Working with tabbed lists
In this topic, we will create and adjust a tabbed list, create an aligned tabbed list, and learn how to delete or replace list tabs. When you press the Tab key on the keyboard, the computer automatically jumps to a certain position on the page. This position is termed the tab stop position and is automatically set to jump at 1.27-cm intervals when pressing the Tab key on the keyboard.
Sometimes, you may need to create a wider or smaller gap between tabs. Tabs are great to line up lists of things on a page. The default alignment of tabs is set to left-align. On the ruler bar, you have access to different tab types, which aids the user in lining up text.
The following is an example of why we need to use tabbed lists to line up text. We should never use spaces to line up items in a list as this would be a disaster if we decided to change the font face or font size, as the list would all jumble up.
Let's look at the following example:
This list does not look professional as the Subject tab has pushed the text over too far. Therefore, we need to adjust the tab spacing so that we are able to align our list correctly. From the following screenshot, you will see that the tabs are indicated by arrows pointing to the right. These are visible only when the Show/Hide icon is selected to show markers in your document:
Every time the Tab key on the keyboard is pressed, an arrow appears in the document as a tab marker. Let's learn how to correct the list so that it lines up correctly, by following these steps:
- Highlight the list.
- Move your mouse to the 3 cm mark on the ruler and click.
- A left tab marker appears on the ruler and the list is now in line, as illustrated in the following screenshot:
