Table Resize problem (Word2003)

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I suspect I too have a problem with table styles having just changed from 2000 to 2003. When I try to drag cell borders, particularly the right hand one, it has a mind of its own and resets itself to where it wants not where I want it to be. I can’t find where I stop this happening.

I find table styles a real mess compared to Word2000.

David

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Hi David:
I’m still getting used to the new table styles. However, I don’t have any problem changing the size of the cells by dragging. Perhaps you could post a portions of a problem table, taking out any private information.

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Since I installed Word 2003, I have found resizing tables by dragging to be almost unusable.

If I hold the Alt key whilst dragging then it usually behaves, but simple dragging results in either nothing, or the cell snapping to some improbable size.

I often check that “Automatically resize table to fit contents” is not checked, and now I just live with it.

(I just created a table and filled it with random text, intending to post a sample document for you to play with, of course it worked perfectly!)

StuartR

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One thing I do notice (& don’t know if it’s been that way since Word 2000) is that if “Automatically resize to fit contents” is checked (which means that a column will expand to the largest continuous set of characters), dragging the column smaller will remove that option. I haven’t had the problem of the table jumping to an improbable size. But if there’s no problem when holding down the Alt key, could it be that the “snap to grid” is set to too large a figure. Mine is .1″ & measured from the margins.

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A little playing managed to produce this table, which behaves as I described for me.

StuartR

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OK. I see what happened. Each column is given a fixed width…which is greater than the margin. I set my tables (to start) at 100% (rather than fixed column width). Then they stay within the margins. If the columns are fixed width & you enlarge a middle column by dragging, the other columns keep the same width & the table expands.

Alt+drag moves just the single border & adjacent cells are adjusted.
Shift+drag moves all borders that are to the right a proportionate distance, including the rightmost border (& hence the overall table width).
Ctrl+drag moves all borders that are to the right a proportionate distance, except for the rightmost border (so that the table width stays the same).
Alt+Shift+drag is the same as Shift+drag, except the distances are seen on the ruler.
Alt+Ctrl+drag is the same as Ctrl+drag, except the distances are seen on the ruler.
Ctrl+Shift+drag = Ctrl+drag

Unfortunately, using the same combinations on the ruler to drag the column markers produces different results.

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What seems to cause the problem to start is double-clicking on the right hand edge of any cell.

StuartR

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Hi Stuart:
I see what you mean. I hadn’t noticed that before. Every time you click the right hand edge, that column expands to accomodate the text to a greater extent, at the expense of the table width. The only way I see to avoid it is to select the whole table & then double click a border. Of course, that adjusts all the columns, which may not be what you want. I suppose that the other way is to go to Table Properties & center the table. Then double clicking doesn’t move the table off the edge.

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Stuart,

I’m wondering if what you’re seeing is what I described in my post 518,507. If so, my answer was to drag the “column-border markers” on the ruler. I noticed that no one ever responded to my issue but I’m not sure if that’s the same as what’s going on in this thread.

Fred

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Fred,

You are correct, I hadn’t thought of dragging my cell widths from the ruler, but when I do it works the way I would expect. Thank you.

StuartR

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So let me make sure I understand where you’re at:

– were you ever able in previous versions of Word able to drag the table column borders but now can’t? (for me it was up to 2000 and it stopped working reliably starting with Word XP and continues in 2003)
– can you now drag the column borders after failing once and you try again? That seems to work for me. There is some combination of actions (which I’m not totally sure of what they are) after which dragging a column border starts to work even the first time when dragging a border within a table (it seems to reset to erratic behavior if you close Word and re-open although that’s not always true either)
– and it certainly seems that you can drag the column-markers on the ruler first time, every time? (at least I can)

If answers to above are yes, this sounds like a bug that was introduced in Word XP. I thought it was just my version of Word. Glad to see we’re in the same boat.

Does dragging with some combination of CTRL, ALT, SHIFT on the column border work for you the first time, every time and it’s only the “naked” drag that doesn’t work? Reason I ask is that I never do (or even did) a CTRL+drag or any other combination. I know it exists. But there was a change in what the keys did, I think in going from Word 95-97 or 97-2000. So I just never bothered to use this. For me, it’s always a “naked” drag. I’m also assuming the CTRL+drag and cousin combinations works on the column-markers on the ruler but I never bother with this either.

Fred

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Fred,

I do get the problem you describe, I don’t remember when it started, but it doesn’t bother me too much – it is a mild irritation to have to click-pause-click when dragging a border.

The major problem is a complete inability to drag the borders. I think this worked up to and including Word XP, and was introduced at Word 2003. The problem is usually triggered by double-clicking on a border. After this attempting to drag a border to the left, to make a column narrower, results in the border jumping to the right, making the column wider.

If I drag the column markers on the ruler then it behaves fine. If I hold the Alt key when I am dragging the border it works fine.

StuartR

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Stuart,

>mild irritation

For me, it’s gone beyond that. I’ve now changed my behavior to drag the column markers on the ruler and don’t even bother to try to drag the column border unless I forget.

Fred

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Hi everyone

I’m sorry I didn’t respond earlier, Phil, but I’ve been away on business. There’s little point in my posting a sample as the issue has moved on somewhat and my problem solved.

Each Word version move since I started using it with v6 has introduced improvements in useability (or at least the ability to turn off those I don’t want such as intelligent menus) but how did this change in the behaviour of tables get through Micro$oft’s useability and beta testing? Rhetoric q. It certainly can’t be a feature. The move to 2003 has been the worst I can remember and even after some months I haven’t got Word behaving as it used to.

Roll on the next version. Not.

Regards
Dave

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