In Word, tables are not objects. They are just paragraphs with border properties that make them look like rows.
Before you attempt the fine tuning described in this section:
You can also use configuration settings or PI markers to control some table characteristics for RTF output:
Other characteristics might be more problematic:
Define default widths for tables and table columns in a table-format configuration file; see §7.7 Defining table output formats. To specify a different table width for an individual table generated from DITA <simpletable>, <choicetable>, or <properties> element, insert a SimpleTableWidth PI marker just before or at the beginning of the element. For example:
<?dtrtf SimpleTableWidth="4.5in" ?>
DITA definition lists and parameter lists are best rendered as tables in RTF output. These element types do not allow width settings in DITA XML. However, you can specify either relative or absolute column widths for RTF output, with a SimpleTableRelCol PI marker placed just before or at the beginning of the element. For example, for relative column widths:
<?dtrtf SimpleTableRelCol="2* 4*" ?>
This simply acts exactly like DITA @relcolwidth for the tables generated from those lists. For absolute column widths, you can use any units allowed in DITA; for example:
<?dtrtf SimpleTableRelCol="1in 36pt 5pc" ?>
You can combine both SimpleTableWidth and SimpleTableRelCol values in a single PI marker, separated by a space; see §38.1.1 Understanding DITA2Go PI marker syntax.
[Tables] ; TableTitles = 0 to leave alone, 1 to put at top, 2 to put at bottom TableTitles=0
To adjust cell properties for all tables:
[Tables] ; TableRules = Cell (standard default), None (help default), or one ; of the Box types: Box, Double, Thick, Shadow, Para (variable) TableRules=Cell ; TableFill = AsIs (default), ColorOnly, ShadingOnly, None TableFill=AsIs
Cell properties set in [Tables] apply to all tables in your document, and override values of the same properties specified in a table-format configuration file; see §7.7.3 Configuring cell format properties.
TableRules determines whether the border values set in a table-format configuration file take effect. If TableRules has any value except Cell, DITA2Go does not write borders. If TableFill=None or ColorOnly, DITA2Go ignores the table-format configuration settings for shading.
Given the opportunity, Word handles table cells that straddle columns by combining the cells involved in the straddle into a single cell. Because this might not be what you want in Word output, by default DITA2Go does not combine the cells; however, you can override the default. To combine column-straddling cells into a single cell:
[Tables] ; MergeStradCells = No (default) or Yes (combine col-straddling cells) MergeStradCells=Yes
Note: For WinHelp output, the default value of MergeStradCells is Yes (the opposite of the default for Word); see §17.5.2 Adjusting table appearance.
Word 8/97 and later versions can handle straddled rows in tables; Word 7/95 cannot.
Word seems incapable of handling tables that have more than 63 columns. Such a table ends up in Word with all columns beyond the 63rd merged into the last column allowed, making that cell much taller than the rest, in every row.