How to convert a bulleted list to a table in Confluence 4

Sunday, 20 November 2011 02:01

This happens to me so often: I create a list on a Confluence page, and then discover that I need to add another layer of information to each item in the list. It should be a table! How can I convert it? Thank you Jay Rogers for discovering and sharing this tip.

In Confluence 4.0, to convert a bulleted list to a table:

Copy the list.
Paste into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. Excel will treat each bullet and line feed as a separate row.
Select and copy the cells in Excel.
Paste them into the Confluence editor. Voilà!

This trick works in Confluence 4.0, but not in Confluence 3.5. It works with Microsoft Excel, but not with a Google Docs spreadsheet, nor with a Zoho spreadsheet. It is worth trying with other spreadsheet applications, if you happen to have one lying around. Let us know what happens!

Here it is in pictures. Click the images to see an expanded screenshot. Here is a list in the Confluence 4.0 editor: