5 things you probably didn't know about managing tables in Word

Although Excel is the main Microsoft Office tool for tables, many of us still create and manage tables in Word. Throughout time, I learned many tricks that greatly helped me deal with Word tables and I will share them with you here.

5

Splitting a table horizontally and vertically

This helps when you have different data categories

I often needed to split a table in two when I realized that some data would fit another category in a table. The long way to split a table is to actually copy and paste the data to move it to another table.

Well, it’s a lot easier to split a Word table. Click on any cell from a row where you want to split the table, then go to Table Layout in the toolbar above and select Split Table. The table will now be divided into two, with the selected row becoming the first row of the new table.

You can also split the table vertically, but it’s a bit more complicated. First, create another table with the same number of columns as the table you want to split. Then, copy the first column of the original table and paste it into the first cell of the new table as a Nest Table. Do the same for all columns. Finally, select the new table, click on the Borders option, and select No Border from the drop-down menu.

That’s it! Now you have the table split into separate columns. Of course, using this method, you can split the table into as many columns as you want.

4

Converting text to a table or a table to text

Separate the elements with commas or tabs

Let’s say you just made a list and want to turn it into a table. You can create a table and copy/paste the elements into it. However, if you already have the list, it’s a lot easier to turn it into a table.

However, you have to separate the elements in the list with commas, tabs, slash, backslash, or other conventional signs. Then, just select the list with your mouse cursor, go to Insert -> Table from the toolbar, and select Convert Text to Table.

In the new dialog box, choose the number of columns based on your separators (Word usually detects this automatically). If you use a separator other than a comma or tab, you have to specify it in the Other box. Turning a table into text is a lot easier. Select your table, click on Table Layout, and select Convert to Text. After you select what separator to use for the text, click OK, and you’re done.

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You have a clear display of your data

If you have a table spanning multiple pages, you probably want the header on each page. This way, you will have a clear understanding of your data, especially if the table has many columns.

To do that, select your header row, click the Table Layout option from the toolbar, and select Repeat Header Rows. You probably noticed the plural of the option. That means you can select multiple rows as a header. That’s because sometimes, you might have a complex, split header spanned on multiple rows. It’s a powerful option that makes your table much easier to read and understand.

2

Sorting the data from your Word table

Organizing your numbers is pretty easy

Word offers a simple way to sort data in your table, and it works great for basic tasks. Start by selecting the cells in your table that you want to sort. Once you’ve highlighted the data, head to the Table Layout tab in the toolbar and click Sort.

In the dialog box, you’ll find the options to customize how your data is organized. First, choose the column you want to sort by. Then, specify the type of data in that column, whether it’s text, numbers, or dates. Finally, decide if you want the data arranged in ascending (A-Z, smallest to largest) or descending (Z-A, largest to smallest) order.

If you need more control, you can add up to two additional sorting levels from other columns. This helps you organize your data in a more detailed and layered way. In the gallery, you can see the result after sorting the data based on the numbers of columns 4 and then 5.

1

Rotating the text from a table cell

The text might fit better after rotating it

Many times, if you have many columns, the text won’t fit properly in cells. You can address this by changing the font size, but sometimes that’s not enough. It might be easier to change the text orientation to make it readable.

To do that, right-click the cell where you want to rotate the text and choose Text Direction from the context menu. Now, select the desired orientation and click OK. That’s it!

Another trick is that you can change the text orientation for several cells at the same time. You may select a whole row or column with your cursor mouse, or hold the Ctrl key and select several cells. Right-click on any of the selected cells and select Text Direction again.

Properly managing a Word table can speed up your work

Simple tricks like splitting your table, changing the text orientation of the text, or showing the table header on every page are simple and efficient ways to make your work easier in Microsoft Word. Changing the aesthetics of your table and making it more comprehensive will also help you convey the information better.