Add a column to the left of an existing document

  • Thread starter Thread starter RScotti
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RScotti

Hi,
I have a document set up which is a phone list with about 160 addresses and phone numbers.
I would like to add a column to the left that just says the number of lines I have in the list
Old way
AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357
AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357

New way
xx1 AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357
xx2 AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357

Can someone please tell me how to do this? When I tried Format columns (presets: one (column)/Left)it didn't work and
also Table/Insert/columns to the left didn't work either.

Please give details. I am not that literate with Word XP (2002)
Any help would really be appreciated.


Have a good day,
RScotti

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Have you considered just adding continuous line numbering?

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

RScotti said:
Hi,
I have a document set up which is a phone list with about 160 addresses and phone numbers.
I would like to add a column to the left that just says the number of lines I have in the list
Old way
AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357
AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357

New way
xx1 AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357
xx2 AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357

Can someone please tell me how to do this? When I tried Format columns
(presets: one (column)/Left)it didn't work and
 
I would MAKE A COPY of the document before experimenting. You could
maybe use Table | Convert Text to Table, and then you should be able to
use Table | Insert | Columns. You can use Table | Convert Table to Text
to get it back to non-table form.

Format | Columns is not going to do anything for you--it's designed for
newspaper-style columns, not data charts.
 
Sorry, I missed that this was a table. I think line numbering doesn't work
well in tables.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.
 
You are right on that. I tried it :(
Sorry, I missed that this was a table. I think line numbering doesn't work
well in tables.

Have a good day,
RScotti

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Hi Daiya,
I tried it but didn't seem to work. It did make it possible to add a column but couldn't get the right format back and
it didn't make rows only one continuous column.

I would MAKE A COPY of the document before experimenting. You could
maybe use Table | Convert Text to Table, and then you should be able to
use Table | Insert | Columns. You can use Table | Convert Table to Text
to get it back to non-table form.

Format | Columns is not going to do anything for you--it's designed for
newspaper-style columns, not data charts.

Have a good day,
RScotti

remove "nospam" in order to email me.
 
If the text is in a table, then you should absolutely be able to add a
column to the left of the leftmost one. Select that column, right-click, and
choose Add Columns; it will be to the left automatically. You'll probably
need to repair the column width (but you'd have to change it anyway, to
accommodate an extra column).

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

RScotti said:
Hi Daiya,
I tried it but didn't seem to work. It did make it possible to add a
column but couldn't get the right format back and
it didn't make rows only one continuous column.
 
Hi Suzanne,
Using format/Columns/number of columns (4) uncheck equal column width.

I can't find out how to change the column width correctly. When I change the width it adds more columns than I need (5).
I put in four columns and it made five and the data is all missed up. Got data from the second row in the first etc.

I applied this to the whole document from selected text also.

If the text is in a table, then you should absolutely be able to add a
column to the left of the leftmost one. Select that column, right-click, and
choose Add Columns; it will be to the left automatically. You'll probably
need to repair the column width (but you'd have to change it anyway, to
accommodate an extra column).

Have a good day,
RScotti

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Those menu commands do not relate to the use of a table.

Give us a bit more information on the exact format of the original data.

I don't see anything that resembles an address in:

AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357

What is the significance of the #? Do they act as separators for your data?

Are there then 3 pieces of data for each record?

There is no doubt that what you want to achieve can be done. We just need
to know exactly what you are starting with.

--
Hope this helps.

Please reply to the newsgroup unless you wish to avail yourself of my
services on a paid consulting basis.

Doug Robbins - Word MVP
 
You are selecting the table and not just the first column. If you select the
first column and right-click, you will see the option to insert a column and
it will by default be to the left. You can use the Table, AutoFit to
Contents option after you have entered your numbers.

However, if you have Excel, I recommend copying your table to Excel which be
much easier to maintain in the long term.
 
Hi Doug,
That just happens to be my first input. The
Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1
Is where the address would be. This is the second column.
The first is column is
AAA the third is
800-222-4357
Hope this clears this up for you.

Those menu commands do not relate to the use of a table.

Give us a bit more information on the exact format of the original data.

