Windows

Convert A Table To Text In Word 2007

Posted by on Sep 8, 2008 | 8 Comments

Word includes a function that lets you convert table into text format. Once you create a document, you may decide that text currently in a table would be better presented in a different format such as a bulleted or numbered list. If this is the case, you can tell Word to put the table into text for you.

To convert a table into text:

  1. Select the rows or the table you want to convert to text.
  2. Under Table Tools, on the Layout tab, within the Data group, click Convert to Text.
  3. Under Separate text at, click the option for the separator character that you want to use in place of the column boundaries.

Word will automatically convert the rows or table into text.

  • http://edithosb.blogspot.com E Bogue

    This is true. However, it will only change one table at a time, unlike Word 2003. Textbook publishers send software that creates exams with their textbooks – but it puts out badly formatted tests where each question is one table and each set of answers is a separate table. A 50 question test has 100 tables. It’s awfully darn tedious to be forced to convert them one by one!

  • Doug Zapf

    I agree with E. Bogue. Converting a document with multiple tables one table at a time is very time consuming. Is there a way in Word 2007 to convert all tables in a document all at once?

  • M Lynch

    Here is a way I found to do this. It may not be the best, but it works. I had the document in Word with 100+ tables. I saved it as a plain text .txt file. Then opened it in Notepad, copies it, and pasted it back into Word. Voila! No tables. I hope this helps.

    Mark.

  • Alison

    Doug, Did you ever find an answer to your question? I am having the same issue and it’s driving me crazy!

  • K Kamletz

    Here’s a quick macro to convert all tables to text within the part of the document you have selected.

    Sub ConvertAllTablesToText()

    Dim tbl As Table

    For Each tbl In Selection.Tables
    tbl.ConvertToText Separator:=wdSeparateByParagraphs, NestedTables:=True
    Next tbl

    End Sub

  • 6shooter

    The in-built function ConvertToText will break the rows into separate lines. If you want to keep the rows on the same lines, copy and paste the table into Excel, then save as text.

  • http://na Vicden

    The macro rocks, like E. Bogue, I was converting tables one at a time, yike.
    Paste click, highlight, run, done.
    Just don’t tell my boss I got done so quick :) -

  • Ram

    K Kamletz ….. Its really works with 2007 Ms word.
    Use CTRL+A then run this macro :) very nice

    Thanks alot MAN