Resources

Overview

Table Tools is a utility in the Legal Productivity Suite for Microsoft Word by Craftware Solutions LLC. It consists of a collection of modules aimed at formatting and working with data in tables.

Support

If you require support, please don't hesitate to contact us.

Operation

General options for the Utility tab and processing performed.

Show instructions on Utility tab

Toggles the display of instructions on the Utility tab. Hiding the instructions allows for more room to view selections in the task pane.

Show descriptions on Utility tab

Shows or hides descriptions on the Utility tab. Enable or disable as desired once familiarity with the application is obtained.

Show descriptions on Settings tab

Shows or hides descriptions on the Settings tab at your convenience. We bring these instructions into the application so settings and options are clear.

Walk through a two-step process to consolidate values from two or more columns of a table (i.e., source) and match them to a column in another table (i.e., destination). This module is ideal for consolidating data or comparing values between tables.

Example of consolidating content between tables

Lookup

Creates a lookup dataset of key-value pairs by collecting data from two or more columns from the source table. After making your selections from the menus below, place your mouse cursor in the table being used to collect the data, and press the button to create the dataset.

Key column

Sets the content in the selected column as keys in the key-value pairs being collected.

Start row

Sets the start row for the collection process. If a table has header rows that shouldn't be included in the dataset, select the row after the last header row.

Lookup value column(s)

Sets the content in the selected column(s) as the values for the corresponding key in the "Key column" above.

Prevent blank keys

Omits cells without content from being stored as keys when collecting the key-value pairs from the source table.

Omit duplicate lookup values

Returns only unique values in the key-value dataset if a value appears more than once for the same key.

Match

Writes the content from the dataset to a specified column when keys from the dataset and keys from the destination table match.

Key column

Sets the content in the selected column as keys to be matched against the keys in the key-value pairs collected during the lookup process above.

Start row

Sets the start row where the application will begin looking for matches. If a table has header rows that you'd like to omit from this matching process, select the row after the last header row.

Column to place matched values in

Sets the column to be written to when keys from the dataset and destination table key column match.

Action to perform for cells without matches

Allows you to decide what action should occur when the destination table contains rows with keys that don't have matching keys in the dataset.

When destination output cell is not blank

Allows you to decide what action should occur when the application encounters a cell that already has content in it in the destination table column that matched values are being placed into.

The Table Tool (v3) is a module that automates the process of converting and formatting financial tables. It enables users to produce corruption-free, visually appealing tables in a fraction of the time compared to manual processing by simplifying the workflow into three sections: (1) Cleanup, (2) Structure and (3) Financial.

Cleanup

The cleanup section assists users in creating an entirely new table for formatting.

Convert table

Transfers table content to a new table structure underneath the current table. Empty columns will attempt to be deleted. The original table will remain intact.

Preserve line breaks

Maintains soft and hard returns during the conversion process.

Duplicate table

Copies the table. The new table appears under the original table separated by an empty paragraph. Content on the user's clipboard, if any, remains available to the user.

Delete empty rows

Deletes all empty rows in the table. This feature will not work in tables with vertically merged cells. As a workaround, split the table where the cells are vertically merged and run the procedure on the portion of the table without the vertically merged cells. Reconnect the table afterward.

Cells with only spaces or tabs are empty

Treats cells containing only spaces (both hard and regular) and tabs as empty.

Delete empty columns

Deletes all empty columns in the table. This feature will not work in tables with mixed cell widths or cells that have been merged across columns.

Cells with only spaces or tabs are empty

Treats cells containing only spaces (both hard and regular) and tabs as empty.

Remove table borders

Removes all cell borders from the table. Borders applied to paragraphs and text, if any, remain.

Structure

The structure section consists of the most used table properties in MS Word's Table Properties dialog box. Users can work efficiently by quickly accessing options without having the content of the document obstructed by a dialog box. Additional features in this section allow users to resize columns for financial tables and transpose columns and/or rows.

Preferred width

Changes the table width to the specified numerical value expressed as a percentage of the page (sans margins) or in inches. Press the percentage or inch buttons to the right to toggle between fields.

Indent from left (")

Indents the table to the specified numerical value.

Alignment

Aligns the table according to the option selected in the accompanying drop-down list. Available options are listed below. These options may not be readily apparent when the table has a width that's the equivalent of the page (sans margins).

Left

Aligns the table to the left of the page margin.

Center

Centers the table between the page margins.

Right

Aligns the table to the right of the page margin.

Text wrapping

Sets the text wrapping for the table according to the option selected in the accompanying drop-down list. Available options include "None" and "Around."

Column spacing

Formats the width of the table columns. Available options are listed below.

Even width

Distributes the width of all table columns evenly.

AutoFit to content

Resizes the table depending on whether cells contain content. The column widths are distributed evenly if the cells are empty. Otherwise, the column width is set so that information fits on a line (if possible). Tab stops, if any, are removed.

Ratio

Distributes the width of all table columns in a ratio where the first column is wider than the columns to the right. The ratio is applied to the remaining columns according to their current width (i.e., if the columns to the right are uneven in width, the ratio will be applied in the same uneven manner).

