Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. 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, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365


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, 2021, and Word in Microsoft 365. 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

Understanding Macros

What is a macro? Ever wonder what these are and how to use them? This tip answers the basics of what a macro is used for, ...

Discover More

Understanding Point Sizes

Points are the common unit of measure for typefaces in the printing industry. They are also used quite often in Word. ...

Discover More

Making Phone Numbers into Active Links

Want to use phone numbers in your documents and have those numbers be clickable links? This tip discusses all the ins and ...

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 2019. Spend more time working and less time trying to figure it all out! Check out Word 2019 For Dummies today!

More WordTips (ribbon)

Printing Only Selected Rows from a Table

Tables are a great way to organize the information in a document. If your table gets quite long, you may not want to ...

Discover More

Unwanted Vertical Lines in a Table

When you print a table that includes borders, those borders should be crisp and clear on the printout. If you get some ...

Discover More

Copying Tables to a New Document

Tables are a great way to organize information in a document. For some editing needs, you may want to create a new ...

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 1 + 3?

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.