I don't see anything that resembles an address in:

AAA Account #:xxx-xxx-xxxxxxxxx-x Used # 1 800-222-4357

What is the significance of the #? Do they act as separators for your data?

Are there then 3 pieces of data for each record?

There is no doubt that what you want to achieve can be done. We just need
to know exactly what you are starting with.

Have a good day,
RScotti

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Hi Terry,
I do have Excel but have to install it.
Can you give me the steps to copy it to Excel?
I will be installing it and will get back to you.

You are selecting the table and not just the first column. If you select the
first column and right-click, you will see the option to insert a column and
it will by default be to the left. You can use the Table, AutoFit to
Contents option after you have entered your numbers.

However, if you have Excel, I recommend copying your table to Excel which be
much easier to maintain in the long term.

Have a good day,
RScotti

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OK,
I got it installed. I went to Open *.* selected the phone.doc got an error File format not valid.
I went to Data/import external data/import data said Excel could not either read or open the file either has been
damaged or not valid.
I can't figure out how to import the .doc data to Excel.

You are selecting the table and not just the first column. If you select the
first column and right-click, you will see the option to insert a column and
it will by default be to the left. You can use the Table, AutoFit to
Contents option after you have entered your numbers.

However, if you have Excel, I recommend copying your table to Excel which be
much easier to maintain in the long term.

Have a good day,
RScotti

remove "nospam" in order to email me.
 
Terry,
I got it into Excel and it already had the fourth column but I can't get it the text to be all on one line.
This is what I want
1 AAA Account #:438-240-127393100-6 Used # 1 800-222-4357
I got something like this for each entry:
AAA Account 800-222-4357
#:438
-240
-1273931
00-6
Used # 1
You are selecting the table and not just the first column. If you select the
first column and right-click, you will see the option to insert a column and
it will by default be to the left. You can use the Table, AutoFit to
Contents option after you have entered your numbers.

However, if you have Excel, I recommend copying your table to Excel which be
much easier to maintain in the long term.

Have a good day,
RScotti

remove "nospam" in order to email me.
 
Hi Terry,
I got it. Thanks.
I just have to figure how to edit the text in the existing cells?

Terry,
I got it into Excel and it already had the fourth column but I can't get it the text to be all on one line.
This is what I want
I got something like this for each entry:



Have a good day,
RScotti

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Have a good day,
RScotti

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Open the document in Word. Select the table and then use Ctrl+C to copy the
table to the clipboard. Switch to a blank Excel worksheet, click in the
first cell and press Paste (Ctrl+V). This will paste the clipboard contents
converting the table into a Spreadsheet.

Terry
 
As Doug pointed out, those settings are for newspaper-style columns, not
table columns. For that you need Table Properties. I'm not, however,
convinced that you actually have a table. With table gridlines displayed
(Table | Show Gridlines), do you actually see your text in individual cells?
Or are your columns perhaps created with tab characters or spaces? If so,
you can convert the text to a table.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

RScotti said:
Hi Suzanne,
Using format/Columns/number of columns (4) uncheck equal column width.

I can't find out how to change the column width correctly. When I change
the width it adds more columns than I need (5).
I put in four columns and it made five and the data is all missed up. Got
data from the second row in the first etc.
I applied this to the whole document from selected text also.
 
Thanks. I got it.
Open the document in Word. Select the table and then use Ctrl+C to copy the
table to the clipboard. Switch to a blank Excel worksheet, click in the
first cell and press Paste (Ctrl+V). This will paste the clipboard contents
converting the table into a Spreadsheet.

Terry

Have a good day,
RScotti

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Hi Suzanne,
I do have a table and I did get it into Excel after a little work.
Thanks for your help.
As Doug pointed out, those settings are for newspaper-style columns, not
table columns. For that you need Table Properties. I'm not, however,
convinced that you actually have a table. With table gridlines displayed
(Table | Show Gridlines), do you actually see your text in individual cells?
Or are your columns perhaps created with tab characters or spaces? If so,
you can convert the text to a table.

Have a good day,
RScotti

remove "nospam" in order to email me.
 
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