Converting Text to Table in Pages 8.2.1

Not directly, as the text to table feature only exists in Pages '09 v4.3. In TextEdit, enter the content that you want in each horizontal cell separated by tab characters. Select all of that content and copy to the clipboard. In Pages v8.2.1, enter a Table, and click once on the very first cell. Then paste. Each item separated by a tab character will be deposited into its own cell of the table, adding rows and columns as needed.

So this is the way of the future with computers. They will drop all that convenient stuff that saves time and make us do it manually. I have to say, it' a unique niche.

Sorry VikingOSX, this does not seem to work in Pages version 8.2.1 (6529) on my MacBook Pro running macOS Catalina 10.15.2

• NOT using "Paste" or "Paste and Match Style".
• NOT in a basic table.
• NOT in a header table.
• Does NOT work using tabs and including the end of line return,
• NOR does it work without the eol return.

Guess I am in agreement with Rick

- Apple has created a unique niche with this labour intensive feature of Pages

- unless someone in this community can help me ...

please.

In Pages v8.2.1 on Catalina 10.15.2, do the following to transform tabbed text fields into table cells:

If you have tabbed columns and rows of data in your body text, select it, and copy to the clipboard.

This can also be achieved by inserting a Text box, and in the Arrange panel, set Text Wrap to None. Move the Text box downwards out of the way of the table you are about to insert. In the Text box, enter the data items that you want to insert into the table separated by tabs:

Select all of the Text box content when you are done, and copy to the clipboard. Next, Insert a Table, and click twice on cell A1 — you want the cell selected, but not with a blinking insertion bar. Paste. The tabbed data will now fill or automatically expand appropriate Table row and column contents:

To transform table cells back into tabbed text, you select A1:C3 (per the above example), and copy to the clipboard. Enter a new Textbox, click inside it so that the placeholder text turns salmon color, and paste. This will look like the first image. If you want the tabbed Text box contents back into your body text — select, copy, and paste there. As you have probably observed, pasting previous table cell data into your body text creates a new table from it — hence the Text box.

You are welcome.

This still isn't working -

After a lot of frustration I figured out it doesn't work at all if you only have one row, but even with two rows it messes up the formatting. I have text formatted with tabs between the elements like this:

First cell second cell third cell

First cell second cell third cell

Then I create a text box, highlight the first box (no blinking cursor) and past the text and I get this:

MS Word stinks, but it at least it can make a table. I don't get why Apple insists on making basic tasks so difficult.

When you have white-space punctuated cell elements, you must separate them with a non-breaking space (option+space using U.S. keyboard) to prevent splitting on an ordinary space during the paste operation.

It is not that they are trying by deliberation to make tasks difficult, but by omission.