Table Layout and Operations

Oxygen XML Author plugin provides support for editing data in a tabular form. The following operations are available:

Adjusting column width
You are able to manage table width and column width specifications from the source document. These specifications are supported both in fixed and proportional dimensions. The predefined frameworks (DITA, DocBook, and XHTML) also support this feature. The layout of the tables for these document types takes into account the table width and the column width specifications particular to them. To adjust the width of a column or table, drag the border of the column. The changes you make to a table are committed into the source document.

Figure: Resizing a Column in Oxygen XML Author plugin Author Editor

Column and row selection
To select a row or a column of a table, place the mouse cursor above the column or in front of the row you want to select, then click. When hovering the mouse cursor in front of rows or above column headers, the cursor changes to for row selection and to for column selection and that specific row or column is highlighted.
Cell selection
To select a cell in a table, press and hold the Ctrl key and click anywhere inside the cell. You can use this action to select one or more cells, and also to deselect cells from a selection. Alternatively, you can click one of the left corners of a cell (right corners if you are editing a RTL document). The cursor changes to when it hovers over the corners of the cell.
Rectangular selection
To select a rectangular block of cells do one of the following:
- Click a cell and drag to expand the selection.
- Click a cell, then press the Shift key and use the arrow keys to expand the selection.
Drag and drop
You can use the drag and drop action to edit the content of a table. You are able to select a column and drag it to another location in the table you are editing. When you drag a column and hover the cursor over a valid drop position, Oxygen XML Author plugin decorates the target location with bold rectangles. The same drag and drop action is also available for rows.
Copy-paste and cut for columns and rows
In Oxygen XML Author plugin, you are able to copy entire rows or columns of the table you are editing. You can paste a copied column or row both inside the source table and inside other tables. The cut operation is also available for rows and columns. You can use the cut and the copy-paste actions for tables located in different documents as well.

When you paste a column in a non-table content, Oxygen XML Author plugin introduces a new table which contains the fragments of the source column. The fragments are introduced starting with the header of the column. When you copy a column of a CALS table, Oxygen XML Author plugin preserves the width information of the column. This information is then used when you paste the column in another CALS table.
Content deletion
To delete a group of cells (can be columns, rows, or rectangular block of cells), select them and do one of the following:
- Press either Delete, or Backspace on your keyboard to delete the cells' content. Press again Delete, or Backspace to remove the selected table structure.
- If the selection is a column or a row, you can use the Delete a table row or Delete a table column actions to delete both the content and table structure.