Word Tip: Quick and easy tables in Microsoft Word

This isn’t a VBScript tip— or even a systems administrator tip. However, it is a valuable tip on a quick easy way to create tables in word that are EXACTLY the size you need without knowing ahead of time and doing a lot of clicking in the menus… and if your like me with the number of tables you have to create for documentation this tip is a life saver!

Essentially, You Type the rows like you would a normal sentence except between where you want the columns you place a tab. When the row is completed, instead of pressing ENTER to start a new row… press SHIFT ENTER to start a new row. Then, end the table by simply pressing ENTER.

Finally, highlight the text you wanted to make into a table and select “Make Table” or “Insert Table” from the menu in Microsoft Word, depending on your version. TAHDAH!!!

Here is an example:

This is a cell ”Tab” in a row ”Tab” that is the first row ”Shift Enter”
This is another cell ”Tab” in another row ”Tab” that is the second row ”Shift Enter”
This is a cell ”Tab” in the last row ”Tab” that is the end of the table ”Enter”

It should look like this after you select to Insert the table: