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This Microsoft Word Tips & Microsoft Word Help page discusses Table Styles. While it contains information and techniques relevant to any Word user, the target audience is the Word developer as the content focuses primarily on using table styles with VBA.

Introduction

The discussion that follows was inspired by my own struggle coming to grips with table styles and the excellent work and invaluable contributions of the renowned former Word MVP and late Shauna Kelly.  Shauna covered this topic extensively in her series of articles at Table styles.  While closely related, the content here is written in my own style, using my own terms.  The content may diverge from, omit, or where observations warrant even contradict Shauna's published content. This is in no way intended to disparage her work.

Shauna's articles outline the observations, bugs and anomalies that she observed when working with earlier versions of Word.  Some things have changed since those articles were last updated. My objective, is to provide VBA procedures that replicate her tests and compare her observations with the results I observe now using Word 2019.  This content should be considered a companion to her work, and I encourage each person reading this content to also read and consider hers.

Table Style

A Word Table Style is a reusable collection of formatting rules that you can apply to individual tables with a single click.  Components include:

• Row break control (splitting across pages)
• Borders
• Shading
• Paragraph and font formatting
• Contextual formatting (i.e., unique formatting applied to first row, first column, banded rows, etc.)

Testing & Demonstration Documents

For the discussion that follows, you can download the companion Testing and Demonstration Documents.  The document set includes:

• Tables Styles Tips Page Test Document.docm
  A macro-enabled .docm format file containing testing steps, the VB Project, code modules and procedures used to make observations.
• The "Empty" Normal Style Demonstrated.docm - A demonstration of the "empty" Normal style.
• Change the formatting applied to the Normal style and keep it empty.docm - Instructions for changing the Normal style and keep it "empty."

Observations

General

Table styles were introduced with Word 2002, well after the more familiar paragraph and character styles.  I feel confident, due to limited resources and to reduce costs, that Microsoft made every effort to "mesh" the new table style object into the existing fully developed style object.  For me, that goes a long way in accepting some (not all) of the anomalies and bugs still present in table styles as discussed below.

Complicating matters further, is the default "empty" Normal paragraph style and the the hierarchy of how Word applies formatting to document content using the document defaults (font and paragraph), table styles, then paragraph styles in that order.  Without a proper understanding of the default Normal style and this hierarchy, and despite formatting explicitly defined in a table style, the content actually displayed can be heavily and adversely affected by the physical table's overlaying paragraph style (the style applied at the table insertion point or applied directly to a table range).

While researching and testing to develop this tips page, I discovered the following general behaviors and formulated general practices. Understanding and following these can minimize both errors and frustration when working with table styles:

• Tables (all tables) inserted in a document have a table style applied. The default table style for Word 2019 is Table Grid.
• Paragraphs (all paragraphs) have a list, paragraph or linked paragraph style applied. Normal style is the default paragraph style.
• Tables (all tables) in a document are contained in a document paragraph.
• For this discussion, I consider the style applied to a table's container paragraph the "overlaying" paragraph style.
• Word applies formatting to document content in the following order: document default, table style, paragraph style, numbering, character style and finally direct formatting.
• With Word 2007 and later, the default Normal paragraph style is an "empty" style.  It is unique in that its font and paragraph formatting attributes are defined by the document defaults and not set explicitly in the Normal style.
• The formatting that you see displayed by document text outside a table, when the default Normal style is applied, is formatting defined in the document defaults. The formatting that you displayed by text inside a table, when the default Normal style is applied as the overlaying paragraph style, is formatting defined in the applied table style.
• Considering the hierarchy above, if you want to get the most out of table styles, it is imperative to keep the Normal style empty. If you want or need to change the font or paragraph attributes displayed when using the Normal style, always do it by modifying the document defaults using the Manage Styles - Set Defaults, Paragraph or Font dialogs.
• Avoid using the Modify Style dialog and use caution using code whenever changing Normal style formatting.  Otherwise you risk setting  the attributes directly in the Normal style and any related table style defined attributes will be overridden.   
• Many table style issues can be avoided by ensuring that the "empty" Normal style is applied as the table's overlaying paragraph style.  Any other overlaying paragraph style (e.g., Body Text or custom style) can conflict with and will override formatting attributes defined in the applied table style. 
• When defining .Condition(n) properties, it is best to explicitly set all desired properties (i.e., don't rely on carryover of properties from the "whole table" style).
• When setting or altering most properties with code, Table Style Options (shown in the Table Design tab Style Options group) are reset to the idiotic Microsoft fixed default and often must be reapplied, either with code or the UI, to properly display any associated non-default condition.  See: Table Style Options
• Avoid making changes to the Table Normal style.

