Using tables

In Contribute, you can add text and images to table cells the same way that you add text and images to a page. After you create a table you can easily modify both its appearance and structure.

You can insert a table anywhere on a page, including within another table. You can quickly insert a standard table with three rows and three columns, or you can modify options to insert a custom table. When you insert a table, it’s a good idea to apply headings, if you need them. Using headings makes the table more accessible to people with disabilities.

To insert a table, place the insertion point in your page where you want the table to appear. Click the Insert Table button in the toolbar. Enter the number of rows and columns you want.

Editing your table

If you have experience using spreadsheet software (such as Microsoft Excel), you already have a very good idea how to edit your table and it's contents. You can cut, copy, and paste rows or columns in the same way you can in a spreadsheet. You can also select and copy/cut/paste adjacent cells, either part of a row, part of a column, or a rectangular area that spans both rows and columns. You cannot, however, select non-adjacent table cells to cut/copy/paste.

You can also change the look and feel of your table with various spacing options and by combining (merging) adjacent cells. Most of the options are available on the pop-up menu that appears when you click on your table with the right mouse button:

Cell padding indicates the amount of space, in pixels, between the edge of the table cell and the content of the cell. Cell spacing indicates the amount of space, in pixels, between each table cell. If you do not enter any values, Contribute sets cell spacing to the default value, which is 3 pixels.

You can merge any number of adjacent cells -- as long as the entire selection is a line or a rectangle of cells -- to produce a single cell that spans several columns or rows. You can also split a cell into any number of rows or columns, regardless of whether it was previously merged.