Word2003 - Delete and Backspace keys

[ChrisGreaves]

And all this time I thought that the “delete” and the “backspace” keys were synonymous!

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Attached is a document. In Word2003 I select three cells and tap either the Backspace key or the Delete key.
(1) Backspace key: I will be invited to delete cells (Shift cells left, shift cells up, etc)
(2) Delete key: Word will delete the contents of the cells, as distinct from removing the cells from the table structure

[Timelord]

I don't know. I have always felt that delete removed following characters and backspace removed leading characters.

[Jay Freedman]

Each of you is correct; the difference is in what (if anything) is selected at the time you press the key.

Chris is correct about the behavior (deleting cells) when one or more whole table cells are selected.

Timelord is correct about the behavior (deleting to the left or right) when the cursor is in text (even in a table) but nothing is selected.

The two keys do the same thing (delete the selection) if one or more characters (in regular text or in a table, but not a whole cell) are selected.

[Rudi]

    
I have always used Backspace to delete entire tables.
(Much quicker than going to the Tables Layout Ribbon and selecting Delete Entire Table)

[ChrisGreaves]

I don't know. I have always felt that delete removed following characters and backspace removed leading characters.

That was my feeling exactly Lo! these past 30(?) years ...

[ChrisGreaves]

... the difference is in what (if anything) is selected at the time you press the key. ... but not a whole cell) are selected.

Thanks Jay.
I had often wondered over this behaviour in table cells and had been in too much of a hurry to check it out.
"The backspace key becomes a structural change when table cells are the selection", right?

[ChrisGreaves]

I have always used Backspace to delete entire tables.

OK Rudi. I give in
What actions (of selection) do you take prior to the backspace?
In my sample document, table, I used Alt-table, Select, Table to select the table, and then the Backspace key to delete the entire table structure.
But Alt-Table, Delete, Table is one keystroke shorter, a saving of 25%.

Although if I count the Alt keys as separate keystrokes (he typed, forestalling Hans ...)

Cheers
Chris

[HansV]

With the insertion point anywhere in the table:

Alt+5 (using 5 on the numeric keypad, with NumLock off) selects the table
Backspace deletes the selected table.

[ChrisGreaves]

Alt+5 (using 5 on the numeric keypad, with NumLock off) ...

Thanks Hans.
I have just discovered that this DELL does not have a little light on the NumLk key!

[Rudi]

Chris, I don't mind using the mouse...
I just click the table selector on the top left corner of the table, then hit Backspace.

[Charles Kenyon]

I had never noticed this difference in a table. I knew that the Delete key merely deleted the contents but hadn't tried the Backspace key. I've added a section in my chapter on Tables http://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/ta ... #Backspace to discuss this.

[Rudi]

I went searching for ways to select parts of a table in order to really take advantage of the backspace key (and avoid having to switch from keyboard back to mouse for table selections.) I find it surprising that there is so little selection options? (See this page half way down at title: Select text and graphics in a table).

- Select an entire table: ALT+5 on the numeric keypad (with NUM LOCK off)
- Select a column: Use the arrow keys to move to the column's top or bottom cell, and then do one of the following:
     -- Press SHIFT+ALT+PAGE DOWN to select the column from top to bottom.
     -- Press SHIFT+ALT+PAGE UP to select the column from bottom to top.

Unless I missed it, it seems one cannot select a whole row (in one go)?
(I understand this is not possible if the table has an irregular structure with merged cells, etc, but for regular tables, it would have been great. Maybe macros can fix that.)

[ChrisGreaves]

Chris, I don't mind using the mouse...

Me neither, not really.
What I do hate is switching back-and-forth between keyboard & mouse, and since I do a lot of typing, I tend to be super-glued ⁽¹⁾ to the keyboard.
Cheers
Chris

⁽¹⁾ Back in my teaching days I used to impress the heck out of my inferiors (so I just KNOW it won't happen here on Eileen's Lounge ) with the repertoire of things that can be done with the little finger of the left hand super-glued to the CTRL key left of the space bar.
I invite you (guys) to check it out:-
Ctrl-A
Ctrl-S
Ctrl-Z
Ctrl-X
Ctrl-C
Ctrl-V
Ctrl-B
Etc.

[ChrisGreaves]

(See this page half way down at title: Select text and graphics in a table).

rats! I was going to spend tonight boning up on Motorola MOTO-X manuals .....

Unless I missed it, it seems one cannot select a whole row (in one go)?

It struck me as odd that MSoft, with all the AutoFormat, AutoFit etc didn't make them functional across a set of tables.
I wrote code to deal with various selections that could start partway through a table, and extend across several tables ending partway through another table.
Thus armed one could Auto
(1) every table in the selection
(2) every table completely in the selection
(3) only the partially selected tables at each end.

Of course, having done that, I asked myself "Why not write another set of macros to apply to non-table text held between the various tables ....

[Rudi]

I assume that these commands only operate on tables without merged cells?

[ChrisGreaves]

I assume that these commands only operate on tables without merged cells?

I'd have to check, it's been a while ...
The selection-interpretation macros I wrote were envelopes for two types of Table Functions:-
(1) MSWord's built-in functions such as AutoFormat and AutoFit and so on
(2) My own macros
Cheers
Chris

[Rudi]

That is quite a list! Goodness!

[Jay Freedman]

Unless I missed it, it seems one cannot select a whole row (in one go)?
(I understand this is not possible if the table has an irregular structure with merged cells, etc, but for regular tables, it would have been great. Maybe macros can fix that.)

Go into the Customize Keyboard dialog, choose the All Commands category, and scroll the Commands list down to the Table commands. You'll find the four commands TableSelectCell, TableSelectColumn, TableSelectRow, and TableSelectTable. Only the last one has a default shortcut, but you can assign shortcuts to the others.

BTW, I find the shortcut Alt+5 on the number pad with NumLock OFF to be useless, because I always keep NumLock ON. Having to hit the NumLock key both before and after the Alt+5 is enough trouble (and easy to forget) that I'd rather use the mouse.

[Rudi]

TX Jay. Certainly worthwhile setting up the others if you use tables often enough.

[ChrisGreaves]

That is quite a list! Goodness!

Big List: True, but I didn’t write those macros, nor did I assign the toolbar menu item buttons. I wrote a macro to generate all the table-handling macros (the little engine that analyses the selection and builds the array of text is common to all macros), and wrote a macro to assign the toolbar buttons. It was the testing of the stuff that took time, and I never did complete that phase (Bad Boy!)