See: For more on style hierarchy and the "empty" Normal style, see: Behind the Curtain: Styles Order of Operations  and How do Document Defaults relate to the Normal Style?.

Preventing Tables/Rows Break (Splitting) Across Pages

See Shauna's 4 ways to control page breaks within tables and table styles (for developers)

1. In a Table Style, Prevent or Allow Page Breaks within Table Rows (.AllowBreaksAcrossPage)

Defines the base underlying behavior of all rows in a table with the style applied.

• Using this property, you can either a) True, allow all rows to split across page where the property returns 1 or b) False, not allow all rows to split across page where the property returns 0.
• The default value is True.  See: modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_1 and modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_2
• Unlike most Word two state properties that are type Boolean, this property type is Long. I have no idea why Microsoft choose to use a Long property type rather than a Boolean or use 1 rather than -1 to represent the True state.  However, in core VBA logic, any non-zero value is treated as True.
• I suspect that some type conversion goes on behind the scenes. I can set the AllowBreakAcrossPage property to any non-zero positive or negative Long value and the property returned value is always 1.
  See: modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_3
• After setting the value and applying the style, individual rows can be independently set to override the value either with the user interface or other VBA properties.  Settings for individual rows are "sticky" and will not be affected if  Style.Table.AllowBreaksAcrossPage value is subsequently changed.  See: modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_4
• Using the Style.Table.AllowBreaksAcrossPage property alone, you can't define a style where some rows will split across pages and some won't.
• In Word 2019, this setting can be applied using the Modify Style dialog in the user interface.  Format>Table Properties>Row>Allow row to break across pages.

2. In a table: prevent or allow page breaks within specified rows (.AllowBreakAcrossPages)

• Table.Rows.AllowBreaksAcrossPage applies to all rows in a a physical table (not table style). Table.Rows(n).AllowBreaksAcrossPage (where n is a row index) applies to individual row(n) in a physical table.
  See:  modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_5
• Table.Rows.AllowBreakAcrossPage overrides Style.Table.AllowBreaksAcrossPage and Table.Rows(n).AllowBreaksAcrossPage. See:  modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_5

3. In a table or a table style: keep the whole table on one page (.AllowPageBreaks)

• A property of both table styles and physical table objects.  Neither work.
• The default value for Style.Table.AllowPageBreaks is True and returns True. Can be set False with code only and returns False. However, setting to false has no effect on qualified tables. See: modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_6
• The default value for Table.AllowPageBreaks is True and returns True.  Attempt to set to False does not error but persistently returns True. See:  modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_6
• Contrary to Shauna's observations, I did not observe that "the default value is actually 1, not True."
• For the classic workaround in the user interface, see Keeping a table together on one page..

4. .KeepWithNext

• This property, when working with table styles, applies to the table style .ParagraphFormat property and the .ParagraphFormat property of the twelve Style.Table.Condtions.
• Contrary to Shauna's earlier observations, Style.ParagraphFormat.KeepWithNext = True results in keeping a qualified table together on one page. This is a  suitable work around for the defunct .AllowPageBreaks property. This combination will also keep a table's following caption paragraph on the same page. See: modAllowBreakAcrossPage.Observation_7 and the notes on condition First column effects in the table below.
 

Qualified table means any table that given table size (height), page size, margins or other formatting applied would fit on one page.

• The following table illustrates results when applied to each of the twelve Style.Table.Conditions.
  Note: these results differ somewhat from Shauna's. I believe this may be due to the idiotic default behavior of the Table Style Option buttons.  See: Table Style Options

Borders in Table Styles

See Shauna's: Borders in Table Styles

1. Style.Borders

• Not applicable. See: modTblBorders.Observation_1
• While Style.Borders is available in the object model and in the VB Editor Autolist for the style object, any attempt to use it results in error.

Table styles, unlike paragraph styles, have a functional .Table property.  It is the .Table property .Borders property that should be used.

2. Style.Table.Borders

Applies to all borders in a table with the style applied.

• You can set and read the outside and inside border .LineStyle, .LineWidth, .ColorIndex properties with code.
  See: modTblBorders.Observation_2
• You can set and read the top, bottom, right, left, horizontal and vertical border .LineStyle, .LineWidth, .ColorIndex
  properties independently. See: modTblBorders.Observation_2
• Diagonal up or diagonal down border .LineStyle can be set with code but the return is always 9999999 (undefined).
  See: modTblBorders.Observation_3
• Diagonal up and diagonal down border .LineWidth can not be set with code and any attempt results in an error.  The return value is always -1. With some line styles, the actual line width applied is the line width defined in the Table Design, Borders, Line Width Dropdown.  See: modTblBorders.Observation_3
• Diagonal up and diagonal down border .LineColor and .LineColorIndex can not be set with code.  No error occurs but the return value is 999999 (undefined) and the applied color is always black.
  See: modTblBorders.Observation_3
• The various .Borders.DistanceFrom properties (e.g., .DistanceFormTop) can not be set with code and the return value is always 0.  See: modTblBorders.Observation_4
• The .Borders.Shadow property cannot be set with code and the return value is always False. No other adverse effect.
  See: modTblBorders.Observation_4
• .Table.Condition(n).Borders definitions override .Table.Border definitions regardless of order applied.
  See: See: modTblBorders.Observation_5
• All eight style.table borders can be set with the user interface Modify Style dialog.

3. Style.ParagraphFormat.Borders

Applies to borders around paragraphs of text within table cells. See: modTblBorders.Observation_6

•  As long as the associated .Padding (Top, Bottom, Left or Right) is set to accommodate the defined .Border.DistanceFrom(Top, Bottom, Left or Right), most of these properties seem to work and display as expected.
• As far as I can see, you can't set any .ParagraphFormat.Borders with the user interface. You can only do it through code.
• Borders applied to table overlaying paragraph style  .ParagraphFormat.Borders overrides. Note - see General Observations.
• There is no apparent way to define and apply a distance from horizontal border. Not a bug, just no method in the object model.
• .Shadow works. I did not observe, but can't discount Shauna's note to expect some display artifacts that don't print.

4. Style.Font.Borders

Applies to border applied around text in a table cell. See: modTblBorders.Observation_7

• There is only one border, so always use .Font.Bolders(1) in code.
• Fort.Border applied to table overlaying paragraph style .Font.Border property overrides. Note - see General Observations.
• Many of the properties of a Border object are not available for a Font.Border object (e.g., oStyle.Font.Borders.DistanceFromTop = 6). Therefore, any attempt to set an unavailable property will result in an error.

5. Style.Table.Condition(n).Borders

Applies to borders applied around or in cells of the condition region. See: modTblBorders.Observation_8

• Works similarly to Table.Borders for each condition with the following exception.
• You can define a diagonal up or a diagonal down border .LineStyle, but not both.

6. Style.Table.Condition(n).ParagraphFormat.Borders

Applies to borders applied around paragraphs in cells of the condition region.  See: modTblBorders.Observation_9

• As long as in-range values are applied to any of the .DistanceFrom properties, this method works as expected.
• Where .Table.Borders has five borders, .TableConditon(n).Borders only has four. Why, the world wonders?
• .Table.Condtion(n).Borders overrides .Table.Borders.

7. Style.Table.Condition(n).Font.Borders

Applies to borders applied around text in cells of the condition region.  I can't see where I would ever use this property so I have no issue with Shauna's advice to avoid it.  However, my observations differ from hers. See: modTblBorders.Observation_10

• Style.Font.Border does not override Style.Table.Condition(n).Font.Border.
• You can set a .LineStyle and Word displays the .LineStyle applied. However, the returned value is always 0 (or wdLineStyleNone).
• .LineWidth can't be set in code. Always throws an error and returns 0. However, with some .LineStyles the .LineWidth applied will match the current Table Design, Borders, Line Width dropdown value.
• You can't set .Color with code. The color applied is always black and, in my testing, the return value is always 0.
•  If you try to change the color with code, the border disappears.
• The .Shadow property is not available for Style.Table.Condition(n).Font.Borders in Word 2019. I was unable to test or confirm Shauna's observations.