Specify

Distributes the width of the table columns to the right of the first column as indicated by the "Specify columns (")" field to the right. This numerical input is not visible when either of the previous column spacing options are selected. In instances when this option is unable to format the table (e.g., in tables with merged columns), the Table Tool will automatically default to the "Ratio" option above and inform you of the reason in the notification area.

Cell margins

Changes the cell margins for the table.

Don't resize for contents

Deselects MS Word's option to automatically resize the table to fit its contents. This feature prevents the column width from changing automatically as content is typed.

Prevent row breakage

Prevents rows from breaking across pages (e.g., a two line cell will begin on the next page instead of breaking in the middle).

Financial

The financial section automates tedious tasks involved with formatting tables found in filings, financial statements, prospectuses, offering memorandums, etc.

Specify text column

The ability to indicate the text column in a table is a foundational piece of the equation for several features. Further explained in their respective sections, it provides users the flexibility to specify: (i) which column tabs are placed into; (ii) the column that text indents are applied to; (iii) the cells affected by the data alignment feature; and (iv) where cell bottom borders are placed. Leaving the text column as "1" is sufficient for most tables.

Header row(s)

Applies MS Word's heading row feature to the number of rows specified in the accompanying drop-down list. These header rows are repeated if the table spans more than one page. Formatting options applicable to header rows are listed below.

Bold

Manually applies bold font formatting to the content in the header row(s).

Keep with next

Utilizes MS Word's "Keep with next" option to ensure that the header rows won't become orphans if the table begins at the bottom of a page.

Font size

Sets the font size for content in the header row(s).

Underline

Applies underline to the cell content via the paragraph option in MS Word's Borders and Shading dialog box (i.e., the underline applied is not a character underline via MS Word's Font dialog box).

Omit underlining in the text column(s) and/or the last header row using the accompanying checkboxes.

Alignment

Aligns content of the header row cell(s) according to the column it's in.

Tabs & leaders

Inserts tabs and right tab stops in the specified text column. Tabs can be omitted in cells by checking any of the checkbox options listed below. This feature takes into account the column width when determining the right tab stop position. Execute this feature again if the column width changes.

Header row(s)

Tabs are omitted in all rows designated as header rows either through the Table Tool or manually through MS Word's native feature.

Cells ending with colons

Tabs are omitted in cells with content that ends in a colon.

Blank cells

Tabs are omitted in cells without any content.

Cells with bold font formatting

Tabs are omitted in cells that are all bold.

Cells with all capitalized letters

Tabs are omitted in cells with all capitalized letters.

Text column indents

Applies user-selected indents in the specified text column. Indents are applied beginning in the first cell after the last header row, if applicable.

Hanging

Hanging indents are mandatory.

Left

Check this option to apply a left indentation.

Right

Check this option to apply a right indentation.

As shown below, indents provide several aesthetic benefits for cells with content that spans more than one line.

Before indentations

After hanging and right indentations of 0.1"

Align data figures

Aligns content in data cells (i.e., cells that are in rows after the header row(s), if any, and to the right of the specified text column). Available alignment options are listed below.

Decimal

The Table Tool determines how the data figures should be aligned when this option is selected. This features takes into account the column width, number of digits in the data figures and font size. Execute this option again if any of these factors change. Vertical cell alignment is changed to bottom.

Specify

Provide a specific decimal tab stop position in the accompanying "Specify decimal tab (")" field to the right. The specify numerical input is not visible when any of the other data alignment options are selected. Vertical cell alignment is changed to bottom.

Left

Aligns content in data cells using the left paragraph alignment option. Tab stops in the data cells are deleted during this process. Vertical cell alignment is unchanged.

Center

Aligns content in data cells using the centered paragraph alignment option. Tab stops in the data cells are deleted during this process. Vertical cell alignment is unchanged.

Right

Aligns content in data cells using the right paragraph alignment option. Tab stops in the data cells are deleted during this process. Vertical cell alignment is unchanged.

Justify

Aligns content in data cells using the justified paragraph alignment option. Tab stops in the data cells are deleted during this process. Vertical cell alignment is unchanged.

Bottom borders

Apply or remove bottom borders in the last four (4) rows of the table specified in the accompanying drop-down lists. Borders will be applied in cells to the right of the specified text column.

Last Row

Affects the last row of the table.

Penultimate

Affects the second to last row of the table.

Antepenultimate

Affects the third to last row of the table.

Preantepenultimate

Affects the fourth to last row of the table.

Row shading

Shade alternating or header rows by using the accompanying menu and specifying either RGB or hex color values. When applying shading to alternate rows, indicate where the shading should begin by selecting an option from the "Starting row" menu.

Remove shading by selecting from one of the three options for removal (i.e., clear shading from (i) header, (ii) nonheader or (iii) all table rows).

Is Table Tools and the Table Tool the same utility?

No, the Table Tool, formerly a standalone application, is now one of many table-related modules in the Table Tools utility in the Legal Productivity Suite for Microsoft Word.

With a slimmer, simplified workflow, the latest version of the Table Tool primarily focuses on processes to efficiently tackle the conversion and formatting of financial tables.