Tables

Concept

Tables are frames that consists of cells, arranged in rows and columns. Cells are like multi-purpose frames, they can contain

text, inline objects, images, snippets or even tables . Tables provide a grid like structure for text and other objects on your document

pages and can be adjusted in different ways.

Using tables

To create a table, do the following :

• go to the main toolbar > Create Frame pulldown
• select Table and click
• a table will appear on the page

   

A default table as it appears on the page, consisting of 5 rows and 3 columns.

At the top-left corner there is a move handle, at the bottom-right corner is a rotate handle.

Table settings

Table tab > Table Cell panel

• Cell : indicates which cell is currently selected
• Col Span : over how many columns a cell should span, a cell can have a width of x columns
• Row Span : over how many rows a cell should span, a cell can have a height of x rows
• Content : set the type of content for the selected cell, available content types are :
  • Text
  • Image
  • Snippet
  • Table
• Border : sets whether the cell should have a border style. Available options are :
  • Yes :
    • Sides : set which sides should have a border
    • Weight : select stroke width of the border
    • Color : select stroke color of the border
    • Overprint border : set the border to overprint
  • No
  • Inherit : takes over the setting defined in the Default Cell Border/Fill > Border pulldown in the Table tab > Table Settings panel
• Fill : sets whether the cell should have a fill color. Available options are :
  • Yes
    • Color : select color of the fill
    • Overprint fill : set the fill color to overprint
  • No
  • Inherit : takes over the setting defined in the Default Cell Border/Fill > Fill pulldown in the Table tab > Table Settings panel

Note that you can also use inline objects in cells

 Table tab > Table Row panel

• Row : indicates which row is currently selected
• Add Row Above : add a new row of cells above the one currently selected
• Add Row Below : add a new row of cells below the one currently selected
• Delete Row : removes the selected row
• Height Type : set the way a row gets its height, available options are :
  • Absolute : enter the height manually
  • Text Height : row height is defined by the font size of its text content. When using this option, there are two additional settings :
    • Min. height : row height will not get lower than this value, even when its text font is smaller
    • Max. height : row height will not exceed this value, even when its text font size is larger
• Border : sets whether the row should have a border style. Available options are :
  • Yes :
    • Sides : set which sides should have a border
    • Weight : select stroke width of the border
    • Color : select stroke color of the border
    • Overprint border : set the border to overprint
  • No
  • Inherit : takes over the setting defined in the Default Row Border/Fill > Border pulldown in the Table tab > Table Settings panel
• Fill : sets whether the row should have a fill color. Available options are :
  • Yes
    • Color : select color of the fill
    • Overprint fill : set the fill color to overprint
  • No
  • Inherit : takes over the setting defined in the Default Row Border/Fill > Fill pulldown in the Table tab > Table Settings panel

Table tab > Table Column panel

• Column : indicates which column is currently selected
• Add Column Left : add a new column of cells to the left of the one currently selected
• Add Column Right : add a new column of cells to the right of the one currently selected
• Delete Column : removes the selected column
• Width : set the width of the selected column
• Border : sets whether the column should have a border style. Available options are :
  • Yes
    • Sides : set which sides should have a border
    • Weight : select stroke width of the border
    • Color : select stroke color of the border
    • Overprint border : set the border to overprint
  • No
  • Inherit : takes over the setting defined in the Default Column Border/Fill > Border pulldown in the Table tab > Table Settings panel
• Fill : sets whether the column should have a fill color. Available options are :
  • Yes
    • Color : select color of the fill
    • Overprint fill : set the fill color to overprint
  • No
  • Inherit : takes over the setting defined in the Default Column Border/Fill > Fill pulldown in the Table tab > Table Settings panel

Table tab > Table Settings panel

• Table Border / Fill : sets whether the frame of the table should have a border and fills style

See the border / fill settings of the other panels above (cell, row, columns) these are the same kind of settings

• Default Cell Border/Fill : default settings for cell border and fill styles, used when cell styles are set to Inherit (see Table tab > Table Cell panel )
• Default Column Border/Fill : default settings for column border and fill styles, used when column styles are set to Inherit (see Table tab > Table Column panel )
• Default Row Border/Fill : default settings for row border and fill styles, used when row styles are set to Inherit (see Table tab > Table Row panel )

For columns and row default styles there is an extra setting: "Alternate". When Alternate is enabled, the styles are applied in an alternating pattern.
The pattern is defined by two options : First x items and Next x items, which each have their own set of border / fill style controls

Border & fill hierarchy

Because the table frame, cells, rows and columns all share the same edges and spaces, priorities have to be set to decide which style element overlaps other ones.

In this hierarchy is defined that cell styles will always override other styles. The frame, columns & rows priority are set by the user. So, no matter how you configured

rows, columns and frame styles, and after that apply cell styles, those will always be on top of all the other styles.

This is done using the preferred fill / border options in the Table tab > Table Settings panel, at the bottom. Each of these settings have two choices : columns or rows.

• Preferred fill : fills every cell with the fill color defined in the default columns or row settings
• Preferred hor. border : the upper and lower frame borders get their stroke color from the default border columns or row settings
• Preferred vert. border : the left and right frame borders get their stroke color from the default border columns or row settings
• Borders on top : set which borders overlaps the other, column- or row borders