 Built-in Table Styles Use and Display

See Shauna's: How to hide table styles on the Table Tools Design tab in Word (for developers)

Shauna addressed the insanity, back then, of having 99 different table styles in the Table Design Table Style Gallery and provided two simple macro procedures to hide individual Built-In Table Styles.  Here are Shauna's macros (slightly modified to suit my style):

Sub HideNamedTableStyle_MakeItVisibleWhenUsed()
  With ActiveDocument.Styles("List Table 1 Light - Accent 1") 'Substitute any table style name.
    .Visibility = True 'Counter intuitive
    .UnhideWhenUsed = True 'Intuitive
  End With
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

Sub HideNamedTableStyle_KeepHiddenEvenIfUsed()
  With ActiveDocument.Styles("List Table 1 Light - Accent 1") 'Substitute any table style name.
    .Visibility = True 'Counter intuitive
    .UnhideWhenUsed = False 'Intuitive
  End With
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

With Word 2019, using a new clean Normal template, the Table Design Table Gallery displays 105 built-in table styles in three categories:

• 7 Plain table styles
• 49 Grid table styles
• 49 List table styles

The internet is now replete with AI generated solutions to remove one or more of these built-in table styles. Most simply to suggest selecting the style in the gallery and selecting "Remove from Style Gallery."  That works for paragraph styles in the Home Table Style Gallery, but unfortunately there is no "Remove from Style Gallery" control provided for table styles.

There is a "Delete Table Style," but that simply deletes the styles formatting from the table with the selected style applied.

Others suggest hiding the built-in styles using the Manage Styles dialog Recommend tab. Again, this suggestion fails because the "Show", "Hide" and "Hide Until Used" commands in that dialog are always disabled (dimmed) for any table style selected.

As it seems the features and functions of the Recommend dialog list are not applicable to table styles, it begs the question "Why are table styles in this list?"

Since they "are" listed, we know that in addition to the 105 table styles already cluttering up the Table Style Gallery, there are an additional 142 hidden from view until used:

• 23 Plain table styles
• 43 Grid table styles
• 76 List table styles

Without the foray into the Style Manager dialog, the average Word may never have known these additional styles existed or if they did, how to apply them.

How are they applied for the first timee?  Since the hidden (or Hidden until Used) styles are not shown in either the Table Style Gallery (or, if you have it displayed, the old toolbar "Classic Style Gallery"), ... 

... the only apparent way is with with code.  You can simply apply the hidden style to a selected table:

Sub ApplyHiddenTableStyle
  'Select the table before running this code
  Selection.Tables(1).Style = "Table Classic 1"
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

Or first make the style visible, then apply it to a table with the user interface:

Sub UnhideNamedTableStyle()
  'Substitute any table style name
  ActiveDocument.Styles("Table Classic 1").Visibility = False 'Counter intuitive
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

Once the style is used it is unhidden, it will appear under the Plain table category of the Table Style Gallery and  if displayed, the old toolbar Classic Style Gallery.

Now we have 106 built-in table styles appearing in the Table Style Gallery.  We could remove the ones we don't want one by one using Shauna's simple macros, or use more complex VBA procedures to manage the styles displayed. In the companion Test Document for this tips page, I have included VBA procedures to:

• Display all 247 built-in tables styles
• Restore default display (show the default 105 built-in table styles and any other built-in table style applied to a table in   the document)
• Display the Plain Table styles only (and any other built-in table style applied to a table in the document)
• Display built-in table styles in user defined list (and any other built-in table style applied to a table in the document)

You can experiment with these procedures using the MacroButton fields in the Test Document.

Illustrates the MacroButton fields available in the Test Document

Reading Conditions of a Word table style (for developers)

See Shauna's: Reading Conditions of a Word table style (for developers)

Shauna reported getting spurious errors. I never once experienced the type of error she described in this article. However, I can't discount it and have included her workaround in each of the applicable procedures used in this document.

