I'm loving the added Wireframe template and corresponding shapes in Visio 2010. One thing I can't seem to find though (not in Visio, Office help or using Google) is a good way to draw tabular controls.

The only built-in shape that comes close is a List Box of which I can link several together. However this has several disadvantages as this leaves me without "rows" in my table.

Does anyone have a good suggestion on how to do this? I'd prefer a shape that is aware of the Visio2010 'theme' stuff, but at this point any quick way to draw a grid in a wireframe would be much appreciated.

PS. Searching for shapes on "table" gives me lovely picnic-table-shapes but no usable grids. Searching for "grid" gives me one or two shapes which aren't particularly helpful either.

7 Answers

I find Excel a good way to manage grids in Visio. You can easily add and remove columns, manage formating etc.

In Visio 2010 go to Insert -> Object -> Microsoft Excel Worksheet.

Is was looking for the same and found a way: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/visio-help/using-shapes-to-create-tables-in-visio-HA001182242.aspx

So you have to search in the stencils "Charting shapes" to find the grid. Still not that intuitive to work with, but will do.

Insert->Shapes->More Shapes->Charting Shapes->Grid

If we are looking for Visio Stencils for Grid/Table, a great resource can be downloaded here: http://developer.yahoo.com/ypatterns/about/stencils/

Too bad no one had a solution. I'll mark this response as an answer to my own question then.

The answer to my problem (for so far I could find) in fact then seems to be that you have to work around this omission in Visio by either:

• using linked "List box" shapes
• use one of the (rather crappy) table shapes you can search for and find online
• use a screenshot (or something alike) from another program

If anyone ever lands at this question with a better workaround or even a real solution please be sure to add it.

I use Visio to design wireframes. When I need datagrids or tabular data, I end up using Excel to design a grid with some data and formatting (fonts, size, border, etc.) Then I select the grid in Excel, copy it to clipboard and then Paste Special in Visio and select Image. Not perfect but works for me.

Create the desired table in Excel. Simply copy and paste special as Microsoft Excel Worksheet, and you can then click into it and do whatever you want.

Tip: Color your grid before copying it so that you don't see the Visio gridlines. Looks much nicer on-screen!

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