Tools such as Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel contain a number of formatting options for building tables.  When using Excel, it is possible to use conditional formatting to shade every other row (or every n^th row) of a data table.  By using the AutoFormat capabilities of Word, a similar option is available. 

Here's one approach: Create your data table as you normally would. Be sure the insertion point is within the table. Under the Table menu, select Table AutoFormat.  This will display the Table AutoFormat dialog box. Under the Table Styles list, choose one that uses shading on the table rows. Click Apply to apply the format to the table. This method for formatting is "smart," meaning that the row shading will automatically adjust if you decide to add or remove rows.  This leads to another approach for formatting a table.
	Styles have been available in Word for years.  The capability for building a table using the Style feature is fairly new.  This will allow you to define a table Style to automatically apply shading to either the even or the odd rows.  Try following these steps to utilize this approach: Under the Format menu, choose Styles and Formatting.  Word will display the Styles and Formatting task pane. In the task pane, click New Style to open the New Style dialog box. In the Properties section, give your Style a name. From the Style Type drop-down list, choose Table.  This will default Table Normal in the Style Based On section. Under the Apply Formatting To drop down list, choose Odd Row Stripes or Even Row Stripes depending on your preference. The rows can now be formatted using the controls in the dialog box. Click OK.

You are now able to create a table using your Style.  This Style is also "smart" so the shading will adjust automatically when rows are added or deleted.
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