Shading  (or background coloring and texture) in Table Styles

See Shauna's: Shading (ie background colour) in table styles

1. Style.Shading

• Not applicable. See: modTblShading.Observation_1
• While Style.Borders is available in the object model and in the VB Editor Autolist for the style object, any attempt to use it results in error. See: modTblShading.Observation_1

Table styles, unlike paragraph styles, have a "functional" .Table property.  It is the .Table property .Shading property that should be used.

2. Style.Table.Shading

Applies to cells in a table with the style applied. See: modTblShading.Observation_2

• Works with most table styles to apply a single background color, a single foreground color or or a texture.
• With Table Normal, it fails with error 4198 – Command Failed.
• Each of the three crucial shading object properties .BackgroundPatternColor, ForegroundPatternColor, and Texture can be applied in any order without error, but the property displayed is the last property applied.
• The three properties behave as write only; i.e., regardless of the value applied, .BackgroundPatternColor and .ForegroundPatternColor always return -16777216 (wdColorAutomatic), .Texture always returns 0 (wdTextureNone).

3. Style.Table.Condition(n).Shading

Applies to cells in a condition region of a table with the style applied.

• Works to apply background color, foreground color and texture. Note: In some cases modifying .Condtion(n).Shading can cause adverse effects on other .Condition(n) properties (e.g., .Borders).
  See: modTblShading.Observation_3 and General Observations
• The three crucial shading properties are read\write and return the values applied.
• Banded Column formatting overrides Banded Row formatting. See: modTblShading.Observation_4
• First/Last Row formatting overrides First Column, Last Column, Banded Row and Banded Column formatting.
  See: modTblShading.Observation_4  
• First/Last Column formatting overrides Banded Row and Banded Column formatting. See: modTblShading.Observation_4
• NWCell and NECell formatting overrides First Row and First Column formatting. See: modTblShading.Observation_5 
• SWCell and SECel formatting overrides Last Column and Last Row formatting. See: modTblShading.Observation_5

4. Style.ParagraphFormat.Shading

Applies to background color, foreground color and texture applied to paragraphs within cells of tables with the table style applied. Contrary to Shauna's observations, this method can work with the following anomalies:

• Works as expected provided the table's overlaying paragraph style (i.e., style applied at the table insertion point) has no .ParagraphFormat.Shading applied. Properties applied display in tables with the style applied and return values expected. Note: You may need to add text to see the formatting displayed.
  See modTblShading.Observation_6
• If a table's overlaying paragraph style is modified to include .ParagraphFormat.Shading or if a paragraph style with .ParagraphFormat.Shading is applied to the table range or part of the table range, the overlaying paragraph style .Paragraph.Format.Shading overrides and is displayed.
• If a paragraph style with .Paragraph.Formatting.Shading is applied at a table's insertion point at inception (i.e., when the table is inserted), the table, after insertion and after the table style is applied, appears with no shading. The formatting applied (in the styles pane) shows as Style Name + Pattern: Clear. Note: Style Pane options must be set to show paragraph level formatting as style.

5. Style.Font.Shading

Applies to background color, foreground color and texture applied to text within cells of tables with the table style applied. Contrary to Shauna's observations, this method can work with the following anomalies:

• Works as expected provided the table's overlaying paragraph style (i.e., style applied at the table insertion point) has no .Font.Shading applied. Properties applied display in the table and return values expected. Note: You may need to add text to see the formatting displayed. See modTblShading.Observation_7
• If a table's overlaying paragraph style is modified to include .Font.Shading or if a paragraph style with Font.Shading defined is applied to the table range or part of the table range, the overlaying paragraph style .Font.Shading property overrides and is displayed. See modTblShading.Observation_7

6. Style.Condition(n).ParagraphFormat.Shading

Applies to background color, foreground color and texture applied to paragraphs within cells in a condition(n) region of of tables with the table style applied. Contrary to Shauna's observations, this method can work with the following anomalies:

• Works as expected provided the table's overlaying paragraph style (i.e., style applied at the table insertion point) has no .ParagraphFormat.Shading applied. Properties applied display in tables with the style applied and return values expected. Note: You may need to add text to see the formatting displayed.
  See modTablShading.Observations_8
• If a table's overlaying paragraph style is modified to include .ParagraphFormat.Shading or if a paragraph style with .ParagraphFormat.Shading is applied to the table range or part of the table range, the overlaying paragraph style .Paragraph.Format.Shading overrides and is displayed. See modTablShading.Observations_8
• If a paragraph style with .Paragraph.Formatting.Shading is applied at a table's insertion point at inception (i.e., when the table is inserted), the table, after insertion and after the table style is applied, appears with no shading. The formatting applied (in the styles pane) shows as Style Name + Pattern: Clear. Note: Style Pane options must be set to show paragraph level formatting as style.

