A table is a way to organize data into rows and columns. Tables must be created in their own Table content type for three reasons:
- Accessibility: For someone using a screen reader, information in a table is read in a specific way, so we want our table data to be constructed appropriately.
- Formatting: Tables in the Brandeis templates have specific styling; header rows are formatted with a blue background and bold, white text; regular rows alternate between white and beige background colors.
- Responsiveness: Tables in the Brandeis templates are responsive, meaning they are optimized for viewing on any desktop of mobile device, which may include horizontal scrolling. Tables that do not use the Table content type may be unusable on smaller screens, like smartphones.
Creating tables using the Table module ensures the table formatting is applied correctly.
Creating a New Table
Use the green plus sign ( + ) to add a new content type to your page. Select the Table radio button.
Click on the Content >> Table label to reveal the Table module.
Please Note: The Table module looks just like a regular WYSIWYG editor — but it's not! Please don't use the Editor content type for a Table (see reason #3 above); always use the Table content type.
The default text in the Table module is for your reference. Once you have read it, delete it before adding your table.
Click on the Insert/Edit Table Icon.
With the Insert/Edit Table window open, type in the number of rows and columns you will need for your table. Make sure to include a row for a header (mandatory for accessibility). Leave all other values as is or blank.
For example, if you want a table with three columns and four rows (one being a header), it would look like this:
You will now see a blank grid in your editor. Populate the table with your text by typing it in or copying/pasting text from a plain text editor (not Microsoft Word, Google Docs or your email).
Formatting your header row
Click Ctrl then click in the first table cell. A menu will pop up. Use your mouse to select Cell, then Table Cell Properties.
The Table Cell Properties window will pop up. There are three steps you must complete in this window.
1. Cell Type: Select Header from the dropdown.
2. Scope: Select Column from the dropdown.
3. Update: Select Update All Cells in Row from the dropdown.
Once these three selections have been made, click Update.
In your Table editor, you will see that the appearance of the header row text has changed.
Submit your page to see the entire formatted table. It should look like the table below with a blue header row and alternating beige and white rows.
Tip: Once you publish your page that uses the Table content type, view it on your mobile device to be sure it is displaying properly.
Editing an Existing Table
To modify the structure or format of an existing table, highlight text in a cell in the table and then right click your mouse. You will see options to add or delete rows or columns. There are also a number of table functions (merging cells, deleting the entire table, etc.) available.
|Header 1||Header 2||Header 3|