17.18.57 ST_Merge

This element specifies the way in which a cell shall be included in a merged group of cells (horizontally or vertically) within the parent table.

[Example: Consider a table with three rows and two columns with the last column completely vertically merged:

The second cell in the first row starts a vertical merge that is completed in the last cell, resulting in the following WordprocessingML:

<w:tbl>
  …
  <w:tr>
    <w:tc>
      …
    </w:tc>
    <w:tc>
      …
    </w:tc>
    <w:tc>
      <w:tcPr>
        <w:vMerge w:val="restart"/>
      </w:tcPr>
      …
    </w:tc>
  </w:tr>
  <w:tr>
    <w:tc>
      …
    </w:tc>
    <w:tc>
      …
    </w:tc>
    <w:tc>
      <w:tcPr>
        <w:vMerge w:val="continue"/>
      </w:tcPr>
      …
    </w:tc>
  </w:tr>
  <w:tr>
    <w:tc>
      …
    </w:tc>
    <w:tc>
      …
    </w:tc>
    <w:tc>
      <w:tcPr>
        <w:vMerge w:val="continue"/>
      </w:tcPr>
      …
    </w:tc>
  </w:tr>
</w:tbl>

The val attribute of type ST_Merge on the vMerge element defines the cells that are vertically merged, and how each cell is merged together. end example]

This simple type’s contents are a restriction of the W3C XML Schema string datatype.

This simple type is restricted to the values

listed in the following table:

Enumeration Value

Description

Specifies that the current cell continues a previously existing merged group of cells in the parent table.

If the previous cell in the document (horizontally or vertically) does not either begin or continue a set of merged cells, then this value shall be ignored (i.e. a group of merged cells shall start with a merge whose ST_Merge value is restart).

Specifies that the current cell starts (or restarts) a group of merged cells in the parent table.

After this value, all following cells which have a value of continue shall be merged into this merged cell group.

[Note: The W3C XML Schema definition of this simple type’s content model (ST_Merge) is located in A.1. end note]