Although you can use various Microsoft Office applications to create tables in your documents, some applications are better suited for creating certain kinds of tables. For example, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel can automatically format a table for you. In Microsoft PowerPoint, you can draw and format a table anywhere in a presentation slide. In Microsoft Access, you can format an entire datasheet. And in Microsoft FrontPage, you can create tables for page layout purposes and for presentation of data.
- For a table you can easily include in a presentation, use PowerPoint.
- For a table that includes complex graphics formatting— such as bulleted lists, custom tabs, numbering, hanging indents, individual cell formatting, and cells split diagonally— use Word.
- For a table that includes complex calculations, statistical analysis, or charts, use Excel.
- For tables with powerful sorting and search capabilities, use Access or Excel.
- For full relational database (relational database: A type of database that stores information in tables. Uses matching values from two tables to relate data in one table to data in the other table. In a relational database, you typically store a specific type of data just once.) capabilities, use Access.
- For Web page layout or database results tables, use FrontPage.
Tip
For information about creating a table using the other Office applications, search online Help for each application.