For each example, start by selecting File from the Menu Bar. Select New, click on OK to create a new job, and click in text box area to highlight the text.
Example 1: Center poetry on its longest line in the middle of a text area.
Solution: Create a three column tab with all defaults accepted.
1. Select Setup from group 4 of the Tab Palette. 
2. Enter 3 for the number of columns.
3. Click on OK or Return.
4. Tab once and enter poem. Use return to end each line. Tab at beginning of each line.
5. Move cursor (caret) to start of poem and select Balance from the Tab palette.
Example 2. Create a 3 column table with 1 pica between columns and the table centered with the text area.
Solution: Create a 5 column tab as follows:
 1. Select Setup from the Tab Palette.
 2. Enter 5 for the number of columns (columns 1 and 5 used for centering).
 3. Set gutter for column 1 to fixed.
 4. Set gutter value to 0. Set column value to 1.
 5. Advance to column 3 by clicking on the up arrow next to the column # box.
 6. Check Fixed Gutter.
 7. Enter 1p as Gutter Value.
 8. Advance to column 4 and repeat steps 6 and 7 to set gutter.
 9. Select OK or press return key.
10. Tab once and enter data in tab columns using return to end each line.
11. Repeat step 10 for each row.
12. Set the cursor to the beginning of the table and select Balance from the Tab Palette.
Example 3. Create a 5 column table with equal space between columns and the table centered within the text area. Place 2 times the column space on the left and the right of the table.
Solution: Create a 7 column tab as follows.
 1. Select Set ... from the Tab Palette.
 2. Enter 7 for the number of columns.
 3. Advance to column 2 by clicking on up arrow next to column # box. Check variable Gutter.
 4. Enter 2 as Gutter value. (places 2 times column space on left & right).
 5. Check variable gutter and enter 1 as gutter value for columns 3-6.
 6. For column 7, check variable gutter and enter 2 as gutter value.
 7. Click OK.
 8. Tab once and enter data in tab columns. Press return to end each line.
 9. Repeat step 8 for each row.
10. Set the cursor (caret) to the beginning of the table and select Bal from the Tab Palette.
Example 4: Create a 4 column table with a title and horizontal rules between the heading, column heads and table body. Place equal space between columns and center the table within the text area.
Solution: Create a 4 column tab as follows.
 1. Select Set ...from the Tab Palette.
 2. Enter 4 for the number of columns.
 3. Click OK or press return.
 4. Enter the title line and press return .
 5. Tab and enter column head text and tab between columns. Press return.
 6. Enter the table text, tabbing between columns and return at end of line.
 7. Set caret at beginning of table and select Bal from the Tab Palette.
Straddle rules - refer to straddle palette diagram
1. Place cursor on line and tab position that you wish the rule to start.
2. Enter 4 in End of Straddle. of the Straddle Palette.
3. Place 2 pt. in the Y Offset box.
4. Click on Straddle_.
5. Repeat steps 1 - 4 for each rule.
Example 5: Create a 6 column table including a title, horizontal rules and decimal alignment.
Solution: Create a 6 column tab as follows.
 1. Select Set... from the Tab Palette.
 2. Enter 6 for the number of columns.
 3. Advance to next column.
 4. Select Decimal alignment.
 5. Repeat step for columns 3-6.
 6. Click OK.
 7. Enter the title line and press return to end each line.
8. Enter column head text with tabs between columns.
9. Enter the table text.
10. Move the cursor to the beginning of the table.
11. Click on Balance from the straddle palette.
12. Move the cursor to the line above the head text.
13. Click on Bal.
14. Enter 4 in the Straddle End position in group 2 of the straddle palette.
15. Enter 1 as the rule Weight in group 2 of the straddle palette.
16. Enter 2 pt. in Y Offset top box.
17. Move the cursor to a line and tab position where you want a horizontal rule to begin.
18. Select Straddle_ from the straddle palette.
19. Repeat steps 18 and 19 for horizontal rules before and after table body.
20. Highlight heading line and click on HC.
Example 6: Creating a 4 column table with first column fixed at 20 picas and including a horizontal rule.
Solution:
1. Select Set... from the Tab Palette.
2. Enter 4 for the number of columns.
3. Set gutter and column for column 1 to fixed.
4. Set gutter value to 0. Set column value to 20p.
5. Advance to column 2 and click gutter variable.
6. Set gutter value to 0.
7. Advance to column 3.
8. Click gutter variable.
9. Set gutter to 1.
10. Select Copy Rem Cols to set remaining columns as column 3.
11. Type in text hitting tab between each column and return after each line.
12. Select Bal from Tab palette to balance table.
13. To place horizontal rule, place cursor in front of "Description"
14. Type 1 in Start of Straddle and 4 in End of Straddle in Straddle palette.
15. Type 2 pt. in Y offset top box in Straddle palette.
16. Select Straddle— to straddle rule.
Example 7:
Set a 9 column table with heads set left on longest line and centered over data entries
Solution:
1. Select Set... from the Tab Palette.
2. Enter 9 for the number of columns.
3. Set gutter and column for column 1 to fixed.
4. Set gutter value to 0 and column value to 9p.
5. Advance to column 2.
6. Set gutter and column to variable.
7. Set gutter and column value to 1.
8. Set Alignment to Center.
9. Select Copy Rem Cols to set columns 3 to 9 as column 2.
10. Type in text hitting tab between each column and return after each line.
11. Select Bal on Tab palette.
12. Highlight both rows of heads and select HC on Tab palette.
13. Select Bal. on Tab palette.
Example 8:
Set a table using AutoBox & AutoRules to center text and rules over multiple columns and to generate rules under single columns.
Solution:
1. Select Set... from the Tab palette and check AutoBox in each column that a straddle text starts or a straddle rule starts.
2. For straddle rules set AutoHoriz in the column where the rule is to start. (In the example below, column 2 is set for both AutoBox and AutoHoriz.)
3. Select the AutoBox dialog box and set Initial Depth to 0.
4. To straddle text across columns place the precedent code (identified in the AutoBox dialog) and the number of columns to straddle prior to the text to be straddled. The text should be at the appropriate starting column. The /3 straddles the text from column 2 to the end of column 4. Text will only straddle if the number following the precedent code is greater than 1.
5. If the number is 1 as in the last row of the example it will only rule the column it is in.
6. Select Bal in Tab palette.
Note that the text that is straddled is automatically centered in the straddle column.
Example 9:
In the previous examples we have used simple tables to get used to terminology and use of the Tab and Straddle palettes. When setting more complex tables, it will be easier if you first consider the design of the table and design the Setup as complete as possible. After typing in the first few lines of the table, Balance it to see if the design is correct for as much as you have typed. Make any appropriate changes to the Setup and Balance the table again. Be sure to always return the cursor to the start of the table before applying Balance. This is demonstrated by the foldout table following this page which is a complex table that involves rules, straddles, and table heads.
Solution:
The table measures 44 picas— so be sure to create a text box that wide. A simple way to do this precisely, is to create a text box on the page at the left margin of any size, and then to select from the main menu Item-Modify and enter the precise values for width and depth.
1. There are 8 columns in the table and the first column is right aligned. Column one in ProTabs can not be set right aligned, because its tab mark is always at the left edge of the text box. Therefore, t is necessary to Setup for 9 columns and precede all data that is to go in physical column 1 by a tab. Enter Setup from the Tab palette and set 9 as the number of columns.
2. Set column 1 gutter and column to Fixed and set their values to 0.
3. Set column 2 gutter to Fixed and the gutter value to 0.
4. Set column 2 column to Variable and its value to 1.
5. Set column 2 alignment to align on ). This will cause all text in this column to be right aligned and any ) to hang to the right of the alignment.
6. Set column 3 gutter to Fixed and a gutter value of 1 pica.
7. Set column 3 column value to Fixed and a value of 13 picas.
8. Set column 3 alignment to left.
9. Set column 4 gutter to Fixed and a value of 6 points.
10. Set column 4 column to Variable and a value of 1.
11. Set column 4 alignment to align on ).
12. Set column 5 gutter and column to variable and values of 1.
13. Select Copy Rem Cols as columns 5 to 9 all have identical settings.
14. Enter the first line of data in the table. As it is the table title, and is set left align, and we do not want its width to be counted in the first column, do not precede it with a tab.
15. Select Bal from the Tab palette. This will set tab stops to their default values.
16. Set Formats for the body text using rule below when appropriate to get full rule across table.
17. Enter head data using extra tabs to skip blank columns. Physical alignment at this point is equal for all variable columns and gives a good visual check of proper table alignment.
18. After completing the head data, Balance the table being sure to return the caret to the beginning of the table.
19. If it is necessary at this point to correct the setup, be sure that Reset Column is checked before again Balancing the table if you want the correction to apply to each row in the column. This is important so that all rows of each column are set to the new Setup.
20. The line after the heads should be centered between columns 4 and nine. This can be accomplished by using the AutoBox feature for generating a straddle. Select Set.. from the Tab palette and advance to column 4. Check AutoBox .
21. Select Set AutoBox... and be sure the precedent character is the one you will use and that the Initial Depth is set to 0.
22. Tab to column 4 and type /6 before the straddle text. The / indicates that it is a straddle and the 6 says that it will straddle 6 columns.
23. Select Bal from Tab palette. The straddle text should become centered within an anchored box that starts at the beginning of column 4 and finishes at the end of column 9.
24. From this point entering data should look much like the final document. You may rebalance as often as desired. Be sure to rebalance at the end of the table.
Note. All Auto rules generated and all straddled text is anchored to the text stream. rebalancing the table will always move and resize the rules and straddles accordingly.
