Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. If you are using a later version (Word 2007 or later), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for later versions of Word, click here: Converting Tables to Text.
Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 30, 2022)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Tables are a great boon to users of Word. When you are working with documents that were created in a different Word processor, however, tables can be nuisances. For instance, one WordTips reader complained that his two-column text created in WordPerfect was converted in Word to tables. He asked for a way to automatically convert all the tables to text, without the need to process each table manually.
The following macro, AllTablesToText, will do the trick. It steps through each table in the current document and converts them all to text, with tabs between columns:
Sub AllTablesToText() Dim Tbls As Long Dim J As Long Tbls = ActiveDocument.Tables.Count For J = Tbls To 1 Step —1 ActiveDocument.Tables(J).ConvertToText Separator:=wdSeparateByTabs Next J End Sub
If you don't want tabs between columns, all you need to do is change the value assigned to the Separator parameter. You can use wdSeparateByCommas, wdSeparateByDefaultListSeparator, or wdSeparateByParagraphs.
Note:
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (866) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Converting Tables to Text.
The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!
There are several different ways you can select an entire table in Word. The various methods and shortcuts are described ...
Discover MoreIf you have a table that spans multiple pages, you may want to add a caption to the table and have that caption use ...
Discover MoreWant to know what the reference address is for a particular cell in a table? Word won't tell you, but you can use a macro ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2024 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments