Tech Alive Support

Creating a Module - General: Tables

Insert Table

Create a data or layout table by doing Insert > Table.... Decide whether your table has header items on the top, side, or both. Header items generally aren't appropriate for a layout table.

Table Properties

You can determine table properties when inserting a new table, or after it has been created. The Table menu will permit you to edit properties of a selected table, including size, border, color, and so on.

Simple tabular data can be sorted with Table > Sort Table.

Merging and Splitting Cells

To merge multiple cells, place your cursor in one cell and left-click/drag over all cells to be merged. You will see black borders around selected cells. Do Table > Merge Cells.

To split a cell, place your cursor in the cell and do Table > Split Cell.... Choose the number of rows or columns to create within the cell. Note: Contribute will try to create the simplest table possible, and may correlate divided cells with existing rows and columns.

Drag and Drop Tables

Contribute supports drag and drop from Word. Simply open the folder containing the document and drag it into one of the editable regions in a page draft. You can also do Insert > Microsoft Word Document... or Insert > Microsoft Excel Document....

More Information

Using Tables for Layout

Creating a layout table that has text, images, and other elements in its cells may require some experimentation. Splitting and merging cells is the way to balance layout design. Split cells for precise alignment. Merge cells for larger items.

Table cells change dynamically in edit mode. Cells may appear to vanish as content is added to adjacent cells, but they have only been resized.

In general, it is not necessary to grab and drag table cell borders to optimize the spacing. Content flows naturally inside of a browser, and no adjustment may be needed. Always Preview (F12) your web page before adjusting layout tables.

Return to Top