Share via

no Data command group under Layout - convert table to text button

Anonymous
2019-12-06T14:51:05+00:00

This is MS Word 2016 Student/Home Windows 10 

I need to convert a boatload of tables to text.  

All online sources say to find the 'convert table to text' command under:  Layout/Data Command Group/Convert Table to Text.  

There is no Data command group under my Layout tab.  There appear to be no instructions anywhere to allow me to add it to the Ribbon.  

Please advise.

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Stefan Blom 342.4K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
2019-12-06T14:58:03+00:00

You have to look for Convert Table to Text at the contextual Layout tab which is enabled when the insertion point is inside a table. In some versions of Word, this one is called Table Tools Layout.

Was this answer helpful?

20+ people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

7 additional answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2019-12-06T18:18:47+00:00

    Thanks to both of you.  This worked.  

    For the benefit of MS workers who are likely lurking, I would add that this is poor layout of the function.  

    First of all, a second tab titled Layout appears at the end of the ribbon;  at the same time, all of MS's instruction says, in the Layout tab" (and I'm looking for it in its usual spot fourth from the left) "click on the Data command group...."  

    Nowhere do the instructions say, "A second Layout tab will appear rightmost on the ribbon, with Table tools...."  The average user is not looking for some faint, tiny new item that pops up at the far end of the ribbon.  Especially since instructions ask the user to look at Layout, and it's already in its usual place, fourth from the left.

    It needs the simple fix of naming the contextual Layout tab (as opposed to the regular Layout tab)  SOMETHING ELSE.  Would dispel all this ambiguity.  

    I don't even do this for a living, and I'm surprised this janky business got through to production.

    Was this answer helpful?

    7 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2019-12-06T15:20:34+00:00

    Hi

    As Stefan points out, there are two layout tabs in Word. The one for tables will only appear wen you are in a table and will be on the right end of the ribbon. It is next to the Table Design tab. The page layout tab is more in the center of the ribbon.

    Again, you have to be in the table to even see the Table Layout tab.

    Table Layout Tab 

    This forum is a user-to-user support forum. I am a fellow user.

    I hope this information helps.

    Please let me know if you have any more questions or require further help.

    You can ask for more help by replying to this post (Reply button below).

    Regards

    Was this answer helpful?

    4 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  3. Charles Kenyon 167.7K Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2019-12-07T09:55:23+00:00

    Stefan is correct. They did exist in even in 2019/365 but someone at MS "fixed" it. The changes in the ribbon are shown on my page about the ribbons.

    The Ribbons of Microsoft Word 2007-2019 (365)

    The (Table) Layout Tab is shown here: Table Layout Tab

    Fixed tab

    Word Online still has the over-wrap Table Tools (but no Data group)

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2019-12-06T19:03:11+00:00

    So are we, and we have said so. They could easily have named it "Table Layout" just as they labeled the one "Table Design" to avoid confusion with the "Design" tab. The place for you to add your voice to this is in the Feedback function of Word or on UserVoice.

    Here is a spot you can vote:

    https://word.uservoice.com/forums/304924-word-for-windows-desktop-application/suggestions/39202336-rename-the-layout-tab-under-table-tools-to-table

    I expect they will change it at some time. It used to be under a Table Tools tab that popped up to group them, but that went a way a while back.

    Let us know if there's anything else. If you don't have any more questions, feel free to choose a rating. Thanks! (Five stars means helpful, one star means not helpful.)

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments