Selecting a Table

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 19, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003

There are some editing tasks that require you to select an entire table in Word. For instance, you may want to change the font used in the table, or you may want to adjust the borders around all the table cells.

You probably already know that you can position the insertion point within the table and then choose Select Table from the Table menu. You can also press Alt+5 on the numeric keypad. Both of these methods are a two-step process, however, since they require the positioning of the insertion point within the table before the table can be selected.

Another, perhaps easier way to select the table is to hold down the Alt key while you double-click on the table. This is a simple single-step approach that does not require moving the insertion point beforehand.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (1687) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Creating a Master Document Using Existing Subdocuments

If you decide to create a master document, it is easy to do by just adding one or more subdocuments to an existing ...

Discover More

Automatically Printing a Range

If you want to automatically print a particular area of your worksheet at a specific time of day, you'll love this tip. ...

Discover More

Changing Text in Text Boxes on a Chart

Macros allow you to make changes to virtually anything you can see in Excel. This tip examines how to make changes (even ...

Discover More

Discover the Power of Microsoft Office This beginner-friendly guide reveals the expert tips and strategies you need to skyrocket your productivity and use Office 365 like a pro. Mastering software like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is essential to be more efficient and advance your career. Simple lessons guide you through every step, providing the knowledge you need to get started. Check out Microsoft Office 365 For Beginners today!

More WordTips (menu)

Validating Data

When users add information to a Word document, you may want that information to somehow be validated—to make sure ...

Discover More

Footnotes for Tables

Word includes a powerful feature that allows you to add footnotes and endnotes to your document. What if you want them at ...

Discover More

Counting Values in Table Cells

In Excel it is easy to count how many times a certain character occurs in a column of cells. In Word, it is a bit ...

Discover More

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

Notify me about new comments ONLY FOR THIS TIP

Notify me about new comments ANYWHERE ON THIS SITE

Hide my email address

What is eight minus 1?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

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.