Columns

R

Rhonda

I am trying to insert a blank column into an existing
document. I have an existing document that I would like
to put in column format. By this I mean, I would like the
current data to be in one column and begin adding new
things in a column next to the existing column. When I
try to change my document to column format, it puts
everything in two columns.
 
S

Sara

In Word, "column" refers only to newspaper columns. You
can get the results you want by using a Word table.
Highlight the existing data and choose Table; convert
your data to a one-column table. Then Insert a column
next to the one you created for your new data.
 
J

Jerry Bodoff

Sara

I have done this for notes to text. What I did was set
up 2 newspaper columns and put a column break in column
1. Typed the text in column 1 and then went to column 2
and typed in the "side notes". It did take a little
effort to line things up. Is there a flaw in this method?
I do agree that a 2 column table is easier, especially
for lining up text and notes.

Jerry Bodoff
 
T

TF

Jerry

Your method is OK but as you say, tables make it easier to align text and
side notes. However, balance this against very large tables really bog down
document performance.

--
Terry Farrell - Word MVP


Sara

I have done this for notes to text. What I did was set
up 2 newspaper columns and put a column break in column
1. Typed the text in column 1 and then went to column 2
and typed in the "side notes". It did take a little
effort to line things up. Is there a flaw in this method?
I do agree that a 2 column table is easier, especially
for lining up text and notes.

Jerry Bodoff
 
J

Jerry Bodoff

Hi TF

So true. I have one document that is a table that is
about 8 pages long. It takes forever to close the
document. So far I have not found a better way except
EXCEL or a WORKS spreadsheet, and that is not much better.

Jerry B.
 
S

Suzanne S. Barnhill

When using a table to create parallel columns, it is usually possibly to
break it from time to time (with headings outside the table, etc.). An
eight-page table should not be a problem, though. I've got a document 59
pages long that is a single table (2,528 rows) that didn't begin to bog down
till after page 50 or so. Now when I want to add onto the end, I split the
table just ahead of where I'm working, then rejoin when I finish. It's a
database that should have been done in Excel to begin with, but I didn't
realize that at the time.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
T

TF

Suzanne

That's my experience too - around 45/55 pages the document really becomes
slow. However, for this sort of work it is probably feasible to break the
table regularly at the bottom of the page. That should minimise the
performance hit.

Terry

When using a table to create parallel columns, it is usually possibly to
break it from time to time (with headings outside the table, etc.). An
eight-page table should not be a problem, though. I've got a document 59
pages long that is a single table (2,528 rows) that didn't begin to bog down
till after page 50 or so. Now when I want to add onto the end, I split the
table just ahead of where I'm working, then rejoin when I finish. It's a
database that should have been done in Excel to begin with, but I didn't
realize that at the time.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://www.mvps.org/word
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 

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