[comp.sys.mac.apps] Tables in MS Word 4.0

a544@mindlink.UUCP (Rick McCormack) (05/30/90)

Sounds like the time to try the paragraph FORMAT command and play with the
space before and after settings.

Rick

robbins@rice.edu (Thomas Robbins) (05/30/90)

Does anyone know how you can center entries in tables using Microsoft 
Word 4.0 **vertically**? (As opposed to horizontally, which is easily done
by simply using the ruler 'center' format)

If your cell is three lines in height, it is of course easy to do simply
by putting your entry on the middle line. If your cell is two lines in
height, though, I can't seem to see how to center the entry up-and-down.
'Subscript' and 'superscript' have no effect, as the cell is adjusted as
well. Using 'space-and-a-half' or 'double-space' from the ruler adjusts
the text so it is always on the bottom. Ideally, I would like a cell that
is a 1.5 lines in height, with the entry centered both horizontally and
vertically within.

Thanks in advance for your help; replies will be summarized if warranted.

--
Tom Robbins                          |         Youth is wasted on the young.
robbins@owlnet.rice.edu              |         - George Bernard Shaw
Senior, Chemical Engineering         |         Life is wasted on the living.
Rice University                      |         - Zaphod Beeblebrox IV

dana@are.berkeley.edu (Dana E. Keil) (05/31/90)

In article <8258@brazos.Rice.edu> robbins@owlnet.rice.edu (Thomas Robbins) writes:
>Does anyone know how you can center entries in tables using Microsoft 
>Word 4.0 **vertically**? 
> Ideally, I would like a cell that is a 1.5 lines in height,
> with the entry centered both horizontally and
> vertically within.

What you want to do is to change the "space before" for that cell.
In the "format paragraph" dialog specify a space before that reflects
the number of lines in the largest cell in the row. If you have left
the line spacing on "auto" the line spacing is a little
bit more than the font size, a font size of 12 points is given a
line spacing of 14 points when Word is set to auto line spacing.
(I usually change the line spacing to an appropriate absolute number
rather than leaving it on auto just in order to really know what
numbers I'm dealing with). Thus, if your largest cell in the row
has four lines, you would set the space before in a single line
cell at 21 points. The line spacing for the line itself is already
14, then add 14 before to get it lined up with the second line and
add 7 to get it lined up between the second and third line; a total
of 21 points before. If you want to line up with a largest cell in
row that has an odd number of lines, you wouldn't add the half line
spacing, of course.

frank@mnetor.UUCP (Frank Kolnick) (05/31/90)

In article <8258@brazos.Rice.edu> robbins@owlnet.rice.edu (Thomas Robbins) writes:
>Does anyone know how you can center entries in tables using Microsoft 
>Word 4.0 **vertically**? (As opposed to horizontally, which is easily done
>by simply using the ruler 'center' format)

The only method I've found is to adjust the 'space before' and 'space
after' paragraph formats (i.e., double-click to the left of the table
to select the entire row, then apply the format). Nice as tables are,
they would be even nicer if they were treated as 'objects' in their
own right (and so could have styles, etc.).

-- 
Frank Kolnick,
Basis Computer Systems Inc.
UUCP: {allegra, linus}!utzoo!mnetor!frank