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#1
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
Formatting tables while maintaining linking is giving me
problems. Neither option of either "keep source formatting and link to Excel" or "match destination table style and link to Excel" seems to make a difference. When the links are updated the tables lose formatting that I have applied to make them fit on the page. I have scrapped the document I'm working with and started over fresh. I've inserted the first of several tables, changed formatting, saved, closed, and reopened the document. This time the table seems to have kept all the formatting that I have applied, except the option to "repeat as header row at the top of each page" format. I'm responsible to produce several documents containing multiple linked tables forecasting growth in state energy usage. I could sure use some pointers? Thanks |
#2
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
Tammie,
To improve you control over the formatting in Word and to be able to repeat the header rows when the table spans a second (or greater) page, I would recommend that you choose chose Formatted Text (RTF) when you are pasting (special) the linked Excel data; it will place the data in a table; you'll have complete control over the formatting, which will not change when you update the Excel workbook. One warning -- do not change the formatting in the Excel workbook after you have linked it. If you do change the formatting in Excel, when you update the linked data in Word, the formatting in Word will change! Jon -------------- "Tammie" wrote in message ... Formatting tables while maintaining linking is giving me problems. Neither option of either "keep source formatting and link to Excel" or "match destination table style and link to Excel" seems to make a difference. When the links are updated the tables lose formatting that I have applied to make them fit on the page. I have scrapped the document I'm working with and started over fresh. I've inserted the first of several tables, changed formatting, saved, closed, and reopened the document. This time the table seems to have kept all the formatting that I have applied, except the option to "repeat as header row at the top of each page" format. I'm responsible to produce several documents containing multiple linked tables forecasting growth in state energy usage. I could sure use some pointers? Thanks |
#3
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
Hi Tammie,
It sounds as if you have Word 2002 or 2003? after you paste the table (as Jon describes) press Alt+F9 to see the LINK field code that manages the link. If you don't see a \* MergeFormat switch at the end of the field code, add that in. This will tell Word to maintain (most of) the formatting you apply to the table in the Word environment. Formatting tables while maintaining linking is giving me problems. Neither option of either "keep source formatting and link to Excel" or "match destination table style and link to Excel" seems to make a difference. When the links are updated the tables lose formatting that I have applied to make them fit on the page. I have scrapped the document I'm working with and started over fresh. I've inserted the first of several tables, changed formatting, saved, closed, and reopened the document. This time the table seems to have kept all the formatting that I have applied, except the option to "repeat as header row at the top of each page" format. I'm responsible to produce several documents containing multiple linked tables forecasting growth in state energy usage. I could sure use some pointers? Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#4
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
Thanks so much. A caution to anyone trying this. When I first pasted the table in RTF it didn't appear to work. The formatting was so out of whack that the data didn't even appear. However, once I highlighted the table made the formatting changes everything aligned great and the data appeared. I saved, reopened, and updated the links and all the formatting changed I made remained.
Thanks so much you have saved me. Tammie |
#5
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
Tammi and Cindy,
Glad the suggestions were helpful. A warning about \*mergeformat; even though some people whose opinion I respect (e.g., Suzanne Barnhill) say it has never failed to work, I would recommend deleting it if Word inserts it automatically when a field is created and not inserting it manually unless you want to take advantage of its features *and* are aware of the potential problems associated with it. I have had horrible experience with \*mergeformat in long documents that are frequently revised. They are created from 30+ smaller documents by using INCLUDETEXT fields. All revisions are done in the component documents. All the component documents are based on the same document template with the consistent and pervasive use of styles; all automatic numbering is styles-based with named list templates; In line with text wrapping style is used for graphics in the vast majority of cases; Dave Rado's suggestions re speeding up tables are followed, etc.; moreover, the component documents are periodically scrubbed by tedious cutting and pasting into new documents to lessen the likelihood of corruption. Among these problems a Erratic behavior of character styles (underlining and blue font color disappearing from part or all) and direct formatting (bold toggling off; font colors applied to the last word in a bulleted list changing the color of the bullet; font coloring applied to the last word in one paragraph being applied to the last character in the next paragraph) When the \*mergeformat switch is deleted, not one of the above problems occurs. Other individuals have had problems with \*mergeformat with other fields Margaret Aldis: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e... ublic.word.