to set how the color alternates in the table. You can decide not to have the color alternate or choose to have the color alternate for every other row or every two, three, or four rows. Top row: Choose options from the this group of menus to set attribute values for the top row (header) of the table. Options include setting the alignment of every cell in the row, setting the text style for every cell in the row, setting the background color of the row, and setting the color of text in the row. Left col: Choose options from these two menus to set the alignment and text style for the initial column in the table. Table: Border: Enter a numeric value in this text box to set the border size in pixels for the table. Table: Apply all attributes to TD tags instead of TR tags: As a matter of convenience and code minimization, alignment and background color attributes are set for the table's row (<tr>). You can opt to have these attributes and attribute values set for every cell as opposed to each row by enabling this check box. To demonstrate the look and feel that the Format Table command has, I'll select the AltRows:Earth Colors option from the Style list and click Apply. The table in the Document window is formatted to appear similar to the preview. Because we're fairly limited in the styles we can use with the Format Table dialog, I'll opt to Cancel out of the Format Table dialog and choose the Undo Table option from the Edit menu (or press Ctrl+Z). Now that you have an idea how the Format Table command works, let's move directly into formatting the table manually using the Properties Inspector. The Properties Inspector gives us much more flexibility for customization. Modifying Table Properties Using the Properties Inspector Although the Format Table command is certainly a useful option, it is limited in the styles it supports. For more precise formatting of tables, it's essential that you become familiar with the options exposed by the table-based Properties Inspector. Shown in Figure 6.8, the table-based Properties Inspector becomes available when the table is selected. Figure 6.8. Format table attributes from the table-based Properties Inspector. [View full size image]   The table-based Properties Inspector allows you to customize the following attributes (moving from left to right): ID Rows and Columns Width and Height Cell Padding and Cell Spacing Alignment Border CSS Class Clear Column Widths or Heights Convert Table Widths or Heights to Pixels Convert Table Widths or Heights to Percent Background Color Background Image Border Color To demonstrate the use and functionality of these attributes and formatting options, let's rebuild the main page (index.htm) of the Dorknozzle site. If you haven't done so already, you can download the files for this chapter from www.dreamweaverunleashed.com. You'll want to save the files for Chapter 6 in an easy-to-find location. I'll place mine in C:\Dorknozzle\Chapter06.