Be able to format a table including to set horizontal cell alignment (left, right, centre, fully justified), set vertical cell alignment (top, middle, bottom), show gridlines, hide gridlines, wrap text within a cell, shading/colouring cells, adjust r
13 Layout – Teaching Notes (Cambridge IGCSE ICT 0417)
Learning Objective
By the end of this lesson you will be able to:
- Create, edit and format tables in a word‑processing document.
- Set horizontal and vertical cell alignment (left, centre, right, fully justified; top, middle, bottom).
- Show and hide gridlines, wrap text, and apply shading/colour to cells.
- Adjust row height (exact vs. minimum) and column width (fixed vs. auto‑fit).
- Insert/delete rows and columns, merge and split cells.
- Control cell margins, padding and border styles (optional extension).
- Use headers, footers and document styles appropriately.
- Proofread a document (spell‑check, verify table data, visual checks).
- Apply basic page‑layout settings (orientation, margins, pagination).
Why Tables Matter
Tables organise information in rows and columns, making data easy to read and compare. In the IGCSE ICT exam you may be asked to:
- Insert a table and format it to meet a brief.
- Convert table data into a chart (see Section 16 Graphs & Charts).
- Produce a multi‑page document with consistent styles, headers/footers and pagination.
1. Creating and Editing a Table
- Insert a table – Insert → Table (choose number of rows/columns) or press Alt +
+ in Word. - Insert rows/columns – right‑click a cell → Insert → Rows Above/Below, Columns Left/Right. Keyboard shortcut: Alt +
(Rows) / Alt + (Columns). - Delete rows/columns – right‑click → Delete → Rows/Columns. Shortcut: Alt +
. - Merge cells – select adjacent cells → Table Properties → Cell → Merge or Ctrl +
. Result: a single cell that spans the selected area.
- Split cells – select a merged cell → Table Properties → Cell → Split or Ctrl +
+ . Specify the number of rows/columns to split into.
2. Horizontal Cell Alignment
Controls where the content sits within the width of a cell.
| Alignment | When to use it | Result (shown in the cell) |
|---|---|---|
| Left (default) | General text, left‑to‑right languages. | This text is left‑aligned. |
| Centre | Headings, short labels, symmetrical layouts. | This text is centred. |
| Right | Numeric data, currency, right‑hand alignment. | This text is right‑aligned. |
| Fully justified | Paragraph‑style text where a clean left & right edge is required. | This paragraph demonstrates fully justified alignment. The text stretches to fill the entire width of the cell, creating a clean left‑ and right‑hand edge. |
Keyboard shortcuts (Word)
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Align left | Ctrl + |
| Align centre | Ctrl + |
| Align right | Ctrl + |
| Justify | Ctrl + |
3. Vertical Cell Alignment
Controls where the content sits within the height of a cell.
| Alignment | Result (shown in the cell) |
|---|---|
| Top | Top‑aligned content. |
| Middle | Middle‑aligned content. |
| Bottom | Bottom‑aligned content. |
Software UI tip
In Microsoft Word / LibreOffice Writer the vertical alignment option is found under Table Properties → Cell → Vertical alignment.
4. Gridlines – Show & Hide
- Show gridlines: View → Table Gridlines. Gridlines are visual aids only; they do not print unless a border is applied.
- Hide gridlines: Deselect the same option or set the table border to “None”.
HTML illustration (legacy only)
<table border="1"> … </table><table border="0"> … </table>
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