Unwanted auto-resize of columns in PAGES

Question

Level 1

5 points

Unwanted auto-resize of columns in PAGES

In a "Pages" document, with tables, when changing a value inside one of the table-cells, the column resizes by itself.

Is it a bug or a feature? I couldn't find where to prevent it from happening (settings and menus).

Even after resizing all rows and columns manually to my needs and liking, it still occurs.

Even after unchecking the option "Resize rows to fit cell content" in the "Table" tab of the document toolbars side, it still occurs.

Even after unchecking the option under menu Format > Table > Resize Columns to Fit Content (or the twin option: Format > Table > Resize Rows to Fit Content), it still occurs.

Any idea why it happens?

Any idea how can I avoid it from happening?

MacBook Pro (2017 – 2020)

Posted on Sep 10, 2024 10:09 AM

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Answer 1

cohalon Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 14, 2024 3:35 AM in response to Yellowbox

Hi Ian,

First, in answer to your question, nothing.

I tried to recreate the problem with the simplest steps and could not.

New Doc, text text enter text.. , insert Table (from toolbar), adjust columns width, adjust document/page/printer.

After that step, the current table remain same size and justifies to left.

I adjust column sizes further, stretch to right... the problem does not recreate.

I understand now it might be unique to my document. I am going to create it all again from scratch and see.

Not a complicated document, nothing fancy, that's how it looks:

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Answer 2

cohalon Author

Level 1

5 points

Sep 13, 2024 5:06 AM in response to Yellowbox

Thanks for picking it up Ian.

Both options you listed are familiar and well in use.

There is a bug/feature causing a column to expand when I put my cursor in it, and then change/delete/assign a value (text or numbers alike). It may occur upon putting the cursor in the cell, value change, exiting the cell (putting the cursor elsewhere in the doc.), or two or all three of them.

Always Column-size auto-changes.

Not necessarily to even fit the content (i.e. the content is not long enough to require it).

In my opinion it possibly could do with another "feature" that auto-changes column sizes when adjusting another column on the same table. Kind of, auto-fit to page's width.

I set up a table, carefully and accurately. Few tables on the same page, text combined before and after.

Page setup and printer/page margins, all addressed and used, headers footers, styles... All in use. Menu options (Format>Table...) adjusted.

Document is very basic, it was created from scratch, not imported from Word or others.

To summarize plainly: The columns Auto-Resize in an unwanted and unnecessary way. It's happening by itself.

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Answer 3

Yellowbox

Level 7

21,179 points

Sep 13, 2024 10:50 PM in response to cohalon

Hi cohalon

cohalon wrote:

In my opinion it possibly could do with another "feature" that auto-changes column sizes when adjusting another column on the same table. Kind of, auto-fit to page's width.

Auto-fit to page width is the default action when deleting or adding columns in a Pages table.

What are you doing that changes that default action?

Regards,

Ian.

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Answer 4

Oct 22, 2024 7:09 PM in response to Yellowbox

I'm having a similar issue, if I understand OP's problem correctly:

New table, created in Pages from the Table icon at the top. Just one table on one page. When I try to manually resize a column width – any column – by dragging, the column directly to the right automatically resizes. If I increase column width, the adjacent column decreases in width proportionately. This happens whether or not "Resize rows to fit cell contents" is checked on. I can resize column width in the options panel under Table > Row & Column Size, using the up/down arrows or by typing a number in the width dialog box, and all other columns do stay the same. But I'd like to be able to quickly and precisely set widths on the fly by dragging, instead of having to deal with estimating and entering numbers (the arrows don't adjust finely enough for my purposes.) When I resize a given column, I'd like the others to simply move over, while maintaining their previously set width. In Excel there's a way to turn off column autofit. Is there a similar option in Pages? Keyboard shortcut?

I understand I'd run into issues if I didn't have enough space on the page for the columns to increase, but in this case I have the extra free space. (Anyway, I'm used to the columns spilling over into a new page if space runs out – the default for Numbers, am I right?)

I did notice that the "Fit" button next to the column width dialogue box in the options panel under Table > Row & Column Size is greyed out, I'm not sure why, but I can't fiddle with it to see how it might be contributing. However, the autofitting I'm seeing in the adjacent column doesn't seem rationally linked to fitting its content (column width will reduce to the extent that data is one character wide and the cell becomes super duper tall... so if anything, it's doing the opposite of resizing contents to fit the adjacent cell.)

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Answer 5

cohalon Author

Level 1

5 points

Oct 23, 2024 11:32 AM in response to Yellowbox

I'm so happy to see I am not the only one.

This "feature" is broken (to say in gentle words) or otherwise not understood.

I don't understand what means: Reply with questions. I can give a description.

The question/s I have I already asked, but here they are again:

Why does it happen?

How can I prevent from making it happen?

Is it a feature or a bug?

Unfortunately as I can see, nobody knows.

Thank you.

I'll learn to live with the "thing", whether an unknown feature or the bug, and hope it will - one day - just vanish.

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Answer 6

Oct 23, 2024 10:16 PM in response to cohalon

Hi again,

I don't think it has to do with 'Auto-fit to page width.' I believe that's a red herring. The columns are auto-fitting not according to page width, at least in my case, but to table width. It doesn't matter how small I make the table within the page, Pages does not allow whatever changes to internal dimensions of cells within the table to affect the table's outer boundaries. The overall table size never changes, regardless of how many columns/rows are added or removed, and whether the columns/rows are increased/decreased. Decreasing a column's width makes the adjacent column automatically "steal" that space so that the total width of the two columns remains the same. Likewise, increasing a column's width forces the column on one side to "give up" its space to the column getting bigger. Thus the overall width of the table is maintained. Same goes for row height and overall table height. It's almost as if it's treating each pair of columns as one object, and you're only able to move the wall between them in one direction or the other.

I should mention this is only the case when changes are made directly to the table graphic, and not when identical changes are made in Format > Table to the number of Rows or Columns numbers or to Row & Column Size. Making these changes via Format > Table does automatically change overall table dimensions proportionally.

So my specific question, then: Is there a way to allow overall table dimensions to increase and decrease according to and in proportion with any changes made to the size or number of rows/columns when (rather than with the Format > Table options panel) these changes are made directly to the table?

Thanks!

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