Table and table-text flow control features for OpenOffice Writer

I've been doing some table-based layout recently, in my quick-reference cards. I got to know the table flow options real well. Here are some good solid table control features.

Text Flow tab

Get to know this one. Click in the table and choose Table > Table Properties. Click the Text Flow tab.

Break: If you want a cell to start at the top of a new page or column click in that cell, and then in this window select Break and Column or Page. Conversely, if you've got a table that starts at the top of a page or column and don't want it to, unmark the Break option.

Allow Table to Split Across Pages and Columns: You're going to have some weird layout with your longer tables if you don't let the table at least split across columns.

Allow Row to Split Across Pages and Columns: However, I think it looks a little weird, at least in some circumstances, to let the row split. So I don't mark that.

Repeat Heading: Here's how you get the first, or first and second, and so on, rows of a table to repeat on each additional page. Helps readers to know what each column of information is about.

Putting a Carriage Return Above a Table at the Top of a Page

If you've got a table at the top of a page and you want a blank line above it, just click in the upper left cell of that table and press Return.

Getting Rid of a Carriage Return Above a Table at the Top of a Page or Between Tables

Click on the line where the carriage return is and press Delete. 

Bam, the two are consecutive. Not the same table, but consecutive.

Split/Merge Options on the Table menu

Let's say you've got a long table, and you want to split it into two. Just click in the line where you want the 2nd table to being, and choose Table > Split Table.

If you've got two tables and you want them to be one, then click in the top line of the second table and choose Table > Merge Table.

If there's just one to choose from, the merging will just happen with the  table above it. If there's a table above and below, you'll get this window. Make the choice you want and click OK.

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Comments

[What is Open Office?]

Thank you, these are some great tips. You may want to disable your window manager's transparency feature when making screenshots. The transparency looks very weird when taken out of context of the rest of the screen, and is rather distracting. Other than that, great work!