Table as Macro/Template or what?

I've been a casual user of Word XP for about two years. I hate every one
of its "unprecedented number and variety of features," as touted by
Microsoft.

I wish there was a "dumb-down" button you could press that would reduce
the program to a truly user-friendly word processor for somebody who has
no "power-user" ambitions whatsoever.

My current challenge is to save a table I have created in such a way that
with the press of a key I can insert that table in a document in such a
way that I can then enter values in one of the columns of the table to
regularly record the severity of symptoms of a disease I am trying to
track.

I have attempted to read the "help" documents on tables, macros and
templates. I am totally confused.

Right now I have the table saved as a simple Word document (.doc). When I
open that file then select the table and paste it into another document
the table comes up all over the page. Then I have to go into the table
menu and fiddle with the settings to finally get it to display properly
so I can enter the values--then continue to type regular text below the
table.

I'm on a pretty tight time structure with a terminal disease. I really
prefer to not spend my limited days struggling to learn the
"unprecedented features" of Word.

Help!!!

Brenda
Wed Sep 29 10:20:07 CDT 2004

BC - Would the table work for you as a template? The advantage is that the
original is never touched and you get exactly what you want every time.

To do this:
1) Open your existing document
2) Click on File | Save As
3) Change the Files of Type to Document Template (*.dot)
4) Click on Save

To use this document:
1) Open Word
2) Click on File | New
3) Locate the icon with the name of this file and double click it

The original document will open as a brand new document. Your table will
remain intact. You indicate that you change the text surrounding the table
though.

Before creating your template, enter whtever common text is used in this
document exactly as you want it presented each time, then save the document
as a template. Now every time you are creating new text (that would be
those times you were previously attempting to open this document and copy
the table from it), just enter that new text into this document created from
the template. Create as many new documents containing this table as you
need.

Does this make sense to you?

Graham
Wed Sep 29 10:53:41 CDT 2004

Save the correctly formatted table as an autotext entry (ALT+F3 - give it a
name)
In the document type the name you have given the autotext and press F3 to
insert it at the cursor.
Tabbing out of the last cell of a table will add another row.

--
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>
Graham Mayor - Word MVP

My web site www.gmayor.com
Word MVP web site http://word.mvps.org
<>>< ><<> ><<> <>>< ><<> <>>< <>><<>



bc wrote:
> I've been a casual user of Word XP for about two years. I hate every
> one of its "unprecedented number and variety of features," as touted
> by Microsoft.
>
> I wish there was a "dumb-down" button you could press that would
> reduce the program to a truly user-friendly word processor for
> somebody who has no "power-user" ambitions whatsoever.
>
> My current challenge is to save a table I have created in such a way
> that with the press of a key I can insert that table in a document in
> such a way that I can then enter values in one of the columns of the
> table to regularly record the severity of symptoms of a disease I am
> trying to track.
>
> I have attempted to read the "help" documents on tables, macros and
> templates. I am totally confused.
>
> Right now I have the table saved as a simple Word document (.doc).
> When I open that file then select the table and paste it into another
> document the table comes up all over the page. Then I have to go into
> the table menu and fiddle with the settings to finally get it to
> display properly so I can enter the values--then continue to type
> regular text below the table.
>
> I'm on a pretty tight time structure with a terminal disease. I really
> prefer to not spend my limited days struggling to learn the
> "unprecedented features" of Word.
>
> Help!!!

bc
Wed Sep 29 12:20:43 CDT 2004

"Graham Mayor" <gmayor@DELETECAPSmvps.org> wrote in
news:uUtq$xjpEHA.3424@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl:

> Save the correctly formatted table as an autotext entry (ALT+F3 - give
> it a name)
> In the document type the name you have given the autotext and press F3
> to insert it at the cursor.
> Tabbing out of the last cell of a table will add another row.
>

Brenda & Graham--

Thank you. Graham--I found your solution much easier and miracle of
miracles it is now working for me.

Maybe I finally understand something about "autotext"...

Thanks again

bc

Suzanne
Wed Sep 29 17:21:29 CDT 2004

For more, see http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Customization/AutoText.htm; you
might also want to look at
http://word.mvps.org/FAQs/Formatting/TameAutoFormat.htm

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA
Word MVP FAQ site: http://word.mvps.org
Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

"bc" <bcbcbc@checkinthemail.com> wrote in message
news:Xns9573877057919bcbcbcklmxyz@207.69.189.193...
> "Graham Mayor" <gmayor@DELETECAPSmvps.org> wrote in
> news:uUtq$xjpEHA.3424@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl:
>
> > Save the correctly formatted table as an autotext entry (ALT+F3 - give
> > it a name)
> > In the document type the name you have given the autotext and press F3
> > to insert it at the cursor.
> > Tabbing out of the last cell of a table will add another row.
> >
>
> Brenda & Graham--
>
> Thank you. Graham--I found your solution much easier and miracle of
> miracles it is now working for me.
>
> Maybe I finally understand something about "autotext"...
>
> Thanks again
>
> bc