Knowledge Base

WD97: Save As Text Converts Table to Paragraph-Delimited Text

Article ID: 196979

Article Last Modified on 8/21/2007

Microsoft Word 97 Standard Edition

This article was previously published under Q196979

SYMPTOMS

A table in a Microsoft Word document collapses into a single column of text when the document is saved in one of the following formats:

Text Only
Text Only with Line Breaks
MS-DOS Text
MS-DOS Text with Line Breaks

CAUSE

A table row is actually a special case of sequential paragraphs, using Chr(7) following the text's paragraph mark and Chr(13), as the end-of-cell and two of them for end-of-row delimiters. When the file is saved as text, the export routine strips the Chr(7) characters, leaving only the hard returns Chr(13).

RESOLUTION

To work around this behavior, use either of the following methods.

Method 1

Save the document in Text With Layout format.

Method 2

Convert the table to tab-delimited text before you save the file. To do this, follow these steps:

Place the insertion point inside the first cell of the table.
On the Table menu, click Select Table.
On the Table menu, click Convert Table To Text.
Under the Separate Text With option, click Tabs.
Click OK.

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Keywords: kbbug kbtable KB196979