7. Style.Condition(n).Font.Shading

Applies to the shading properties of text within cells in a condition(n) region of tables with the table style applied. Contrary to Shauna's observations regarding Word 2010, this method cannot apply the three crucial .Shading properties to text.
See: modTblShading.Observation_9

• Works to defined and display a single .BackgroundPatternColor.
• If any .ForegroundPatternColor is applied, with or without a .BackgroundPatternColor, the resulting display is a black background with white text.
• If any .Texture is applied, with or without a .BackgroundPatternColor and/or .ForegroundPatternColor, the resulting display is a black background with no visible text.
• The properties behave as write only. The return value for all three properties is always 0.
• Shading applied to the table's overlaying paragraph style .Font.Shading property will override .Condtion(n).Font.Shading.

Giving Table Styles a Second Chance

See Shauna's:Why I don’t use Custom Table Styles in Microsoft Word 2002 and 2003

At this point, Shauna had thrown in the towel and given up on table styles. I do not intend to contradict anything she expressed in that article as it was based on her observations at the time using an older version of Word.

However, while admittedly table styles remain somewhat "half-baked," given that you understand the importance of the "empty" Normal style and Word's style hierarchy, I think there is some utility with table styles making them worthwhile

The companion Test Document for this Tips Page contains several Macrobutton Fileds to allow you to visualize this behavior.

Table styles are not perfect, but what in Word is? Personally, I can't image a case where I would need to know the returned value a border property or shading property. With that said, and in view of all my observations above, there is really only one issue unresolved, and I am for giving tables styles a second chance. That issue is the stubbornly contrary diagonal borders that can't be properly applied with code. In cases where diagonal borders are required, we will just have to finalize style with the user interface.

How to finalize a "Half-Baked Table Style"

The image below illustrates a table with a half-baked table style applied. The style is developed with VBA. Following the general observations listed above; the table's overlaying paragraph style is the "empty" Normal style.

The following VBA code and comments describes how the table style and table where developed and displayed.

