Two table header rows with different formatting styles

Question

I read the other post about two table header rows with different formatting style, and the answer was NO. But that post was in 2014 I guess. My questions are: (1) Is there any chance that I can create a table style with two header rows? The fact is that when I use a table style, it automatically sets only the first row as header, even when I select two rows and set them as header (in the tab Layout), when I reopen the file, it goes back to the template of one header row. (2) Is there any chance that these two header rows have different formatting style? Thank you.

Answer 1

Rather than a Table Style, consider setting up a Table formatted the way you want, and saving that table as an AutoText entry. When you want to use such a table, insert the AutoText. Yes, you can have two consecutive header rows.

You can even attach a keyboard shortcut to your AutoText if you want.

• https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/autotextautocorrect.htm#AutoComplete
• https://www.brandwares.com/bestpractices/2018/07/xml-hacking-add-a-table-of-contents-to-the-toc-gallery/
• https://www.addbalance.com/usersguide/tables.htm#Header
• https://addbalance.com/articles/Assigning%20Keyboard%20Shortcuts%20in%20Microsoft%20Word%202007-2024%20(365).htm

Answer 2

I'm not sure I understand the intent, but have you considered just pressing return in the Header Row to create a second paragraph then applying a different Heading Style to each paragraph?

Answer 3

Currently, Microsoft Word does not support creating a table style with two header rows that can maintain different formatting styles. When you apply a table style, it typically recognizes only the first row as the header row, and any additional rows designated as headers will revert to the default formatting when the document is reopened. This behavior has been consistent and has not changed in recent versions of Word.

As for having two header rows with different formatting styles, Word's table styles do not allow for this flexibility. You can manually format the rows after creating the table, but this formatting will not be preserved if you apply a table style that enforces a single header row.

In summary, while you can create a table with two header rows, maintaining different formatting styles for both is not supported by Word's current functionality.

Answer 4

Thanks Nghia for your clarification. Yeah we can always manually adjust the second row to look the same as the first header row. But, in case we apply a table style beforehand, the second row is actually never a part of the header, thus whenever we reopen the file, the second row is not repeated across pages.

Answer 5

Hi Nghia, please find attached the work from my desktop, in page 1 you find 2 heading rows, but in page 2, only the first row retains. table heading rows.pdf