FP: How to Insert Tables in HTML Pages

In Microsoft FrontPage you can insert a table by using any of the following methods:

• Create a simple table.
• Create a table by drawing it.
• Create a table and set its properties.
• Convert text to a table.
• Create a one-celled table to contain the contents of the page.

This article describes how to create tables by using these different methods.

Create a Simple table

You can quickly create a simple table just by specifying the number of columns and rows. The table will be inserted with default properties, but you can modify the properties of the table later.

To create a simple table, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, click Page.
2. Click where you want to insert the table.
3. On the Standard toolbar, click the Insert Table button. Drag down and to the right until the number of rows and columns you want in the table is displayed.

Draw a table

You can create a table by drawing it. With the Draw Table tool, you draw the outline of the table, and then draw the table cells. You can create a complex table with different-sized cells and varying numbers of columns and rows. This method is a good way to control the exact positioning of pictures and text on your pages.

To draw a table, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, click Page.
2. On the Table menu, click Draw Table.
   
   The Tables toolbar appears and the pointer changes to a Pencil pointer.
3. Draw the outside border of the table. To do this, drag the pointer from the upper-left corner to the lower-right corner of the table.
4. To make cells, draw vertical and horizontal lines within the table.
5. If you make a mistake and want to remove any lines from your table, click the Eraser button on the Tables toolbar. The pointer changes to an eraser. Drag the Eraser pointer across the line you want to remove. When the unwanted line turns red, release the mouse button.
6. When you have finished drawing your table, click the Draw Table button on the Tables toolbar so that the button is no longer selected. The mouse pointer reverts back to the arrow pointer so you can use your mouse as you normally would.

Create a Table and Set Its Properties

When you create a table, you can also specify its properties, such as the number of rows and columns, its size and alignment, the table width, border thickness, and cell padding and spacing.

To create a table and set its properties, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, click Page.
2. Click where you want to insert the table.
3. On the Table menu, point to Insert, and then click Table.
4. In the Rows box, type the number of rows you want.
5. In the Columns box, type the number of columns you want.
6. In the Alignment list, select the position for the table on the page.
7. In the Border size box, type the width you want for the table border in pixels. If you do not want a border, type 0.
8. In the Cell padding box, type a number representing the space between an inside border of a cell and your contents. Enter the number in pixels.
9. In the Cell spacing box, type a number representing the space between the inside border of a cell and your contents. Enter the number in pixels.
10. To change the width of the table, click to select the Specify Width check box and then make either of the following selections:
    • Select In pixels. In the Specify Width box, type the width you want the table to be in pixels.
    • Select In percent. In the Specify Width box, type a percentage of the screen width you want the table to be. If the table is inside a frame, specify a percentage of the frame width.

NOTE: The properties that you specify for the new table will be used as the default properties the next time you create a table.

Convert Text to a Table

If you have already typed text and now want to put it into a table, you can select the text and convert the selection into a table. For this to work correctly, make sure your text contains separator characters that delimit the columns and rows.

If your text is not delimited, type separator characters where you want to divide text into columns and rows. For example, use commas to indicate columns and paragraph marks to indicate the ends of rows. For example, if you convert the following selection of text to a table, the table will contain two rows and three columns. The top row will contain Name, City, and Age (each in its own column); the bottom row will contain Jeff Smith, Los Angeles, and 30 in each corresponding column.

Create a one-celled table to contain some or all of the the contents of the page

You can create a table for page layout to keep a selection of text together. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the View menu, click Page.
2. Select the block of text you want to convert to a table.
3. On the Table menu, point to Convert, and then click Text To Table.
4. Select the separator option you want. For example, if you have a list similar to the one shown in the "Convert Text to a Table" section earlier in this article, select Commas. Or, if you want the entire selection to be in a single-celled table, click None. Click OK.

NOTE: Because HTML does not directly support tab characters, you should avoid using them as text delimiters.

For more information about working with tables in FrontPage, click Microsoft FrontPage Help on the Help menu, type tables in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.