Keyboard shortcut to move columns in WORD table

To move lines in a WORD table up and down I use Shift + Alt + Up/Down.

Is there a similar way to move columns in a table to the left or to the right?

I've searched many advice sites but couldn't find a reference to this (the advice is usually to drag and drop or to cut and paste etc). It doesn't appear in the relevant Microsoft site, but since the keys to move lines up and down aren't mentioned directly either (the combination Shift + Alt + Up is only mentioned for moving paragraphs in text) -

I'm still keeping a little flame of hope that such a thing does exist... Anyone?

1 Answer

This can be done with standard keyboard shortcuts, cutting and pasting, so not the same as moving column by column like with the rows, but still affective and quick:

1. Select the entire column you want to move
2. Press Ctrl+X, this removes the column from the table and copies it to the Clipboard
3. Move the insertion point to the beginning of the top cell of the column before which you want to place the column you just cut
4. Press Ctrl+V

Alternatively you can do the same via dragging and dropping:

1. Select the entire column that you want to move
2. Click on the highlighted column, and hold down the left mouse button. Shortly the pointer should change to a “ghost” insertion point with a small box next to the pointer arrow
3. Drag the column to the place where you want it to be. You should position the insertion point in the column before which your movedcolumn will appear.
4. Release the mouse button, the column is now moved