Adobe Dreamweaver CS3

Tables: Adjusting Basic Table Elements

Once you have created basic table elements, you may want to adjust them. This document explains the difference between table and cell properties and shows how to adjust basic table elements.

Comparing Table & Cell Properties
Adding Rows and Columns
Deleting Rows and Columns
Resizing Rows and Columns
Merging Cells
Splitting Cells
Adjusting Cell Spacing and Padding

Comparing Table and Cell Properties

When you adjust tables, you can adjust some properties that affect the entire table and other properties which affect only the cell you are working with. For example, if you want to align the entire table with the center of the page, you would adjust the alignment property of the entire table. If you wanted to align the text in a cell with the center of that cell, you would adjust the alignment property of that individual cell.

Because table properties and cell properties are often called the same thing, it is important to pay attention to which property you want to adjust. The following table summarizes some of the key differences:

	Table Property	Cell Property
Alignment	Aligns the entire table to the right, center, or left of the page	Aligns the text in a cell to the right, center, or left of the cell
Height	Adjusts the height of the entire table	Adjusts the height of the specified cell
Width	Adjusts the width of the entire table	Adjust the width of the specified cell

Adding Rows and Columns

You may add a row or column to a table you have already created. This can be accomplished through the Modify menu; however, pressing [Tab] in the last cell of the table will also add a new row.

To add a row, place the insertion point in the row below where the new row should appear
To add a column, place the insertion point in the column to the right of where the new column should appear
NOTES:
When you insert a row, it will appear above the selected row.
When you insert a column, it will appear to the left of the selected column.
From the Modify menu, select Table » Insert Row or Insert Column
OR
Right click the insertion point and select Table » Insert Row or Insert Column

Deleting Rows and Columns

When you delete a row or column, all cells and their contents are deleted.

Place the insertion point within the row or column to be deleted
From the Modify menu, select Table » Delete Row or Delete Column
OR
Right click the insertion point and select Table » Delete Row or Delete Column

Resizing Rows and Columns

WARNING: If you use the drag option to resize row height or column width, keep in mind that changes made to one column or row will affect every other column and row proportionally. If you do resize cells using the drag option, note that table widths fixed at greater than 600 pixels may cause the following:

Table content may be cut off when printing.
Fixed column width for one or more columns may force awkward spacing that is not intended in other columns.

Fixed row height may cause awkward or uneven spacing between rows. It is better to set and maintain a relative height and width by adjusting rows and columns using the Table Properties Pane.

Adjusting Row Height

You can adjust row height either by clicking and dragging the border or by typing a value in the Table Properties pane. It is recommended, to ensure uniform formatting, that the row height be typed rather than dragged.

Point to the left of the row you wish to adjust
Your pointer turns into a black arrow.
Click to select the row
In the Table Properties pane, in the H text box, type the desired row height
Press [Enter]
The row is adjusted to the specified height.

Adjusting Column Width

You can adjust column width either by clicking and dragging the border or by typing a value in the Table Properties pane. It is recommended, to ensure uniform formatting, that the column width be typed rather than dragged.

Point above the column you wish to adjust
Your pointer turns into a black arrow.
Click to select the column
In the Table Properties pane, in the W text box, type the desired column width
Press [Enter]
The column is adjusted to the specified width.

Merging Cells

Select the cells to be merged
NOTE: To learn how to select cells, see Getting Started with Tables.
From the Modify menu, select Table » Merge Cells
OR
In the Table Properties pane, click MERGES SELECTED CELLS USING SPANS

Splitting Cells

Select the cell(s) to be split
NOTE: To learn how to select cells, see Getting Started with Tables.
From the Modify menu, select Table » Split Cell...
OR
In the Table Properties pane, click SPLITS CELL INTO ROWS OR COLUMNS
The Split Cell dialog box appears.
For Split cell into, select Rows or Columns
In the Number of rows or Number of columns text box, type the desired number
Click OK

Adjusting Cell Spacing and Padding

Cell spacing is the space between adjacent cells. Cell padding is the amount of blank space surrounding text or images in a cell. Adjusting either of these options affects the entire table.

The following graphics are examples of tables that use cell spacing and cell padding:

Cell Spacing of 10

Cell Padding of 10

Cell 1	Cell 2
Cell 3	Cell 4

Cell 1	Cell 2
Cell 3	Cell 4

Adjusting Cell Spacing

Place the insertion point in the table
From the Modify menu, select Table » Select Table
OR
Right click a cell » select Table » Select Table
The Table Properties pane appears.
In the CellSpace text box, type the desired number
Press [Enter]
Cell space is adjusted.

Adjusting Cell Padding

Place the insertion point in the table
From the Modify menu, select Table » Select Table
OR
Right click a cell » select Table » Select Table
The Table Properties pane appears.
In the CellPad text box, type the desired number
Press [Enter]