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#1
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Sorting Merged Cells
In WORD 2002 SP3, when I try to sort a table with merged cells, I get a
message that WORD cannot sort a table with merged cells. First, does anyone have any ideas for a workaround? Second, Does anyone know how to identify merged cells? Thanks |
#2
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Sorting Merged Cells
Mcarpeneto,
Do a: Table Convert "Convert Table to Text" Then a: Table Convert "Convert Text to Table" When you do this, you need to take care that whatever you separate the text with is not in your text. You can use commas, as long as commas do not otherwise appear in the text in your table. Then when you convert back, you need to use the same symbol. If your text has commas in it, then try using something like @ or / with "other". Another fix would be to cut and paste your table to Excel and back. They both should accomplish the same thing and allow you to sort your table. -Steven Craig Miller "mcarpeneto" wrote: In WORD 2002 SP3, when I try to sort a table with merged cells, I get a message that WORD cannot sort a table with merged cells. First, does anyone have any ideas for a workaround? Second, Does anyone know how to identify merged cells? Thanks |
#3
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Sorting Merged Cells
Thanks for your ideas, Steve. I tried them both; although they did not do
the trick, trying your suggestions did lead me to the solution. The following is what I discovered about the REAL problem with the "Cannot sort a table containing merged cells" warning. When I got the message, "Cannot sort a table containing merged cells," my first thought was to take Microsoft at its word (no pun intended), and I assumed that a WORD table could not be sorted if it contained more than one merged cell. What I came to realize, as I tried to find the merged cells that were causing my problem, was that Microsoft had not worded its warning correctly. WORD can sort a table with merged cells. You just have to make sure that the merged cells can clearly be identified as belonging to only one row. For example, picture a table with rows 1, 2 and 3 and columns A, B and C. If you merge cells 1A and 2A, 1B and 2B, and 1C and 2C, you will end up with a new row 1, and the old row 3 will become the new row 2. WORD can sort this table because the merged cells clearly belong to row 1. Now picture again our original table with rows 1, 2 and 3 and columns A, B and C. Suppose that you only merge cells 1A and 2A; and, you leave 1B, 1C, 2B and 2C as separate cells. WORD cannot sort this table because the Table Sort routine does not know whether to consider the merged cell as cell 1A or cell 2A, or both cells 1A and 2A; consequently, the sort routine causes the misleading warning message to appear. I think that the correct warning should read something like, "Cannot sort a table containing separate rows that share a merged cell." If the correctly worded message were used, finding the offending cell or cells becomes much easier to spot visually, and a potential solution to the merged cell roadblock in a particular table becomes easier to find. I hope that this explanation helps someone else resolve a table sorting problem similar to mine. "StevenM" stevencraigmiller(at)comcast(dot)net wrote in message ... Mcarpeneto, Do a: Table Convert "Convert Table to Text" Then a: Table Convert "Convert Text to Table" When you do this, you need to take care that whatever you separate the text with is not in your text. You can use commas, as long as commas do not otherwise appear in the text in your table. Then when you convert back, you need to use the same symbol. If your text has commas in it, then try using something like @ or / with "other". Another fix would be to cut and paste your table to Excel and back. They both should accomplish the same thing and allow you to sort your table. -Steven Craig Miller "mcarpeneto" wrote: In WORD 2002 SP3, when I try to sort a table with merged cells, I get a message that WORD cannot sort a table with merged cells. First, does anyone have any ideas for a workaround? Second, Does anyone know how to identify merged cells? Thanks |
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