Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Viewing Formulas in Table Cells.

Viewing Formulas in Table Cells

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 21, 2023)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021


Johannes asked if there was a way to view formulas that are in table cells. It seems that his formulas tend to be too long for the smaller cells in his table, and that prevents them from being completely displayed when he looks at field codes instead of field results.

Unfortunately, Word does not have a feature such as those present in Excel or in Access that allow you to view the contents of a cell independently from the document itself. One solution, however, is to simply make sure that you don't limit the height of a row in the table. If the row height can change, as necessary, then the row will expand when you are viewing field codes and contract to normal height when you are viewing field results. Follow these steps:

  1. Position the insertion point within the table.
  2. Display the Layout tab of the ribbon. (This tab is visible only when you complete step 1.)
  3. Click the Properties tool in the Table group. Word displays the Table Properties dialog box.
  4. Make sure the Row tab is displayed. (See Figure 1.)
  5. Figure 1. The Row tab of the Table Properties dialog box.

  6. Make sure the Specify Height check box is selected.
  7. Using the Row Height Is drop-down, select At Least.
  8. Specify how high you want each row to be, at a minimum.
  9. Click on OK.

Now, when you press Alt+F9 to view field codes, the row height will change temporarily to accommodate the entire formula. The row height will revert to its normal appearance when you later view the field results.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (9829) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Word in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Viewing Formulas in Table Cells.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Setting Fraction Bar Overhang Spacing in the Equation Editor

The Equation Editor is a great tool for easily creating fancy-looking equations in your document. One setting you can ...

Discover More

Converting Numeric Values to Times

If you have a bunch of times entered into cells without the colon between the hours and minutes, chances are good that ...

Discover More

Using Chapter Numbers with Page Numbers

Do you need to add page numbers that include, as well, a chapter number? It's relatively easy to do, as described in this ...

Discover More

The First and Last Word on Word! Bestselling For Dummies author Dan Gookin puts his usual fun and friendly candor back to work to show you how to navigate Word 2013. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2013 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Adding Table Columns to Columns with Merged Cells

Word's table editor allows you to modify the structure of tables in a wide variety of ways. If you want to add columns to ...

Discover More

Resizing Your Table

Need to make your table a different size? It's easy to do, using the same general technique you use when resizing a ...

Discover More

Quickly Moving Your Table

For those who love to use the mouse during editing, you can use the little critter to help move your tables to exactly ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is four minus 0?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

Got a version of Word that uses the ribbon interface (Word 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.