I use the same table with 5 columns and different numbers of rows several times in a single document which i use to report on the condition of drains. This document is used repeatedly for different customers and surveys.
In the first column i place a code for example JD, in the second column I add the survey reference point ie MH6 (manhole 6), in the 3rd column i add the position it is in within the pipe ie 6.2m, in the 4th column I explain the short code used in column 1 which in this case would be "Joint displacement - small - contraflow". Is there any way that I can get word to autofill the 4th column based on the code in column 1 for that row?
I may also want to edit the information post filling ie change it from contra flow to with flow?


Being that I am such a slow typer a succesful answer to this would help me out big time.

Hi GoEnviro,

This kind of thing is best done in Excel (probably with the use of a lookup table), from where you could copy & paste the output table into Word, either as an embedded object or as a linked object. With the latter, any changes to the Excel data will update the Word document. Alternatively, you may be able to do the whole job in Excel, without involving Word at all.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Thanks Macropod

Yep I can do this sort of table in Excel no problem, but was looking to do it in word if possible so that I could produce a complete document in the one spot.
Usually I have a few paragraphs about the drain system in general, then I produce the findings of each drain run survey in a table and a couple of sentences beneath it to advise on the general condition and any improvements that are recomended, these tables (drain reports) are then repeated on seperate sheets, there maybe 30 or more different runs per survey, sometimes 100's, at the end I usually embed a drain run diagram.

If its not possible then fair enough, maybe I can figure out how to make Word look like a prooper document, but if I can figure away to do it in Word it would be better.

Should also have mentioned it but didnt realise it was necessary, I have two tables. The first is a header table giving general info about the drain run, such as date of survey, tyope of run, material used, its depth , etc. Then below that I have the survey table.
I was just looking at doing it all in excel, but because the number of columns and their widths are all different it is very messy.
So if at all preferred method would be Word.
Or is their away I can do it in excel and it will auto import from a cell in excel into a cell in word. Although that would still be a bit messy when doing it probably.

If you use an embedded Excel worksheet, you can do it within the Word document. However, you say that you:
and that makes it impossible to accomodate with a single embedded worksheet. You could, of course, use copies of the same worksheet with different data in different parts of the document, if that's what you really intend.

__________________
Cheers,
Paul Edstein
[Fmr MS MVP - Word]

Macropod
Not the ideal answer (as in, not what I wanted ), but I do appreciate your assistance on this.