Creating and Formatting Tables in Adobe FrameMaker

This tutorial covers basic concepts about tables in Adobe FrameMaker, including adding rows, columns, and titles and using FrameMaker's Table Designer to change their appearance.

These instructions were tested in FrameMaker version 7.2 on Windows XP; other versions of FrameMaker may vary.

Many commands are accessed from FrameMaker's Table menu, which can be found in two locations: in the menu bar at the top of the window, and from the context menu. (Right click to bring up the context menu.)

Insert a New Table in FrameMaker

To insert a new table into a FrameMaker document, put the cursor where you want it to go and follow these steps:

1. From the Table menu at the top of the window, select Insert Table to open the Insert Table dialog.

2. Select a format from the list on the left. The formatting can be changed later.

3. Enter the number of columns and body rows (rows that will contain data rather than titles) in the boxes on the right. You can also add heading and footing rows if desired. You can add or remove them later.

4. Click Insert. A blank table appears in the document.

To add text, simply put the cursor in the appropriate cell and type. You can add a title in the same way.

Move a Table in FrameMaker

To move the table, select its anchor, the upside-down "T" that appears at the end of the preceding paragraph. That anchor tells FrameMaker where to put the table.

If you can't see the anchor, make sure that "Text Symbols" on FrameMaker's View menu is checked.

Highlighting the anchor highlights the whole table. Type ctrl-x to cut it, put the cursor in the new location, and type ctrl-v to paste it.

Add or Delete Rows and Columns in FrameMaker

Add a Row or Column

To add a row or column, put your cursor in a cell near the future location of the cells to be added. Then:

1. From the Table menu, select Add Rows or Columns to open the Add Rows or Columns dialog.

2. Select the option for either rows or columns and type the number you want to add.

3. You can add rows above or below the cursor, and you can add columns to the right or the left of the cursor. From the drop-down list at the right, select the appropriate location.

4. When you have set the options, click Add.

Delete a Row or Column

To delete a row or column, select the row or column you want to delete. Then:

1. From the Edit menu, select Cut (or type ctrl-x). The Cut Table Cells dialog appears.

2. Select Remove Cells from Table.

3. Click Cut.

Add or Delete Headings and Footings in FrameMaker

Adding or deleting a heading or footing row is done in a similar way as adding or deleting other rows and columns.

Add a Heading or Footing

To add a heading or footing, put your cursor in any cell. Then:

1. From the Table menu, select Add Rows or Columns.

2. Select the option to add rows and type the number you want to add.

3. From the drop-down list at the right, select either To Heading or To Footing.

4. When you have set the options, click Add.

Delete a Heading or Footing

To delete a heading or footing, follow the steps given above for deleting a row.

Resize Columns in FrameMaker

Columns can be resized by selecting them and dragging the border to the desired width. The width can also be set more specifically, in one of six ways:

* As a specific dimension in inches.

* By scaling to a percentage of the column's current width.

* As the same width as another column.

* As equal-width columns with a specified total width in inches (if only one column is being resized, this is the same as the first option).

* By scaling the selected columns to a specified total width in inches. Scaling preserves the relative widths of the columns.

* To the width of the contents of the selected cell. If more than one cell is selected, FrameMaker sets the width based on the cell with the most content. A maximum width for the column can be defined in inches.

To change the width of one or more columns:

1. Select the columns that you want to resize.

2. From the Table menu, select Resize Columns to open the Resize Selected Columns dialog.

3. Select one of the options listed above and enter the appropriate value (inches, percentage, or column to match).

4. Click Resize.

Use FrameMaker's Table Designer to Change Other Properties

Many properties can be edited in FrameMaker's Table Designer dialog. Access the Table Designer from the Table menu or by typing ctrl-t.

Table Formats in FrameMaker

FrameMaker tags tables with formats so that changing the properties of one changes the properties of all others with the same format. The Table Tag drop-down list in the upper left corner of the Table Designer displays the format being edited.

To save changes in the formatting for the selected table only, click Apply. To save changes in the formatting for all tables with the same format tag, click Update All.

To create a new format, put the cursor in an existing table and open FrameMaker's Table Designer. Then:

1. Click the arrow by Commands in the lower left corner.

2. Select New Format and enter the name for the new format.

3. Click Create.

Add or Remove a Title in FrameMaker

With the cursor in any cell, open FrameMaker's Table Designer. Then:

1. In the lower right corner of the Basic tab, select the appropriate option from the Title Position drop-down list:

* Select Above Table or Below Table to put the title above or below the table.

* Select No Title to remove the title.

* Select As Is (the default option) to leave the title in its current position.

2. In the Gap field, enter the desired amount of space between the title and the header or body rows.

Other Properties in FrameMaker

Items on the Basic tab include these properties for the whole table:

* Indents - Sets the amount it should be indented from the left and right margins.

* Space - Sets the amount of white space above and below it.

* Default Cell Margins - Sets the size of the margins around the contents of the cells.

* Alignment - Sets the position within its column.

* Start - Indicates whether it can go anywhere on the page, or must begin at the top of a page or column.

* Numbering - Indicates whether autonumbering goes down columns or across rows first.

* Orphan Rows - Sets the the minimum number of rows that can be left at the bottom of a page before the whole table is moved to the next page.

Items on the Ruling tab include:

* Column Ruling - Sets the thickness or style (single or double line) of the lines between the columns. One column can be set off with a different ruling style than the other columns.

* Body Row Ruling - Sets the thickness or style (single or double line) of the lines between the body rows. Different ruling styles can be set for alternating rows or groups of rows.

* Heading and Footing Ruling - Sets the thickness or style (single or double line) of the lines between the heading and footing and the body rows.

* Outside Ruling - Sets the thickness or style (single or double line) of the lines on the outside borders.

Items on the Shading tab include:

* Heading and Footing Shading - Sets the color and opaqueness for the heading and footing rows

* Body Shading - Sets the color and opaqueness for the body rows or columns.