Using Outlook 2007, you can easily add a variety of tables to your e-mail messages. You can use a Word 2007 table for textual information or a Microsoft Office Excel® 2007 spreadsheet with its support for mathematical operations. You can easily apply a style to your table by selecting it from the visual gallery of built-in and custom styles.
You can add a table to your e-mail quickly with one of several methods provided by Outlook 2007. To insert a table in a message, follow these steps:
With a message open, position the insertion point where you want the table to appear. (You can nest tables by setting the insertion point inside a table cell.)
On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click Table to display the Insert Table menu. You can create a table using one of the following methods:
To draw a table, use the mini-table grid on the Insert Table menu. As you move your mouse over the table grid on the menu, you get a preview of the table in the body of your message, as shown in Figure 9-11. Click the lower-right cell of the desired table grid to insert it in the message.
Select Insert Table on the Insert Table menu to open the Insert Table dialog box, shown in Figure 9-12, and specify the table size and AutoFit behavior. Selecting the Remember Dimensions For New Tables check box makes these settings the default for new tables.
Selecting Draw Table lets you draw a single table cell in the message window. If needed, you can then split the cell or add cells to the table. When you finish editing the table, you can click anywhere else in your message to return to editing the text.
Selecting Excel Spreadsheet creates an Office Excel 2007 table in the message and displays the Excel 2007 commands on the Ribbon. When you finish editing the spreadsheet, you can click anywhere else in your message to return to editing the text.
Selecting Quick Tables displays a gallery that lets you select a previously saved table design. Outlook 2007 does not have any Quick Tables by default, so this option is usable only after you have created some Quick Tables of your own.
Note
For information about creating Quick Tables, see "Working with Quick Tables" later in this chapter.
When you select a table in an e-mail message, the Microsoft Office system Ribbon displays two additional Table Tools tabs. The Design tab lets you control visual style effects and configure settings such as header rows. The Layout tab has commands that let you add and remove table cells and work with cell properties.
On the Design tab, shown in Figure 9-13, specify the table style, colors, borders, and options, such as whether a header row is used, as described here:
Table Style Options. You can apply specific effects to individual rows, such as Header Row, Total Row, First Column, or Last Column. You can also choose to have rows, columns, or both banded in alternating colors to make your data stand out.
Table Styles. You can select a visual table style from the built-in gallery, modify the current style, or create a new table style. Shading and Borders effects can be applied to a selection of cells.
Draw Borders. This group contains commands to format the Line Style, Line Weight, and Pen Color. You can also draw a new table or erase existing table cells and content. You can also click the dialog box launcher to display the Borders And Shading dialog box and configure these options.
You can use the commands on the Layout tab, shown in Figure 9-14, to insert and delete cells and configure how the data is displayed inside table cells.
The Layout tab contains these command groups:
Table. You can select all or part of the table, view gridlines (or turn them off), and display the Table Properties dialog box.
Rows & Columns. Rows and columns can be inserted and deleted using these commands. Clicking the Insert Cells dialog box launcher lets you specify the direction to shift existing cells when inserting new ones.
Merge. These commands let you merge cells, split cells, or split the table into multiple tables.
Cell Size. You can specify the size of individual cells, distribute rows or cells evenly, or choose AutoFit. Click the dialog box launcher to display the Table Properties dialog box, and then set the size, alignment, text wrapping options, and margins for the cell.
Alignment. You can choose from nine preset alignment options (top left, top right, center, bottom right, and so on) for the selected table text. Text can be written from left to right, top to bottom, or bottom to top using the Text Direction command. Cell margins for the entire table can be set here as well.
Data. You can sort the table information, convert the table to text, or insert a formula using those commands. To have the header row repeat on tables that span multiple pages, select the header row in the table, and then click Repeat Header Rows.
The Quick Tables gallery is your personal gallery of tables that you can quickly insert into your messages. This can be simply an empty table formatted exactly the way you want or a complete table with not only a custom look but data as well. Once you have customized the appearance of a table, you can save it as a Quick Table so that you can easily re-create the format and style of frequently used tables.
To create a Quick Table, follow these steps:
Insert a table into a message, format it, and then enter any content you want to be contained in your Quick Table (headings, for example).
Select the table (or part of it), and on the Insert tab, in the Table group, click Table, choose Quick Tables, and then click Save Selection To Quick Tables Gallery.
In the Create New Building Block dialog box, give the table a name, and then click OK. The Quick Table is now listed in the Quick Tables gallery for easy use. If you want the table to appear in a different gallery, such as Text Box or Quick Parts, select the gallery name in the Gallery drop-down list. (Some galleries are available only in the Building Blocks Organizer, shown in Figure 9-15.) You can assign a category to the table in the Category drop-down list. (This category is visible only in the Building Blocks Organizer.) The Options drop-down list selections have no effect on Quick Tables.
To remove a Quick Table from the gallery, open the gallery, right-click the table, and then choose Organize And Delete to open the Building Blocks Organizer, shown earlier in Figure 9-15. Select the table you want to remove, click Delete, and then click OK.