Tables can help you communicate more effectively.
This guide is part of the Transition Tutorials.
Summary
This guide explains how to add a table in your Connect stories. This can seem complicated, but you will quickly figure it out.
The easy way to add a table
This table shows what perks different Local Guides have received. The table was made in Google Sheets, but you can do the same in Excel and other spreadsheets.
Step 1: Mark and copy the table you want to insert.
Step 2: Go to your topic or reply and insert (paste) the table.
Then you will see some strange Markdown code in the composer. It does not look like a table, but some lines with a lot of “|” between the data. If you open the Preview below the Composer, you will see the table displayed correctly. See both the Composer and the Preview in the screenshot below.
That’s it. Very simple to do when you know how to make tables in a spreadsheet.
If you see a typo or want to make minor adjustments, you can do so in the composer. Each line in the Composer corresponds to a row in the table. The second row is where you can specify the alignment of the cell content:
Create a table skeleton with the Table builder
Like the Connect Composer offers a Poll builder, there is also a tool to create tables. You can find it under the 3-dot icon.
Hit the 3-dot icon at the top of the Composer.
Then select Insert Table as shown in this screenshot:
Then the Table Builder shows up. It looks like this:
The Table Builder will not let you insert any data or edit the column names. This is done later directly in the Composer.
Here in the Table Builder, you just need to specify how many columns and rows you need.
Here are the options after you mark one or more columns:
And here are your options if you select one or more rows:
Basically, you can add and remove columns and rows.
When you are done, hit Build table in the lower left corner.
Then you are taken back to the Composer, where will you see something like this:
This is the skeleton code for your table. Now you will need to edit the headings and add your text, numbers, or images, etc, into the cells. Rows are on separate lines, and the cells in each row are separated by the “|” sign.
Open the *Preview" to continuously check your table.
Create your table using Markdown code
As the Tabel Builder is not very advanced and the table code is not overly complicated, you can also choose to write all your table code yourself. If you keep the Preview open, you can check if the resulting table looks correct.
Using the Table Builder and writing table code manually makes little sense when you can just copy-paste a table from a spread sheet into the Composer and everything is done automatically.
But understanding the codes makes it a lot easier for you to make subsequent changes and corrections.
Learn more:
This is the end of this tutorial.
Credit: The oil painting shown at the top is Beach at Trouville by Eugène Boudin. Painted in 1864/5. Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington.