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Inserting Tables into Topics

A table can easily be inserted into a topic for various purposes, such as comparing elements or providing descriptions. When you insert a table, you can do the following:

• Add a table caption

• Associate a style with the table (to determine its look and feel)

• Set the width using AutoFit behaviors

• See a preview of the table

How to insert a table into a topic

1. Open a topic.
2. In the XML Editor place your cursor in the topic where you want to add the table.

3. Select Table>Insert>Table. The Insert Table dialog opens.

4. Select the General tab and modify the options as necessary.

   Table Size:

   • Number of columns Enter the number of columns for the table.
   • Number of rows Enter the number of rows for the table.
   • Number of header rows Enter the number of header rows for the table. A header row can be used to hold titles for the different columns in the table.
   • Number of footer rows Enter the number of footer rows for the table. A footer row can be used to hold footnote information about the table.

   Table Caption:

   • Text Enter a caption (or title) for the table. This caption can be placed above the table or below it.
   • Above table Select this option if you want to place the caption above the table.
   • Below table Select this option if you want to place the caption below the table. However, due to an issue with Internet Explorer, this option places the caption above the table in outputs based on Internet Explorer.

   AutoFit Behavior:

   • AutoFit to contents Automatically sets the column widths to the same width as the table content.
   • AutoFit to window Automatically sets the table width to the same width as the output window.
   • Fixed column width Sets the column widths to the width that you specify. Select the down arrow next to this field and set the width in the popup.

   Align: Aligns the entire table either to the left, right, or center of the topic.

   Table Style: Lists the table style sheets (if any) that have been added to the project. By default, Flare creates a plain table for you, unless you select to use a pre-designed style. If you want to associate a pre-designed style with the table to affect its look and feel, you must first add the table style to the Insert Table dialog. After the style is added to the dialog, simply select it from the Table Style area. A table style sheet is a file with a .css extension. When you add a table style sheet to your project, it is stored in the Resources\TableStyles subfolder in the Content Explorer.For more information see About Styles and Style Sheets.

   • Add Opens the Select Table Style Template dialog, which you can use to add a new table style sheet to the project.
   • Print Style Opens the Select Table Style dialog, which you can use to specify another table style to be used specifically for printed output. See Creating Table Styles for Print Output.
   • CSS Class Opens the Select Class dialog, which you can use to apply a CSS table style to the table. You can create classes for the <table> tag in the Stylesheet Editor; those classes will then become available in the Select Class dialog.

   To add a table style to the Insert Table dialog:

   1. In the Insert Table dialog, click Add. The Select Table Style Template dialog opens. 
   2. In the Template Folders area, select a folder.

   3. In the Templates area, select one of the templates from the folder. You can see a preview of how the table will look in the Preview area below.

      Note: To learn more about table templates, see About Templates.

   4. (Optional) You can type a new name in the New Style Name field.
   5. Click OK. The style is added to the Insert Table dialog. Now you can select it to associate the style with the table.

5. Select the Borders tab and modify the options as necessary.

   • Outer Borders Click in any of the individual fields (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) to specify the settings for the table border. If you click the down arrow to the right of all the fields, the settings will be applied to all of the border fields. When you click the down arrow or in one of the individual fields, a small popup displays. Use the lower-left area of the popup to enter a number for the thickness of the border. Use the lower-middle area to select a unit of measurement (e.g., point, pixel, centimeter) for the number you entered. See About Units of Measurement. Use the upper-right area to select a color for the border. And use the lower-right area to select a line type (e.g., solid, double, dashed) for the border. When you are finished, click OK in the small popup.
   • Cell Border Collapse Select whether you want to collapse the cell borders in the table. If you collapse the cell borders, the row and cell borders of a table are joined in a single border. If you do not collapse the cell borders, the row and cell borders of a table are detached.
   • Cell Border Spacing Use this area to increase or decrease the amount of spacing for a cell border (in pixels).

6. Click OK.

   The table is added to the topic. Now you can click in any cells of the table and add content (e.g., text, images, hyperlinks) as necessary. You can also change the look and feel of the table directly in the topic (see Local Formatting). However, it is recommended that you change formatting in the table style rather than directly in the topic (see About Styles and Style Sheets).

7. Press CTRL+S or click to save your work.

See Also

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