Issue 100311

SUMMARY

Attempting to change the column widths to specified sizes of a table wider than
the text margins is literally impossible.

Refer to the forum
http://user.services.openoffice.org/en/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=16615

REPRODUCE

I've used an example to illustrate.

A. Create a table wider than the text margins.

 1. In a text document, Format -> Page... -> Margins.
 2. Set all Margins to 1.00".
 3. Create a table with three columns and a few rows.
 4. Drag the left and right table margins so that they exceed the text margins.

B. Attempt to adjust the column widths.

 1. Place your cursor in any cell in the table.
 2. Table -> Table Properties... -> Columns.
 3. Adapt table width -> ticked or unticked, both don't work.
 4. Attempt to set the Column widths to 3.00", 2.00" and 2.50". Whatever you do,
Writer will alter your settings.

Incidentally, if you have set your table alignment to Center (Table -> Table
Properties -> Alignment -> Center), Writer will change this to Manual. This is
not a big problem, because you can set it back again, but it is an irritation.

WORKAROUND

You can adjust the table when the text margins are wider than the table. So, in
our example:

A. Change the page width

 1. Format -> Page... -> Paper format -> Landscape

B. Adjust the table

 1. Table -> Table Properties... -> Columns
 2. Adapt table width -> tick
 3. Set Column widths to 3.00", 2.00" and 2.50"
 4. Table -> Table Properties... -> Table -> Alignment -> Center (if desired)

C. Revert the page width

 1. Format -> Page... -> Paper format -> Portrait