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#1
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How to align decimal points vertically in a table
Published papers in a particular journal show tables in which the decimal
points of numbers are the vertical alignment reference within a column; i.e. the decimal points fall on a vertical line through the column of data. Is there a way to format for this or does one have to "force" the alignment through the use of spaces, etc? Thanks -- gyroman |
#2
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Hi MikeL
One of my foremost rules for using Word is this: The space bar is for putting spaces between words. If you're using the the space bar to position text, you're doing something wrong. To align numbers on the decimal point, use a decimal tab. As a test to see how this works, type some text like this: Green Apples[Tab]12.12 Oranges[Tab]45.45454 Bananas[Tab]1,234,343.3 Now, select all that text and do Format Tabs. Clear any tabs that are already showing. In the Tab Stop position type an appropriate number (for our example, try say 5cm). Click the Decimal option and click OK. If you're doing lots of stuff like this, or if you need borders around the data, put the data in a Table. Use Insert Table to create the table. "Green Apples" goes in one cell and "12.12" goes in the next cell. Don't use any tabs or spaces to position the text. Instead, select the whole of the column holding the numbers and do Format Tab to set the decimal tab for all the cells in that column. Experiment to get the Tab Stop Position correct. Hope this helps. Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP. http://www.shaunakelly.com/word "MikeL" wrote in message ... Published papers in a particular journal show tables in which the decimal points of numbers are the vertical alignment reference within a column; i.e. the decimal points fall on a vertical line through the column of data. Is there a way to format for this or does one have to "force" the alignment through the use of spaces, etc? Thanks -- gyroman |
#3
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...............but................
'cos you're inside a Table (where [tab] will move you to the next cell) use [CTRL]+[tab] in place of [tab]). -- Regards, Pat Garard Melbourne, Australia _______________________ "Shauna Kelly" wrote in message ... Hi MikeL One of my foremost rules for using Word is this: The space bar is for putting spaces between words. If you're using the the space bar to position text, you're doing something wrong. To align numbers on the decimal point, use a decimal tab. As a test to see how this works, type some text like this: Green Apples[Tab]12.12 Oranges[Tab]45.45454 Bananas[Tab]1,234,343.3 Now, select all that text and do Format Tabs. Clear any tabs that are already showing. In the Tab Stop position type an appropriate number (for our example, try say 5cm). Click the Decimal option and click OK. If you're doing lots of stuff like this, or if you need borders around the data, put the data in a Table. Use Insert Table to create the table. "Green Apples" goes in one cell and "12.12" goes in the next cell. Don't use any tabs or spaces to position the text. Instead, select the whole of the column holding the numbers and do Format Tab to set the decimal tab for all the cells in that column. Experiment to get the Tab Stop Position correct. Hope this helps. Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP. http://www.shaunakelly.com/word "MikeL" wrote in message ... Published papers in a particular journal show tables in which the decimal points of numbers are the vertical alignment reference within a column; i.e. the decimal points fall on a vertical line through the column of data. Is there a way to format for this or does one have to "force" the alignment through the use of spaces, etc? Thanks -- gyroman |
#4
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No, you don't need to insert a tab character at all to use decimal tabs in
table cells; as soon as you insert the tab stop, the (left-aligned) text jumps to it automagically. -- 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. "Pat Garard" apgarardATbigpondDOTnetDOTau wrote in message ... ..............but................ 'cos you're inside a Table (where [tab] will move you to the next cell) use [CTRL]+[tab] in place of [tab]). -- Regards, Pat Garard Melbourne, Australia _______________________ "Shauna Kelly" wrote in message ... Hi MikeL One of my foremost rules for using Word is this: The space bar is for putting spaces between words. If you're using the the space bar to position text, you're doing something wrong. To align numbers on the decimal point, use a decimal tab. As a test to see how this works, type some text like this: Green Apples[Tab]12.12 Oranges[Tab]45.45454 Bananas[Tab]1,234,343.3 Now, select all that text and do Format Tabs. Clear any tabs that are already showing. In the Tab Stop position type an appropriate number (for our example, try say 5cm). Click the Decimal option and click OK. If you're doing lots of stuff like this, or if you need borders around the data, put the data in a Table. Use Insert Table to create the table. "Green Apples" goes in one cell and "12.12" goes in the next cell. Don't use any tabs or spaces to position the text. Instead, select the whole of the column holding the numbers and do Format Tab to set the decimal tab for all the cells in that column. Experiment to get the Tab Stop Position correct. Hope this helps. Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP. http://www.shaunakelly.com/word "MikeL" wrote in message ... Published papers in a particular journal show tables in which the decimal points of numbers are the vertical alignment reference within a column; i.e. the decimal points fall on a vertical line through the column of data. Is there a way to format for this or does one have to "force" the alignment through the use of spaces, etc? Thanks -- gyroman |
#5
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Doh!
