Modifying Table Borders
You can modify OASIS Exchange, HTML, custom, and
Arbortext table and cell borders using the
Modify Borders dialog box.
Arbortext table borders have a more limited set of options.
The Modify Borders dialog box enables you to modify the borders for the entire table, for a set of selected cells, or for a single cell. If you open the dialog box with the cursor in the table and no cells selected, the dialog box opens with Table active in the Apply To option. If you open the dialog box with a set of cells selected, then Selected Cells is active in the Apply To option. If just a single cell is selected, then Cell is active. The Preview window gives an indication of the cells that are selected.
If you select all of the cells in a table, then the Modify Borders dialog box opens with Selected Cells active in the Apply To option. If desired, you can change the selection in Apply To to Table to modify the borders for the entire table.
You can modify the style, color, and width of a border. The dialog box has a set of Presets that enable you to change all of the borders for different table border configurations. When you have a preset configuration selected, any changes you make to the format of the borders automatically applies to borders associated with that preset. The Preview control displays how you have modified the borders. Note that the Preview control is not a representation of your entire table. Instead, it provides a general indication of the borders in the table you can modify.
The dialog box also has a Custom button that enables you to apply different formats to individual borders. When Custom is selected, you can set the format for a border without affecting any other borders in the table. You can then either select one of the buttons in the Preview control or click on a rule inside of the control to apply that format to just those selected borders. You can repeat this operation as desired to set the format for individual borders.
The following sections provide some examples of using the Modify Borders dialog box to modify a table’s borders.
Turning All of The Borders in a Table On or Off
Follow these steps to turn all of the borders in a table on or off:
1. Place the cursor anywhere inside the table.
2. Open the Modify Borders dialog box. Table is selected in the Apply To field.
You can open the dialog box in the following ways:
◦ Choosing > .
◦ Clicking the Modify Borders toolbar button.
◦ Right-clicking and choosing Modify Borders from the Table editing shortcut menu.
3. To turn all of the borders in the table off, select the None button in the Presets group and click OK to close the dialog box.
4. To turn all of the borders in the table on, select the All button in the Presets group and click OK to close the dialog box.
Changing the Format for All of the Borders in a Table
Follow these steps to change the format for all of the borders in a table:
1. Place the cursor anywhere inside the table.
2. Open the Modify Borders dialog box.
Confirm that All is selected in the Presets group.
3. Modify the Style, Color, and Width options as desired for the table borders.
The changes are reflected in the Preview control.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Configuring Custom Borders
Follow these steps to format the table borders so that the outer border has thick rules, the inner borders have thinner rules, and the border below the first row has a thick rule:
1. Place the cursor anywhere inside the table.
2. Open the Modify Borders dialog box. Table is selected in the Apply To field.
3. Select the Grid button in the Presets group.
4. Change the Width option to be thicker, for example to 4.00pt.
The change is reflected in the Preview control.
5. Select the Custom button.
6. Change the Width option to be thinner, for example to 2.00pt.
This change is not reflected in the Preview control.
7. Click on the Horizontal Rule(s) and Vertical Rule(s) buttons in the Preview control.
The custom width is applied to those rules.
8. Click OK to close the dialog box.
9. Select the first row of the table.
10. Open the Modify Borders dialog box.
The dialog box opens with Selected Cells active in the Apply To option.
11. Select the Custom button.
12. Change the Width option to be thicker, for example to 4.00pt.
13. Click on the Bottom Rule button in the Preview control.
14. Click OK to close the dialog box.
Limitations when Setting Table Borders
Narrow rules (single rules less than 1px/0.8pt wide or double rules less than 3px/2pt wide) may not display in certain browsers when the table is published to HTML output.