Advanced Editing

Macromedia Contribute also lets you perform several more advanced editing techniques.

TABLES

Inserting Tables | Modifying Tables

Tables are a powerful formatting feature of HTML, and Macromedia Contribute offers an easier utility for using tables.

Inserting Tables

The first step is to insert a table into your document. To do this hit the Table button on the top toolbar. This will bring up the table creation window shown below.

The first option is Table size , which allows the number of cells in the table. Note that rows are counted downward and columns are accounted across. If you are simply using a table for layout of text and images, you may not need more than one row.

Table width needs to be set. Default Width will drop in a table with a set defaulted width, while Specefic width allows the user to assign a specific measurement for how big the table should be. The user has the option of specifying the width of a table in pixels or percent .

Note that assigning size in pixels "constrains" a table, so that the content will not realign or be reconfigured on a page if the screen settings change, but the content and table will actually stay static -- but with changing areas of white space around the table, growing and shrinking depending on a user's screen resolution settings.

Percentage controls how much of a table or page a table format takes up. Therefore, in larger screen settings, the content may spread out. In smaller settings, the content may be squished and therefore reconfigured. If one chooses percentage, therefore, content has to be designed to handle all possibilities of reformatting.

A pixel is a small unit of measurement on a monitor representing one small square on the screen, relative to the "dots per inch" measurement for printing. Standard monitors today have pixel resolutions ranging from 800x600 (standard) to 1600x1200, but different web browsers do not always take up the whole screen -- therefore, for example, the "true" settings would probably be more like 780X580 for the standard web page design format of 800x600. (The Contribute User will probably be modifying content in cells smaller than this format.)

Border Thickness is the thickness of the division between cells. If you would like your table to appear without any visible divisions, set the border thickness to 0 pixels.

Cell Padding is the space between the border of a table and the beginning of a cell. Cell Spacing is the space between cells in your table. These numbers are both set in pixels.

A Header on a table differentiates certain cells from the rest of a table. Normally this option is used for titles or column or row headings. Certainly it is used to create visibility for certain content in a table -- although different browsers may see the headers in different ways.

Once you are done creating your table, hit OK to insert it into your page.

Modifying Tables

Once a table has been inserted into your page, it can be modified further. To modify table properties, right click on the table and select Table Properties. You have the option of changing Table width, Border thickness, Cell padding, and Cell Spacing. You can also change Table alignment, which controls the "justified" position where a table appears on the page (left, center, right). In addition, you can change the Border color and Background color with the controls at the bottom of the properties window. Once you are finished, hit OK.

You can also change individual cell properties. To do this, select the cell(s) in the table you would like to change, right click, and select Table cell properties. Horizontal alignment and Vertical alignment control where the content of the cell will appear (left, center, right, top, bottom, etc.). Background color controls the background color of the cell. The Wrap text option, when checked, makes long sentences wrap around to a new line within the cell. If unchecked, the option will stretch the cell to fit the text.

You can also physically modify the layout of your table. By right clicking on a table you have the option to Insert Row Above, Insert Row Below, Insert Column To Right, Insert Column To Left, Delete Column and Delete Row.

You can also insert multiple rows or columns at the same time. Right click on the area of the table in which you would like to insert rows or columns, and select Insert Multiple Rows or Columns. A window similar to the one below will appear. Select to insert Rows or Columns, the Number and Where they should appear. Options will change when you select Rows or Columns.

Finally you can split cells. You are allowed to split cells horizontally and vertically in any number of divisions. This has the effect of letting you create a table within tables. To do this, right click on the cell you wish to modify, and choose Split. A window similar to the one below will appear. Choose Rows or Columns and the number of divisions you would like.

An example of how you can divide a table by splitting cells can be seen below.