Oh! automagically I like... -- Regards, Pat Garard Melbourne, Australia _______________________ "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote in message ... No, you don't need to insert a tab character at all to use decimal tabs in table cells; as soon as you insert the tab stop, the (left-aligned) text jumps to it automagically. -- 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. "Pat Garard" apgarardATbigpondDOTnetDOTau wrote in message ... ..............but................ 'cos you're inside a Table (where [tab] will move you to the next cell) use [CTRL]+[tab] in place of [tab]). -- Regards, Pat Garard Melbourne, Australia _______________________ "Shauna Kelly" wrote in message ... Hi MikeL One of my foremost rules for using Word is this: The space bar is for putting spaces between words. If you're using the the space bar to position text, you're doing something wrong. To align numbers on the decimal point, use a decimal tab. As a test to see how this works, type some text like this: Green Apples[Tab]12.12 Oranges[Tab]45.45454 Bananas[Tab]1,234,343.3 Now, select all that text and do Format Tabs. Clear any tabs that are already showing. In the Tab Stop position type an appropriate number (for our example, try say 5cm). Click the Decimal option and click OK. If you're doing lots of stuff like this, or if you need borders around the data, put the data in a Table. Use Insert Table to create the table. "Green Apples" goes in one cell and "12.12" goes in the next cell. Don't use any tabs or spaces to position the text. Instead, select the whole of the column holding the numbers and do Format Tab to set the decimal tab for all the cells in that column. Experiment to get the Tab Stop Position correct. Hope this helps. Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP. http://www.shaunakelly.com/word "MikeL" wrote in message ... Published papers in a particular journal show tables in which the decimal points of numbers are the vertical alignment reference within a column; i.e. the decimal points fall on a vertical line through the column of data. Is there a way to format for this or does one have to "force" the alignment through the use of spaces, etc? Thanks -- gyroman |
#6
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Yeah, me, too. g
-- 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. "Pat Garard" apgarardATbigpondDOTnetDOTau wrote in message ... Doh! Oh! automagically I like... -- Regards, Pat Garard Melbourne, Australia _______________________ "Suzanne S. Barnhill" wrote in message ... No, you don't need to insert a tab character at all to use decimal tabs in table cells; as soon as you insert the tab stop, the (left-aligned) text jumps to it automagically. -- 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. "Pat Garard" apgarardATbigpondDOTnetDOTau wrote in message ... ..............but................ 'cos you're inside a Table (where [tab] will move you to the next cell) use [CTRL]+[tab] in place of [tab]). -- Regards, Pat Garard Melbourne, Australia _______________________ "Shauna Kelly" wrote in message ... Hi MikeL One of my foremost rules for using Word is this: The space bar is for putting spaces between words. If you're using the the space bar to position text, you're doing something wrong. To align numbers on the decimal point, use a decimal tab. As a test to see how this works, type some text like this: Green Apples[Tab]12.12 Oranges[Tab]45.45454 Bananas[Tab]1,234,343.3 Now, select all that text and do Format Tabs. Clear any tabs that are already showing. In the Tab Stop position type an appropriate number (for our example, try say 5cm). Click the Decimal option and click OK. If you're doing lots of stuff like this, or if you need borders around the data, put the data in a Table. Use Insert Table to create the table. "Green Apples" goes in one cell and "12.12" goes in the next cell. Don't use any tabs or spaces to position the text. Instead, select the whole of the column holding the numbers and do Format Tab to set the decimal tab for all the cells in that column. Experiment to get the Tab Stop Position correct. Hope this helps. Shauna Kelly. Microsoft MVP. http://www.shaunakelly.com/word "MikeL" wrote in message ... Published papers in a particular journal show tables in which the decimal points of numbers are the vertical alignment reference within a column; i.e. the decimal points fall on a vertical line through the column of data. Is there a way to format for this or does one have to "force" the alignment through the use of spaces, etc? Thanks -- gyroman |
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