What is the significance of repeating a row on the top of paper when the header option is available?
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Simple tables leave you to do what you do best — think. There are times that a database, with so much functionality, can feel like a power drill when a screwdriver would actually make doing the job easier. Simple tables let you create columns and rows. Display important text. Add headers. And that’s just about it. Because sometimes, that’s all you need. Here we’ll walk you through a few use cases for simple tables and discuss scenarios in which you might be better off with a database. Simple tables make your notes and documentation richer and easier to read. They let you display plain text visually to help get your point across to readers (or your future self) in a clear and efficient manner. Just like callouts draw attention to text and bullets are used to parse info, simple tables are great for collecting and organizing bits of related information. To add a simple table to your page:
Add a simple table with the slash command menu, then drag outwards to add additional columns and rows. Once your simple table is created — just click into cells, and use the
Read more about simple tables in our help center Display information clearly and conciselyWhen you're looking to distill information in an easy-to-read format, try simple tables. In these instances, databases can feel overwhelming to the reader and the depth of information structure doesn't provide an additional benefit. For example, if you’re reporting metrics in a meeting, you can use a simple table to focus on the data at hand.
Toggle on column and row headers in the options menu How to organize your meeting notes Draw attention to important conceptsSimilarly, you may want to use simple tables in team documentation to emphasize key pieces of information. It can be easier to digest for the reader than other basic blocks, especially when several pieces of information are related. For example, in the case of data reporting you could consider including data definitions for important metrics. Here you could follow the same flow to add a simple table — toggle on the column header option, and start adding content! Simple tables in documentation don't have to be stagnant. Here are just a few features to help keep your work dynamic:
Use the column and row handles to add additional rows and columns, and use the ←→ option to snap your database to page. In both of these use cases, we're just dealing with displaying and reporting information, without the need to further organize, tag, or calculate anything. That's a good way to think about simple tables in general — just the text, none of the fancy stuff. Brainstorm without committing to database structureIn addition to making documents and notes richer, simple tables can be good for ideation before committing to a full database structure. This is great when you want the flexibility to quickly iterate in a discussion or brainstorm, and sets you up to easily convert your information to a database later on. Let's consider the example of planning an offsite for your team — throughout the day you'll have lots of different sessions, speakers, etc. In the long run, this will be a great use case for a database, but when you want to put pen to paper, a simple table is best and here's why:
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Drag and drop rows and columns to restructure information as needed — like for organizing a brainstorm.
Databases add organization and depthThink of simple tables like the collection of post-it notes in your home office — informative for small bits of information, and eye catching — but they don't scale. Simple tables are to post-it notes as databases are to bullet journals and nicely bound planners. Use databases for your projects and tasks, or as repositories for big collections of notes & docs. When to convert a simple table to a databaseWhile simple tables let you quickly visualize information, you should consider converting to a database anytime you are wanting to
filter or sort through said information. To do this, use the Quickly turn any simple table into a database with the "Turn into database" button. In the case of our offsite planning example, you may consider converting your table to a database once all parties have signed off on the schedule, and you're ready to use pages in a database to plan sessions. This will give you tons of additional functionality, including:
Databases can organize tons of information of different types — making them perfect for large, thorny projects like event planning.
Generally speaking, databases are differentiated in that they allow you to open each entry as it's own page, add functional tags (dates, people, URL, and more), create relationships, rollups, and formulas, and display data in different views (lists, timelines, calendars, boards, and galleries). Using databases for note taking? When to start with a databaseWe've got tons of resources detailing database use cases, but generally speaking it's a good idea to skip the simple table altogether when you need to capture multiple, categorical pieces of information about each item, like a sales CRM. Start with a database whenever you need to organize and categorize information, especially if you could benefit from additional views. If you're hoping to create integrations — like with Slack or any 3rd party no-code tool, databases are a better option from the get-go. In the case of the CRM, here's an example integration that automatically adds rows to your database when your team creates a new contact in salesforce. While we won't go into additional detail on these features here, it should be clear that they're the more exhaustive option. Here are some of Notion's favorite database use cases The larger your tool system gets, the more likely it will look like a database. Until then, get started quickly and elegantly with simple tables — and in case you're just looking to produce a beautiful document, simple tables will always be in your toolbox. Why repeat as header row at the top of each page is not working?Make sure that your long table is actually a single table. If it is not, then the header row won't repeat because the table doesn't really extend beyond a single page. The easiest way to determine if you are working with a single table vs. multiple tables is to click somewhere within the table.
Why won't header rows repeat in a Word table?Click into the top row of the table. Click the Table menu, Format. Click the Rows tab, check "Header row (repeats on each page)" Click OK.
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