Document Styles should be assignable to fonts in Table AutoFormat

[Natasha A.]

When creating a new Table AutoFormat mode, it would be great to be able to
assign styles (defined in the template/document) to table text, not just pick
font formatting. Also, it would help to be able to define table formatting
without assigning fonts/styles to table text, i.e., only AutoFormat table
borders and shadings.

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[Klaus Linke]

Hi Natasha,

Others have asked for the same. I don't really agree, though.

Often, if not most times, I want different styles in my tables than in the
regular text (... a smaller font size, for one).

A bunch of table paragraph styles would just clutter up the "Styles and
formatting" pane, and since I would want to apply the table style rather than
the table paragraph styles, it wouldn't be helpful at all, just confusing.

If you could specify a paragraph font as the default font used in a table
style, that would be a different matter. It might keep things simple, and be
helpful if you want to reformat a document.

Regards,
Klaus

 

[Natasha A.]

Hi Klaus,
Thank you for your response. I guess I didn’t explain it well: I would like
table style carry certain paragraph styles within.

Lets say I am creating MyTable style through Table AutoFormat dialog. It
would be great to assign MyTableText paragraph style as a base style for any
text in my tables (and MyTableText is based on, for example,
MyReducedSizeText, which also serves as a base for some other styles used in
a document).

I use styles a lot and when I need to change lets say font sizes through out
the document this would save time – I would change, for example, Normal as a
base style for regular text in the document and MyReducedSizeText that serves
as a base for MyTableText and other smaller font styles.

This way changing the base paragraph style will affect table style too
without having to modify it separately.

I hope I didn't create more confusion )
Best,
Natasha

 

[Stefan Blom]

Are you saying that you want the table style to apply an "initial paragraph
style" which determines the formatting of the text in the table cells? That
seems like a good idea.

 

[Natasha A.]

Yes, exactly. I think that would save a lot of time and effort.

 

[Klaus Linke]

I agree completely. It was me who didn't explain well:

It should have read:

"If you could specify a paragraph style as the default style used in a table
style ..."
instead of
"If you could specify a paragraph font as the default font used in a table
style ..."

The MVPs put together a "wish list" a while ago, and many MVPs wanted table
styles to apply paragraph styles.
You'd need one style for the body, one for the table header, and more for
any other part of the table that is supposed to get some special formatting.
That's the idea I don't like that much, since it would lead to a lot of
(unnecessary) paragraph styles for each table style.
And paragraph styles can't set cell shading or borders, anyway.

Often, table styles are too "simple". They are great for Excel-type business
tables. If things get more complicated (merged cells, ...), they really
don't help.

"Cell styles" incorporating font formatting and cell formatting (padding,
shading, borders) might be helpful for more complex table layouts (if well
implemented), but would probably be too difficult for most users.

For anything but very simple tables, I don't bother with table styles.
Sometimes, you can make use of multiple selections (Ctrl+select) to apply
borders, shading and so on to a lot of cells in different tables at once.
And if you know a bit of VBA, it sometimes pays off to create some macros
for setting, say, column widths or font/cell formatting.

Regards,
Klaus