'Merge Cell' is greyed out - how do I activate it and merge two cells together?

OliverWeston wrote:

Crazy really, the blank new docment template was not actually blank at all!

I'll keep tinkering, Thanks

Ollie

The Blank template actually is blank in that non of its cells have any content.

What the top row and leftmost column do have is a set of properties specific to Header Row and Header column cells. As Jerry mentions, the properties that distinguish these from 'regular' cells can be quite useful in constructing and using tables.

Like Jerry, I'd recommend spending some time with the Numbers '09 User Guide. You can download the guide (and the equally useful iWork Formulas and Functions User Guide) via the Help menu in Numbers.

Regards,

Barry

I have to agree with Oliver: a truly blank document would not be pre-formatted with headers and footers. None of the styles listed offer an unformatted document so regardless of the one you choose, you have to delete headers and footers, ergo not blank.

Hi Claudia,

Actually, a "truly blank document" would be an empty canvas, containing no table of any type, no document header or footer locations, no document margins, no page definitions, no page orientation. Just a blank sheet onto which you could put whatever objects you wish.

Perhaps Apple should have named the 'not blank' templates "Basic" rather than blank, removed the header column, and left the header row intact. That would match the "Basic" table style available in the Tables button's menu, used for adding a table to a Sheet.

If you really do want to always start with a table which has no header rows and no header columns, it's easy enough to set up.

1. Open a new 'blank' document (Apple's 'blank').
2. Click on the Table 1 icon in the Sheets list and press delete. (faster than selecting cell A1, then taking two trips to the Table menu to delete first the (header) row then the (header) column)
3. Click the Tables button and choose Plain to insert a 'plain' table (no header row, no header column)
4. (optional) Add or delete rows or columns to make the blank table the size you desire.
5. (optional) Position the table where you want it.
   
6. Save the result as a Template.
7. In Numbers Preferences > General > For New Documents, select Use Template, then Choose your new template.
   Until you change that preference, any New document you make will contain your new, 'blank' table.

Regards,

Barry

Oliver,

First, I must say that Merging is a risky procedure with respect to problems that it can cause in the future as you work with your document. There is usually a better way to accomplish your formatting objectives.

The most probable reason for not being able to use Merge is that you have selected a combination of Header and Body cells. Any Merge can involve only one type.

Jerry

Hi Ollie,

Please, take an hour or so and read the first couple of chapters of the Pages User Guide. You'll be repaid many times your time investment in future happiness. In Pages, a Header is a special type of Column or Row. It has useful properties that are described in the manual. You can delete the Headers if you would rather not deal with the special properties, and the advantages, of Headers.

Jerry

Hi Oliver,

What are the actions you took when you "followed the instructions in Help"?

It's difficult to tell if you've done anything wrong without knowing exactly what you did.

Regards,

Barry