Select table cells, rows, and columns Show
When you select part or all of the text in a cell, that selection has the same appearance as would text selected outside a table. However, if the selection spans more than one cell, the cells and their contents are both selected. If a table spans more than one frame, holding the mouse pointer over any header or footer row that is not the first header or footer row causes a lock icon to appear, indicating that you cannot select text or cells in that row. To select cells in a header or footer row, go to the beginning of the table.
To switch between selecting all of the text in a cell and selecting the cell, press Esc.
Select entire columns or rows
Before and after selecting Row
Select all header, body, or footer rows
You can also select a table in the same way you select an anchored graphic—place the insertion point immediately before or after a table, and then hold down Shift while pressing the Right Arrow key or Left Arrow key, respectively, to select the table.
You can insert rows and columns using a number of different methods.
The new cells have the same formatting as the text in the row in which the insertion point was placed.
You can also create a new row by pressing Tab when the insertion point is in the last cell.
The new cells have the same formatting as the text in the column in which the insertion point was placed.
Insert multiple rows and columns
New rows are added to the bottom of the table; new columns are added to the right side of the table.
You can also change the number of rows and columns using the Table panel. To display the Table panel, choose Window > Type & Tables > Table.
Insert a row or column by dragging
When adding columns, if you drag more than one and one‑half times the width of the column being dragged, new columns are added that have the same width as the original column. If you drag to insert only one column, that column can have a narrower or wider width than the column from where you dragged. The same behavior is true of rows, unless the Row Height for the row being dragged is set to At Least. In this case, if you drag to create only one row, InDesign will resize the new row, if necessary, so that it’s tall enough to contain text.
Dragging to insert rows or columns doesn’t work at the top or left edges of a table. These fields are used to select rows or columns.
Delete rows, columns, or tables
If you press Alt or Option before holding down the mouse button, the Hand tool will appear—so press Alt or Option after you begin dragging.
Change the alignment of a table within a frame
A table assumes the width of the paragraph or table cell in which it is created. However, you can change the size of the text frame or table so that the table is wider or narrower than the frame. In such a case, you can decide where you want the table to be aligned within the frame.
Use the Tab or arrow keys to move within a table. You can also jump to a specific row, especially useful in long tables.
Move within a table using Tab
Move within a table using arrow keys
Press the arrow keys to navigate within and between table cells. If you press the Right Arrow key when the insertion point is at the end of the last cell in a row, the insertion point moves to the beginning of the first cell in the same row. Similarly, if you press the Down Arrow key when the insertion point is at the end of the last cell in a column, the insertion point moves to the beginning of the first cell in the same column.
Cut, copy, and paste table contents
When text is selected within a cell, cutting, copying, and pasting actions are the same as for text selected outside a table. You can also cut, copy, and paste cells and their contents. If the insertion point is in a table when you paste, multiple pasted cells appear as a table within a table. You can also move or copy the entire table.
When you convert a table to text, the table lines are removed and the separator you specify is inserted at the end of each row and column.
Use the Paste command to merge two or more tables into a single table.
If the pasted rows use different formatting than the rest of the table, define one or more cell styles, and then apply the cell styles to the pasted cells. Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) while clicking the cell style to override existing formatting.
Anne-Marie Concepcion provides an article about combining tables at Joining Tables.
Working with tables in Story Editor
When you choose Edit > Edit In Story Editor, tables and their contents appear in Story Editor. You can edit tables in Story Editor.
Editing tables in Story Editor A. Table icon B. Overset graphic
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