Is there an easy way to get alternating table columns to be the same width?

[Sesquipedalian Sam]

I frequently need to create tables that have repeating columns, such
as:


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Num Value1 % Value2 % Value3 % Value4 %
1 12.1234 32% 34.5678 45% 56.7890 61% 78.9012 89%
2 nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn%
3 nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn%
4 nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn%
5 nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn% nn.nnnn nn%

Column 1 is narrow. Columns 2, 4, 6, & 8 are wide and I would like
them all the same width. Columns 3, 5, 7, & 9 are narrower and I wold
like them all the same width.

Is there an easy (graphical) way to set up this table with having to
manually set each column individually?

Then, is there an easy way to change the widths while keeping similar
columns the same?

The [Distribute columns equally] option works great if I want a set of
adjacent columns to be the same width. Word even lets me select
non-adjacent columns for applying formatting, but the [Distribute
columns equally] option is greyed out.

I did discover that if I select the non-adjacent columns, I can then
set manually them all at once, so this may be the best option.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Set up the table once and then save it as a QuickPart making sure it is in
the required template (Alt+F3 is the shortcut).

 

[Sesquipedalian Sam]

Set up the table once and then save it as a QuickPart making sure it is in
the required template (Alt+F3 is the shortcut).

Good trick to know. That will work as long as that particular table
wil be used again and I don't need to change it, which I always do.

I was hoping for something a little more dynamic.

 

[Terry Farrell]

Not really. As you have already noted, you can select non-contiguous columns
and then use Table Properties to set the exact width of the select columns.
But that is only good if you only have a few different column widths: if
they all need to be set differently, then it is hard work without a simple
answer.

Terry