Time for Tables
What is a table?
What is a table in terms of our computer? Well, sometimes your computer may be sitting on a table, or a desk, but there are also tables you will interact with on your computer. You will interact with tables in documents, on websites, and in different applications like the calendar.
Tables are made up of columns, which are vertical (up and down) representations of information, and rows (left to right) representations of information.
Real World Example: Think of a movie theater. The audience sits in rows, or lines of seats that stretch from the left to the right side of the room. Now, let's think about the front row, behind each seat in this 1st row there is another audience member, and another behind them, and another behind them, until you reach the back of the theater. These are our columns.
What information is in a table?
Great question! On the internet, tables may display the hours of operation for a business, the prices of various products, or the times of different events.
Structure
Tables are like grids, or graph paper. They are constructed of individual cells that make up rows and columns. The top row of the table will contain all of the names of each column. You read this top row left to right to identify how many columns are in the table, and what information you will find in the cells as you navigate down each column.
ChromeVox and Tables
To navigate to the next table using ChromeVox you will press search + t key. To navigate to the previous table, you will press shift + t.
To navigate within a table, place your focus on the table. Hold down search + alt + control and use any of your arrows to move 1 cell to the left, right, up, or down. For example, if you want to navigate 1 cell to the right, you will hold down search + control + alt, and then press the right arrow. If you wish to navigate to the next cell to the right after that, continue holding down search + control + alt, and press the right arrow once again.
It's helpful to remember that you are holding down search + control + alt, but not the arrows. You are pressing them once and letting go as you hold the other keys. This allows you to move 1 cell at a time in any direction.
Sticky Mode
A quick note on sticky mode. If you have sticky mode enabled, you will not need to hold down the search key. To navigate to the next table, you will only press the t key. To navigate to the next cell in any direction, you will only hold down the control and alt keys.
Let's Give it a Try
There are 3 tables on this page. Navigate to each table and explore the contents by using the above-mentioned strategy.
The answer to the quiz question at the end of this lesson will be found in one of these tables.
Table 1: Weather Forecast in Fremont
| Day | Weather |
|---|---|
| Monday | Cloudy, high of 57 degrees, 40% chance of rain |
| Tuesday | Cloudy, high of 60 degrees |
| Wednesday | Mostly sunny, high of 62 degrees |
| Thursday | Thunder storm, high of 52 degrees |
| Friday | Cloudy, 85% chance of rain, high of 50 degrees |
Table 2: Class Favorite Foods
| Name | Age | Favorite food |
|---|---|---|
| George | 11 | Chicken Strips |
| Hannah | 10 | Spaghetti |
| April | 11 | Pizza |
| Kate | 9 | Grilled Cheese |
| Michelle | 12 | Chicken Dumplings |
| David | 11 | Tortilla Soup |
Table 3: Math Grades
| Name | Test 1 | Test 2 | Test 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| George | 75% | 85% | 69% |
| Hannah | 67% | 92% | 77% |
| April | 81% | 88% | 79% |
| Kate | 94% | 82% | 90% |
| Michelle | 77% | 88% | 79% |
| David | 81% | 80% | 82% |
Checkpoint!
Who received the highest grade on test 2?