How can I use a right, left or decimal tab in a table?

Question

As soon as I set up a left, right, center or decimal key and then hit the tab key in order to position a number, the cell highlight switches to the next cell and the number does not move to the position desired. I can set a left, right or center position, of course, but I want to have more control over the number's position in the cell. Any ideas? Thank you, Lou

Answer 1

I realise now that once you type numeric data in the cell (aligned with your tab), as soon as you leave the cell, Pages decides what kind of data you have typed and makes its own mind up about how to align it. Your best bet (and mine, since I have been struggling with this behaviour) is to use the Cell Formatting options in the Inspector, and format the data as Currency or Number, with 2 decimal places. Add the Accounting Style tick box and you get the Currency symbol at the far left of the cell and the number at the far right. By resizing the width of the cell you get pretty much the effect you want.
There is also an additional alignment option on the formatting bar at the top when you are in a cell which does 'Auto align table cell based on content'. That might be useful sometimes, too.