Defining Line Types

You want to define line types for your template or table to specify the number and size of the cells of a line.

You created a table or template node in the navigation tree.

This procedure describes how to define line types graphically. However, you can also enter values and measurement units in the Details settings to define line types (see: Describing the Table Layout). To undo the last change in the Table Painter, choose Undo in the application toolbar.

1. On your table or template node go to the Table or Template tab. In the Table Painter, already one line type exists whose width corresponds to the window width. The width in the design area of the Table Painter is the same as the window width.

2. To draw lines and columns, click . The mouse pointer then looks like a pencil when moving in the design area.

   Note

   To temporarily deactivate existing boxes and shading, deactivate Display Box/Shading ( ).

3. Start by creating lines for the line types you need:

   • Create new blank lines (line types that consist of only one cell). To do this, position the mouse pointer on an exisiting line and choose from the context menu  Insert  New Blank Line Below  or  Insert  New Blank Line Above . For the template node, a new line with the same height as the clicked line is inserted.

   • Split an existing line type. To do this, click with the pencil at the position at which you want to horizontally split the line and keep the left mouse button depressed. Then pull the dotted line to the right until the Table Painter automatically aligns the line with the line width (To cancel this operation, pull the pencil diagonally and release the mouse button). You can also use the context menu function  Split  Line . For a template, the line is split at the selected position; for a table a new line type is inserted below the clicked line.

   • Copy or move existing line types. To do this, position the mouse pointer on an existing line type and use the context menu functions Copy Line or Cut Line. Then click the line before or after which you want to insert the line type and use the context menu functions Insert Line Below or Insert Line Above.

     Recommendation

     Place line types for which you want to have the same cell structures one below the other (for example, one line type for the column headings and one for the actual columns). Then divide both line types into cells by drawing the hatched separator line over both lines (see next step).

4. Draw cells for your cell types:

   • Divide the new line type into several cells. To do this, position the pencil where you want to insert a cell border. Click this position and keep the left mouse button depressed. Then draw the hatched line to the upper or lower border of the line type until the line covers the entire line type height (To cancel the operation, pull the pencil diagonally and release the mouse button). With this procedure you can draw cell borders for several line types in one go, if they are listed one below the other. You can also use the context menu function  Split  Cell .

   • Move the cell borders. To do this, position the pencil on the border you want to change. Instead of the pencil a double arrow appears. Now use the left mouse button to move the cell border and change the size of the two adjacent cells.

     Note

     If the cell borders of adjacent line types are exactly at the same position, you can move both simultaneously by keeping the CTRL key depressed during the operation.

5. Delete lines or cells. To do this use the context menu functions  Delete  Line  or Delete Cell.

   Note

   The Table Painter does not offer a function for concatenating cells. To concatenate two cells, delete one of them. All cells to the right of the deleted cell are shifted to the left.

6. Give descriptive names to your line types. To do this, use the context menu function Rename Line.

You defined line types for structuring your table or template (see Printing Tables or Printing Templates). You can now set boxes and shadings for your line types or specify your output for the template or table (see Displaying Contents in Cells or Specifying Table Output).