WD97: Merge Cells Before Split Setting Causes Unexpected Results

 Last reviewed: July 31, 1997
Article ID: Q166951
The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Word 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you split cells with the "Merge cells before split" setting turned on (default setting), Word will merge any information within the selected cells into one cell and that information will be distributed equally within the split cells of only the first row you select.

WORKAROUND

To keep the information in the existing cells while splitting the cells:

  1. Select the cells to split.

  2. On the Table menu, click Split Cells.

  3. Click to clear the "Merge cells before split" check box.

  4. Click OK.

MORE INFORMATION

For example, if you have the following table in a document 

   
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |                   |                   |                  |
   | Item 1            | Item 2            | Item 3           |
   |                   |                   |                  |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |                   |                   |                  |
   | Item 4            | Item 5            | Item 6           |
   |                   |                   |                  |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |                   |                   |                  |
   | Item 7            | Item 8            | Item 9           |
   |                   |                   |                  |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
and the "Merge cells before split" check box is clear, you get the following results when you select rows 1 and 2 and click Split cells on the Table menu: 
   
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   | Item 1  |         | Item 2  |         | Item 3  |        |
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   | Item 4  |         | Item 5  |         | Item 6  |        |
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |                   |                   |                  |
   | Item 7            | Item 8            | Item 9           |
   |                   |                   |                  |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
However, if the "Merge cells before split" check box selected, Items 1 through 6 are first merged into 1 cell and they are then split into cells, making them all appear in the first row, as in the following example: 

   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   | Item 1  | Item 2  | Item 3  | Item 4  | Item 5  | Item 6 |
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   |         |         |         |         |         |        |
   ------------------------------------------------------------
   |                   |                   |                  |
   | Item 7            | Item 8            | Item 9           |
   |                   |                   |                  |
   ------------------------------------------------------------

Keywords          : kbtable kbusage
Version           : 97
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbprb

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Last reviewed: July 31, 1997
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