InDesign for QuarkXPress Users [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Selecting Tables

To format a table, you need to know how to select it and its elements. As we discussed in the previous chapter, tables are always contained within a text frame. To perform any selection, you must start by choosing the Type tool.

Selecting Cells

If you want to select a single cell, click an insertion point or select text with the Type tool, then choose Cell from the Select submenu (under the Table menu or from the context menu). Or, faster, just press the Escape (Esc) key.

You can select multiple cells by clicking in a cell and dragging horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Another method to select several cells is to select a single cell and then press the Shift key with the Up, Down, Left or Right Arrow keys to extend the selection.

Selecting Rows or Columns

When you want to select rows or columns, you can also use either menu commands or the mouse. The slow way: select text in the row or column you want to select, then choose Row or Column from the Select submenu (under the Table menu). The fast way: If you want to select a row, move your cursor along the left edge of the row until you see the right-pointing arrow cursor (see Figure 75-1). Click to select the row. Dragging upward or downward extends the selection to other rows. Even faster: Press Command-3/Ctrl-3.

Selecting columns with the mouse is just as easy. To select a column, move your cursor along the top edge of the column until you see a down-pointing arrow cursor, then click (or drag). Or, just press Command-Option-3/Ctrl-Alt-3.

Selecting the Entire Table

There are three ways to select every cell in a table: First, you can place the text cursor in the table and then choose Table from the Select submenu (in the Table menu or context menu). Next, you can also move your cursor to the upper-left corner of the table and when you see the diagonal arrow cursor, click to select the table. Third (and fastest), type Command-Option-A/Ctrl-Alt-A.