Apache OpenOffice (AOO) Bugzilla – Issue 75570
Changing column width in thble with Shift key does not affect entire table
Last modified: 2013-08-07 14:38:26 UTC
The ruler (at the top of the page) shows markers for each column of the table. When user presses SHFT and drags any marker, all the columns to the right are dragged sideways as a set. This allows the user to resize a column without disturbing the other columns. But the last (right-most) edge does not move at all. Thus the width of the last column *is* affected. So the user has to drag it separately. This does not happen in MS Word: The last vertical edge also is moved along with the others.
When resizing the width of a table column while holding Shift-key, the table size will not be affected as it is done in MS Word. Currently, this has not been intended until now in Writer. The settings in the Writer options for "Tables" may suggest such a behaviour, thus we should think about implementing this also in Writer.
An even better scheme would be to have both behaviors, depending upon what key combination is pressed while dragging. For example, SHFT does not touch the last edge (the present behavior). SHFT+CTRL shifts the last column too (like MS Word). ALT shows column widths in the ruler (just like MS Word)