The correct way to move a table is to drag it, just as you are doing
However, you need to understand how Word's Layout Engine works.
Basically, there are two kinds of embedded objects in the text: In-line, and
Floating.
If you set the table's Text Wrapping to be "Inline", it behaves like a very
large single character, sitting on the line with the other text. It is part
of the text, and Word processes it just like all the other characters on the
page: it moves with the text, and you can't drag it.
If you set the Wrapping to be "Around", Word then treats the table as a
Floating object. This means it "floats" either in front of or behind the
text layer. You can then drag the table where you want it.
When you set a table to be Floating (or when you drag a table that was set
to Inline) the text must "get out of the way" to make room for the table.
If you click the "Positioning" button in that property sheet, you can
specify measurements to place the table exactly. It will still push the
text aside to do that.
However, it is essential to understand that in Word, any embedded object is
anchored to, and positioned with respect to, a paragraph.
The fundamental unit of a Word document is the paragraph: everything happens
with respect to a paragraph, which may or may not contain text. Always work
with your Show/Hide button turned on to reveal the paragraph marks,
otherwise you can't see what you are doing and you will chase your tail
forever
So when you are "Positioning" a table, know that the measurements are all
being calculated with respect to the beginning of the paragraph that the
anchor appears in. Turn "Object Anchors" on in your Word preferences, so
you can see where they are. They will then appear whenever you select a
floating object.
Because the table is always anchored to a paragraph, very strange things
happen if the paragraph gets shunted to the next page! Even though the
dialog enables you to specify positions with respect to the "Page", Word
can't actually DO that. Instead, it accepts your measurement (say: 5 cm
down from the top of the page and 3 cm in) and then works out how far the
table needs to be from the top left corner of its anchor paragraph to make
that happen.
When the paragraph changes page, the table will still be positioned with
respect to that paragraph, which may place the table on an entirely
different position in the new page.
Finally, you can drag the anchor to a different paragraph without moving the
table. This is very useful for ensuring that when you have finished, the
table is anchored to a paragraph ABOVE the table.
If you anchor a floating object to a paragraph below itself, the position of
the paragraph is dependent on the position and size of the floating object
from which the object position is being calculated.
Very high entertainment value is guaranteed, until you work out what's going
on!
Hope this helps
hi!
when i move a table within a page the text alignment gets changed, and
the table moves to
somewhere btwn the txt..! what's the correct way to move a table.?
-via135
This email is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless you intend to pay!
--
John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410
+61 4 1209 1410, mailto:
[email protected]