Tables, row and column sizes

English
#1

I just updated to 7.5.4.2 but that doesn’t help.

I’m trying to create several complex format tables on a page with Writer. But the table facility, as complex as it is, does not seem to do the job, does anybody have suggestions?

I’m trying to create a table that’s 11 columns, 24 rows, and I’d like to have the first column be wide (1.5 inches or so), and the rest small (.4 inches). I also want to put it in a frame so I can move it around relative to other tables.
I can’t seem to get it to make a table like that. The table seems to take the full frame width and the 1st column is too wide. When I shrink that column, it puts the entire shrinkage in one column, not distributed. I tried Table|Properties|Columns|Widths and giving it what I want, but what I type into the column sizes doesn’t result in the width that I specify. Or sometimes it does, and it puts what I removed from that column into some other random column. When I change that one, the excess goes to another column, kind of like a whack-a-mole game.
I can’t really use Calc because of the complexity of the tables I want.

#2

Can that help? :

Resizing Rows and Columns in a Text Table

Creating a table in Writer

#3

Thank you, but no it doesn’t work.

I can create a table as it says (11 x 24). Then I go into Table | Properties
and create first column to be 1.6 inches, then all the rest .5 inches. Then I go look at the first one and it’s like 2 inches, not what I specified. So I change that column back to 1.6, now the 2nd column is over 1 inch, not the .5 that I specified. I can’t get the values to stick.

So I just tried a simple 3x3 table. I went into properties, said the 1st column should be 1.5, then the other two .4 but the result is that column 1 is 6.13"! How did that happen? Why doesn’t it take the values I tell it?

#4

First of all, if you want to fully control your table, don’t use so-called “table styles”. When you create your table, set Styles to None. Otherwise you’ll be confronted to macros firing when you expect least and insisting to force their own formatting instead of yours.

Tables in Writer by default are as wide as their “container”, page or frame. To put the table under your control, got to the Table tab of its Properties. Choose any alignment other that Automatic. You can enter the desired table width but this is not necessary.
Next go to the Columns tab. Tick Adjust table width to avoid distributing the extra width. Set your column widths as desired.

If your cells contain paragraphs (text), OK. But don’t fancy to make even moderately complicated computations in Writer. Writer tables are primarily a collection of sub-documents (each cell). If your complexity is a matter of merging cells, Calc can do as well.

Perhaps, you should tell us what will be in your table and we could suggest an adequate solution.

#5

Thank you! What I’m trying to do is create a form that prints out to be filled in by hand. The first column has text, the rest of the table has blanks that people fill in by hand on the printed form. No calculations. And some of the cells get merged, I was able to get that part to work.

I just tried your suggestion, 1.5" then 10 columns all .4", checked the “Adapt table width” on, I say OK, an I get 2.93 for the 1st column. It’s keeping the overall table width what it was originally, it didn’t adapt like I asked for.

If I then adjust column 1 back to 1.5, then column 2 goes to 1.83 even before I click OK.

See why I mentioned the ‘whack-a-mole’ game? :wink:

#6

You have to be systematic, the order in which you do things is vital. Using the same steps as ajlittoz but in an ordered list:

  1. Open Table properties
  2. In tab Table set alignment to Left (anything except Automatic)
  3. In tab Columns tick box Adapt table width
  4. Under Column Width set the widths of the columns in order from 1 to 11.
  5. Click OK

TableInFrameWithSetColumnWidths.odt (11.2 KB)

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#7

Thanks for the response, but I tried that, mentioned in one of the replies. I’ve given up tho, I think I can make it work with Calc. I think the table facility, as complex as it is, just doesn’t work for trying to format columns. Can’t really get good control over row height too. Thanks for your time!

#8

Maybe, but in your comment you did say that you changed the column widths before ticking “Adapt table width” so the first column was already changed by the time you ticked the box. The order of steps is important.

#9

Oh, I figured that the order wouldn’t matter if I was still in the columns dialog box. Oh well, I think I can make Calc work so I’ve given up on Writer. It’d be nice to get that updated at some point.

#10

Then if you have no computation nor complex text formatting, have a try with Draw. Since it is a graphics program, it may be eaier to create your form and position the various elements in the page.

#11

Interesting suggestion, thank you, but that would I think require a lot of image manipulation for all the boxes I want. I was able to use Calc to get what I wanted. I thought I’d be too limited in the formatting, considering the cell boundaries were linear from one edge to another (I can’t break up the lines to be different part way thru the page), but I was able to make it work.

#12

I just made an experiment. There is no table tool in Draw but there is one in Impress. And there is a catch: Impress and Draw are basically the same.

So I designed a table in Impress. I copied it and pasted it in Draw.

Then, right-clicking on the Draw table object I can access Table Properties. Adjusting column/row sizes, merging cells become available. You just need to put your cursor in one of the cells or select a group of cells to format the table and its borders/separators any way you like.

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