* Peter Jamieson: http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e...icrosoft.publi c.word.*%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3DUTF-8%26group%3Dmicrosoft.public.word.*%26 start%3D20%26sa%3DN http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=e....public.word.* Jon "Cindy M -WordMVP-" wrote in message news:VA.000099dd.0084b033@speedy... Hi Tammie, It sounds as if you have Word 2002 or 2003? after you paste the table (as Jon describes) press Alt+F9 to see the LINK field code that manages the link. If you don't see a \* MergeFormat switch at the end of the field code, add that in. This will tell Word to maintain (most of) the formatting you apply to the table in the Word environment. Formatting tables while maintaining linking is giving me problems. Neither option of either "keep source formatting and link to Excel" or "match destination table style and link to Excel" seems to make a difference. When the links are updated the tables lose formatting that I have applied to make them fit on the page. I have scrapped the document I'm working with and started over fresh. I've inserted the first of several tables, changed formatting, saved, closed, and reopened the document. This time the table seems to have kept all the formatting that I have applied, except the option to "repeat as header row at the top of each page" format. I'm responsible to produce several documents containing multiple linked tables forecasting growth in state energy usage. I could sure use some pointers? Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#6
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
Hi Jon,
A warning about \*mergeformat; even though some people whose opinion I respect (e.g., Suzanne Barnhill) say it has never failed to work, I would recommend deleting it if Word inserts it automatically when a field is created and not inserting it manually unless you want to take advantage of its features *and* are aware of the potential problems associated with it. Absolutely. The ONLY place I ever recommend to use it is in a LINK field to an Excel sheet, and possibly a DATABASE field. Everywhere else, it should be deleted. It was a nice idea, but the results are so unpredictable if the content being displayed changes... shudder I lost count years ago of the number of mail merge issues resolved, simply by removing that switch from merge fields :-) Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#7
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
FWIW, I have come to the conclusion that I am deeply ignorant about the \*
MERGEFORMAT switch and what it is supposed to do or actually does, so no one should give any weight to my opinion at all! In some cases apparently \* CHARFORMAT will effect the desired results, apparently, but I don't fully understand that one, either. Which is why my documents are all carefully handcrafted and should come with the same warning as those loathsome chunky pieces of furniture or ratty textiles from Third World countries that come with labels telling you that the irregularities are proof that they're handcrafted and don't come from a large anonymous factory. FWIW, I prefer well-made furniture produced in mills in North Carolina, with drawers that don't stick! -- Suzanne S. Barnhill Microsoft MVP (Word) Words into Type Fairhope, Alabama USA Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so all may benefit. "Cindy M -WordMVP-" wrote in message news:VA.000099fd.00501334@speedy... Hi Jon, A warning about \*mergeformat; even though some people whose opinion I respect (e.g., Suzanne Barnhill) say it has never failed to work, I would recommend deleting it if Word inserts it automatically when a field is created and not inserting it manually unless you want to take advantage of its features *and* are aware of the potential problems associated with it. Absolutely. The ONLY place I ever recommend to use it is in a LINK field to an Excel sheet, and possibly a DATABASE field. Everywhere else, it should be deleted. It was a nice idea, but the results are so unpredictable if the content being displayed changes... shudder I lost count years ago of the number of mail merge issues resolved, simply by removing that switch from merge fields :-) Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
#8
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Formatting Linked Excel Tables
Hi Suzanne,
FWIW, I have come to the conclusion that I am deeply ignorant about the \* MERGEFORMAT switch and what it is supposed to do or actually does, so no one should give any weight to my opinion at all! In some cases apparently \* CHARFORMAT will effect the desired results, apparently, but I don't fully understand that one, either. In a nutshell: CharFormat will apply the direct font formatting applied to the very first character in the field is formatted with to the result of the entire field. MergeFormat is a bit slippery :-) In essence, it keeps track of every bit of direct formatting ever applied to the field result, and "puts it back" after the field has been updated. The problem with this is, when a field updates the content will usually change. So if characters 4 through 7, say, were formatted bold, they'll still be bold after the update. But due to the update, the characters in these positions perhaps shouldn't be bold; the characters that were bold before may have moved, or been deleted entirely. This is why it's mostly useful when applying formatting to linked table rows or columns, although if the number of rows increases you could be in for a nasty surprise. Cindy Meister INTER-Solutions, Switzerland http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Sep 30 2003) http://www.word.mvps.org This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail :-) |
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