Tables in RixDocs are real .docx tables: merge cells, shade rows, nest one table inside another, and the result round-trips to Microsoft Word without losing structure. This guide walks through building and styling tables from a blank grid to a polished layout.
Insert a table
- Click where the table belongs in the text.
- Open the Insert tab and choose Table.
- Drag across the grid to pick rows and columns, or type exact counts.
- The empty table appears at the cursor; start typing in the first cell.
Press Tab inside the last cell to add a new row, and Shift+Tab to move backwards through cells. To escape the table entirely, click outside it or press the arrow keys past the last cell — this is a common snag in every word processor and RixDocs behaves the same way.
Rows, columns and cell operations
The table commands handle structure changes:
- Insert row above or below the current row.
- Insert column left or right of the current cell.
- Delete selected rows, columns, cells or the whole table.
- Distribute rows or columns evenly for a tidy grid.
Select multiple rows or columns first and the operations apply to the whole selection, so reshaping a table mid-document takes seconds.
Merging and splitting cells
To merge, select a rectangular block of cells and choose Merge Cells. The cells become one, and their content is combined. This is how you build the classic layout pieces:
| Feature | Typical use |
|---|---|
| Merged header row | One title across the full table width |
| Merged label column | A category name spanning several rows |
| Merged footer row | Totals or summary text |
Splitting reverses a merge — select the merged cell and choose Split Cells, then set how many rows and columns you want back.
Shading and borders
Select cells, a row, a column or the whole table, then open the shading and border controls:
- Shading fills the selection with a color. Alternate-row shading is the fastest way to make a data table readable.
- Borders can be applied per side, so you can draw, for example, only a thick bottom line under a header row and thin lines between rows.
- Border weight and color are set in the same panel; no-border is a valid choice for a clean, modern look.
Because these are table properties stored in the document model, a shaded, partially bordered table looks the same in Word, in print and in a PDF export.
Nested tables
A cell can contain another table. Place the cursor in a cell and insert a table as usual — it nests inside. Layout-heavy documents such as invoices, forms and specification sheets use this constantly: an outer table holds the frame, inner tables hold repeating line items. Nested tables are a standard .docx feature, so the structure survives when collaborators open the file elsewhere.
When to nest and when not to
Nesting solves layout problems, but deep nesting makes editing fiddly. A good rule: one level of nesting for forms and frames, plain rows and columns for data. If you find yourself nesting three deep, consider splitting the content across sections or moving it to RixSheets, where grid work is native.
Text inside tables
Cell text uses the same styles and formatting as body text — headings, emphasis presets, lists and even images and charts can live inside a cell. Cell alignment and vertical alignment are available from the table controls, and cell margins give the content breathing room without resorting to extra columns.
What to explore next
- Images, shapes and WordArt to add visual elements around your tables.
- Charts guide for bar, line and pie charts that complement tabular data.
- Export, PDF and printing to produce a clean printed version of your tables.