Another way to create a table is to choose the Insert Table option from the Table drop-down list. This will open up the Insert Table dialog box where you can choose the number of columns and rows, as well as other options.

The third way to create a table is to choose the Draw Table option from the Table drop-down. Your pointer will change to a pencil icon which you can use to draw borders where ever you need them. This is a great way to make a custom table.

You can also create tables using Word 2007’s built-in table designs. Just choose Quick Tables from the Tables drop-down list, then select the table style that best fits your needs.

And finally, you can insert an Excel spreadsheet into your Word 2007 documents by choosing Excel Spreadsheet from the Tables drop-down list. This will insert an actual Excel spreadsheet into your Word document that has the same functionality available in Excel.

The options available on the Design tab allow you to format characteristics such as designating a header row, applying table styles, choosing shading colors and border widths, as well as the drawing tools. A unique feature that Word 2007 has, is that you can preview what the style looks like before actually applying it. Give this a try by clicking into your table, going to the Design tab, and then moving your mouse pointer over the various Table Styles and watch how your table changes to reflect the style. If you find one that you like, click on it to apply the style to your table.

More formatting options are available under the Layout tab. Under the Layout tab, you can insert and delete rows and columns, open up the Table Properties dialog box, change row height and column width, insert and delete rows and columns, change alignment and even add formulas.

To select a column, just hover your mouse pointer over the top of the column, and when you see the small black arrow, click your mouse and the column will be selected. Then just drag to the left or right to select more columns.

To select a row, hover your mouse to the left of the row and when you see the white arrow, click your mouse button to select the row. Then simply drag up and down to select more rows.

To select the entire table with one click, click on the four-pointed arrow that appears in the upper left corner of the table.

RESIZING TABLES

To resize a column, hover your mouse over the column border, and when you see the double arrow, just click and drag to the left or right.

To resize a row, hover your mouse over the row border, and when you see the double arrow, just click and drag up or down.

Once you have your separator characters in place, then simply select the text that you want to convert into a table and click on the Insert tab. From the Insert tab, click on the Table drop-down and choose Convert Text to Table. When the dialog box opens, choose the column separator that you used under Separate Text At. Your text will then automatically convert into a table.

Now to convert a table into text, go to the Layout tab, and in the Data group which is at the far right of the Ribbon, choose Convert to Text. When the dialog box opens, select how you want the table’s column borders to be separated (i.e., by commas, tabs, etc.). Rows are automatically separated with paragraph marks.