In behalf of macropod, and based on macropod's advise, here is the solution
to hunguponword's problem and answers to his questions.
HI again! Here’s the fix for your problem, and the answers to your questions
regarding “table index†function in MSWord tables.
The program-inserted error message, !Table Index Cannot Be Zero, indicates
that there is at least one non-tabulated line (one or more
paragraph-formatted lines) that separate the table into one or more
“sub-tablesâ€) immediately above the Totals line in the table. This
non-table-formatted line (or lines) must be deleted so that the table’s
Totals line is again continuous with the rest of the table above—there must
be no table division/separation/space between the table’s data lines and its
Totals line at the bottom. (If the unwanted, Paragraph-formatted, line or
lines is not easily discerned, it could be because your table is not showing
grid lines; in that case you will need to “instruct†Word to show the grid
lines—click Table in the menu bar; then click Show Gridlines in the drop-down
menu.) After deleting any North-South separation in the table, go down to the
table’s Totals line and repeat the Table-Formula operation in the appropriate
cell. This will eliminate the Word-inserted error message and restore the
desired numeric column total in that cell.
[Explanation and answers to Inquirers additional questions follow.]
“Table Index†(as was displayed in the error message) is the nomenclature
which MS Word uses to describe the “guide posts†it uses in order to find its
way (in order to correctly count lines, and locate cells in a column) in a
table. Each table line in a continuous table (but not multiple lines within a
table cell) is assigned a real-number row designation, its Table Index
number, starting with the first line of the table. Within each row, Word is
then able to locate a particular column by counting the tabs, from left to
right, which separate the cells into columnar alignment with cells above and
below. (For formatting purpose, the tabs also serve to locate grid lines
between columns.) In a “normal,†non-tabular paragraph, there is no need to
“track†line counts up and down, or column/cell-number counts left to right,
so a standard-formatted paragraph really has no (or has only a null) “table
index†designation…which Word’s Table-Formula routine identifies as “Table
Index Zero.†When you invoke the Table-Formula operation to total cells in a
table column, Word’s Table-Formula routine begins, starting with the first
table line, Table Index 1, and then counts over from the left margin until it
is at the same column in which the Totals cell (below) resides. In that
column cell, the program reads and “stores†the numeric data entry (or
ignores the entry, or reads it as zero, in the case of an all-alpha entry,
such as in a column heading). The program then proceeds downward to the next
line (the next Table Index number) and corresponding column, and totals the
“stored†number from above with the new number to be added. Storing this new
total in place of the previously stored number (or sum), it proceeds in this
fashion line-to-line down the table (adding new numbers to previous totals)
until it encounters the Column Total (the “formula†imbedded) cell. At that
point it writes the accumulated total (up to that point) on the screen in the
column-total (the Table-Formula) cell. In the inquirer’s case, MS Word’s
Table-Formula routine was unable to complete the column total calculation
because a missing table index number (a non-table line immediately above the
total line), in effect, caused the program to “think†it was adding a column
consisting only of the total! There were no numbers or sums above—not even a
zero—which could be inserted in the Table-Formula cell. When no previous
number or numeric total entry could be found, the program instead retrieved
(from HDD storage) and printed the error message, “! Table Index Cannot Be
Zero,†on the monitor screen in the column total cell.
MSWord’s method of finding, reading, and sequentially totaling numeric cell
entries in a table column is very much like that of WordPerfect’s; however,
Word does not provide hidden-text word processing codes that can be revealed
by the user to facilitate troubleshooting of text/data/edit entry error or
program function.
Search key words: “table index†index !table column total “error messageâ€
“when adding rows†“when adding rows†zero “cannot be zero†can’t cannot “get
column total†“table forumla does not work†“in place ofâ€
macropod said:
Hi,
Whilst I don't know what causes this error, it could be a sign of table
corruption; in which case it might be advisable to create a new table, copy
your data and formulae to it, then delete the old one.
You might also find things easier to maintain - and your table less likely
to corrupt - if you simply insert the required number of rows before the row
containing the formula, then paste the new values into those rows before
updating the formula field.
Cheers
--
macropod
[MVP - Microsoft Word]
hunguponword said:
I am using Table-forumula feature in some columns of a table. The
table
grows
over time with addition of new lines. Periodically, I copy the Total
line
and
paste it at the bottom, under the lines that have been appended below the
earlier total line. Then I delete the original (now interleaved) total line.
The formulas move down along with the rest of the total line. Until
now,
this
has worked fine...and I have gotten an accurate totals update whenever I
"moved" the totals line down and invoked Table-Formula from the
standard
menu
bar. However, now, when I click the total cell, then open the Table menu,
then click formula...I no longer get the total pasted into the cell. Instead,
a message appears in its place, exactly as follows:
! Table Index Cannot Be Zero
I'd like to understand better what a table index is. Is is a hidden code,
like in Wordperfect, or something else. What might have caused the "error"?
How can I find and correct the table index--or do whatever else is
necessary--so that the formula operation will again work? What might I have
done to mess up the table index? So I can avoid doing it again? Thank
you.
