- if you no longer need your table on a particular page, simply left click your mouse so that the entire table is highlighted and displays a 4 way arrow on screen, then press the delete button
See illustrated example
Snippets
If you find that you're using a particular type of table on a regular basis or would like a table styled to suit your website branding, ask us about creating a snippet.
A snippet defaults to pre-defined features, headings, fonts etc each time you create a new table and allows you to fill in the content with ease.
Find out more about snippets by contacting Susan Beck or Rowan Cooke.
A final word
Don't be afraid to experiment with tables by setting up a non-navigable test page and practising your creation and editing of the various elements of a table.