Option Explicit
Private oTbl As Table
Private oStyle As Style
Private oTS As TableStyle
Private oCS As ConditionalStyle
Private strStyleDef As String
Sub CreateHalfBakedTableStyle()
  PrepForHalfBakedDemo
  'Apply font to overall table
  With oStyle
    .Font.Name = "Courier New"
    .Font.Size = 8
    .Font.ColorIndex = wdDarkRed
  End With
  'Apply condition font and paragraph attributes to first row
  With oTS
    'Apply table borders
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderLeft), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorRed
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderRight), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorRed
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderTop), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorRed
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderBottom), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorRed
    'For NWCell bottom and right border to display correctly, table vertical and horizontal borders
    'must be set to a small value.
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderVertical), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth050pt, wdColorRed
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderHorizontal), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth050pt, wdColorRed
     'Apply condition font and paragraph attributes to first row
    .Condition(wdFirstRow).Font.Name = "Arial"
    .Condition(wdFirstRow).Font.Size = "14"
    .Condition(wdFirstRow).Font.Bold = True
    .Condition(wdFirstRow).Font.ColorIndex = wdBlue
    .Condition(wdFirstRow).ParagraphFormat.Alignment = wdAlignParagraphCenter
    .Condition(wdFirstRow).ParagraphFormat.SpaceAfter = 12
  End With
  'Format the NWCell
  Set oCS = oTS.Condition(wdNWCell)
  With oCS
    .Font.ColorIndex = wdWhite
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderLeft), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorBlue
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderRight), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorBlue
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderTop), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorBlue
    BorderDefintion .Borders(wdBorderBottom), wdLineStyleSingle, wdLineWidth100pt, wdColorBlue
  End With
  'You can set a DiagonalDown or a DiagonalUp border, but not both.
  'You can set a limited range of line styles. If you attempt to set an invalid line style, the line style reverts to wdLineStyleSingle
  'You can't set line width. Any attempt raises error. The line width displayed is determined by the current line width set in the Table Design Tab Borders Group or
  'the default line width 1 pt.
  'You can't set a color.  Any attempt results in the border disappearing.
  With oCS.Borders(wdBorderDiagonalDown)
    .LineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle
    On Error Resume Next
    .LineWidth = wdLineWidth075pt 'The line weight applied size applied will = the current width setting in the UI
    If Err.Number <> 0 Then Debug.Print Err.Number & " - " & Err.Description
    On Error GoTo 0
    'Color is fixed as black.  If you try to change, the border disappears.
    .Color = wdColorBrightGreen 'So in practice, don't use this line
    DoEvents
    'Restore the wiped line.
    .LineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle 'In practice, you wouldn't need this line.
  End With
  With oCS.Borders(wdBorderDiagonalUp)
    .LineStyle = wdLineStyleDashDotStroked 'This doesn't work. _
                                            Displays single line/width current width setting in UI.
    .LineStyle = wdLineStyleDashLargeGap 'This works, but width is reset to default line width 1 pt.
    Debug.Print .LineWidth 'Not correct. Always returns -1
    Debug.Print .LineStyle 'Not correct. Always returns 999999 (or undefined)
  End With
  oTbl.ApplyStyleHeadingRows = True
  oTbl.ApplyStyleFirstColumn = True
  'So at this point you only see the DiagonalUp border.  To finish, you must modify the style in the UI.
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub
Sub PrepForHalfBakedDemo()
  On Error Resume Next
  ActiveDocument.Styles("HalfBakedTableStyle").Delete
  On Error GoTo 0
  For Each oTbl In ActiveDocument.Tables
    If oTbl.Title = "Half Baked Table Style Test" Then
      oTbl.Delete
      DoEvents
      Exit For
    End If
  Next
  Set oStyle = ActiveDocument.Styles.Add("HalfBakedTableStyle", wdStyleTypeTable)
  oStyle.BaseStyle = "Table Grid"
  Set oTbl = ActiveDocument.Tables.Add(Selection.Range, 4, 8)
  oTbl.Style = "HalfBakedTableStyle"
  oTbl.Title = "Half Baked Table Style Test"
  Set oTS = oStyle.Table
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub
Sub BorderDefintion(oBorder As Object, Optional LineStyle As WdLineStyle = wdLineStyleSingle, Optional LineWidth As WdLineWidth, _
                 Optional wdColor As wdColor = wdColorAutomatic, Optional Color As Long = -9999)
  On Error Resume Next
  With oBorder
    .LineStyle = LineStyle
    .LineWidth = LineWidth
    If Not Color = -9999 Then
      .Color = Color
    Else
      .Color = wdColor
    End If
  End With
  On Error GoTo 0
lbl_Exit:
  Exit Sub
End Sub

Due to the limitations (bugs) discussed previously and described in the VBA code, it is not possible to fully develop and display both a diagonal up and diagonal down border. We need to finalize this table style definition with the user interface.

Perform the following steps to finalize:

• Select the table
• Select the Table Design tab
• In the Table Styles Gallery, Select the "Half-Baked Table Style"
• Right click and select "Modify Table Style"
• Change the "Apply formatting to" dropdown from "Whole table" to "Top left cell"
• Select the "Format" button (bottom left corner of dialog)
• Select "Borders and Shading" from dropdown
• If not already defined, set the line style, color, and width as shown in image below

• Click both the diagonal up and diagonal down preview icons to set the values they define. Ensure diagonals display in preview.
• Click "OK" button
• Change style name and where styles changes are applied and saved, and click "OK" as shown in image below

That's it. Your fully developed table style is now displayed in the gallery and ready to use.

See: Installing Macros for instructions on how to set up and use the macros provided in this Microsoft Word Help & Microsoft Word Tips page.

Note: This tips page, illustrations and examples were developed using Word 2019.

That's it! I hope you have found this tips page useful and informative.

This page was last updated on June 18, 2026

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