little FrameMaker table question
McLauchlan, Kevin
I have an annoying table-break problem.
I dusted off FrameMaker 7.1 (we've been getting away from FrameMaker
docs, so saw no need to upgrade) to create a little QuickStart Guide,
based on one that I produced for several years.
It's essentially four tables.
The first table is a checklist of Common Criteria satisfying questions
about the integrity (security, tampering, order/shipping paper trail,
etc.) of the product as received by customer. It fills the first page.
No problem.
The second table is a pictorial list of the items the customer should
have received in the package. It fills the second page. No problem.
The third is a two-column set of text-and-picture instructions for
quickly getting going with the product. It extends to four pages, even
though there's more than enough room on three pages. Problem.
The fourth is a few troubleshooting pointers. Less than a page. No
problem.
The problem with the getting-started instruction table is that steps
1-through-6 appear on the first page of that table, and steps
7-through-10 appear on the next page, but the third page of the table
has only steps 11 and 12 (a single table row), and the fourth (final)
page of the table has only steps 13 and 14 (again, a single table row).
In both the latter cases, the empty space below the single row is nearly
twice the space occupied by the table row.
I can't find anything that tells the table to break off a single row for
each of two pages. Nor can I see anything that makes the first two pages
of the table behave differently (i.e., the way I expect them to). As far
as I'm concerned, the third page of the table should have two rows,
steps 11-and-12 and steps 13-and-14, with no break between, followed by
plenty of empty space - in other words, there doesn't seem to be an
available-space reason for the break. In the table designer, I had
"Orphan Rows" at 2, but changing that made no difference. Not that
orphan rows had any reason to be invoked regardless...
I even tried using Table > Row format... > Keep with: Next Row for the
step 11-12 row and Table > Row format... > Keep with: Previous Row for
the 13-14 row, but no joy. All rows are set to the default "Start Row:
Anywhere".
The break happened sometime while I was moving stuff around in the table
and briefly had some extra rows. After I deleted the extra rows and
saved, and the document re-paginated, the unwanted split between the
last two rows was there, and I can't see how to get rid of it and
combine them back onto a single page - where there is PLENTY of room for
them, plus another row if I needed. Other than that awkward split, with
vast empty spaces below the single table rows on the two pages, the
document looks fine
This'll be some simple thing that I'm overlooking due to being out of
practice with FM. The original document would have been created with FM
6-point-something.
Anybody got a suggestion (other than subscribing to the Framers list
again) for this one little glitch?
Thanks,
Kevin
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Mike Starr
your only copy, did you?), and copy the original table.
Now go back to your new version, delete the table that's giving you
trouble and paste in the version from the original document. Now try
making your changes again and see what happens.
Mike
McLauchlan, Kevin
> I'd say open another copy of the original document (you didn't modify
> your only copy, did you?), and copy the original table.
>
> Now go back to your new version, delete the table that's giving you
> trouble and paste in the version from the original document. Now try
> making your changes again and see what happens.
>
> Mike
Mike's brute-force approach worked. Thanks.
Now I'm going to see if I can decipher the easiest way to import or
reproduce this document in OpenOffice. :-)
Dori Green
Just a quick note to say I'm signing off for a few weeks to have some
surgery and spend some time offline while I recuperate and rehabilitate.
Play nice while I'm gone!
Dori Green
Sam Beard
Best of luck with the surgery! I hope everything turns out well and
enjoy your time off while recuperating!
Samuel I. Beard, Jr.
Technical Writer
OI Analytical
979 690-1711 Ext. 222
sbe...@oico.com
Hello, All!
Dori Green
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Lauren
> Hello, All!
>
> Just a quick note to say I'm signing off for a few weeks to have some
> surgery and spend some time offline while I recuperate and
> rehabilitate.
> Play nice while I'm gone!
No! And we're going to spam you, too.
Okay, maybe not. Good luck with your surgery. I do have a suggestion with
a story, however.
I had surgery last March and I was a daily coffee drinker. I told the
anesthesiologist that I wanted something to keep me from getting a headache
from caffeine withdrawals. I was put under at noon and woke up at 5 PM.
The surgery was only 90 minutes but it takes awhile to wake up.
I remember feeling marvelous, but with a little pain that I didn't care
about. I had mentioned to the nurses when I checked in that I couldn't be
near any smokers as I was very allergic to them. I was put in a room and I
smelled smokers, so I complained to the nurse about it. Apparently I was
loud and my neighbor yelled at me through her curtain. One of her visitors,
probably her son, also yelled at me. My family was silent and confused.
My neighbor had the TV remote and was flipping through stations. Judge Judy
was on, "I like Judge Judy," I said. "I hate Judge Judy," she yelled back
and then she switched the channel to Seinfeld. Nurses came in and promptly
moved me to a room without a roommate. Around 11:00 PM, I was moved again.
The nurse said that they had some people coming up from the ER and they
didn't want me to be disturbed so they were going to move me down the hall.
"You're going to leave me in the hallway?" I asked. "No. We're moving you
to a private room."
I found out at that my anesthesiologist put caffeine in with my morphine to
keep me from having a headache. Yay. I wish that I had the anti-nausea
patch, too, so that I could continue the morphine for a little while longer.
That was fun.
For what ever reason, I quit drinking coffee everyday after that and now I
just have white tea in the morning.
So for surgery recovery, I recommend morphine with caffeine and anti-nausea
medication. Be annoying to get a private room at no extra charge. And keep
a positive attitude. Surgery is not a vacation, but it doesn't need to be
*that* miserable.
Lauren
Cheryl Dwyer
A few thoughts on FM tables... You said that you changed the orphan rows/keep with next/keep with previous options in the table designer and row format dialog boxes, but did you also try fiddling with these options in the paragraph designer as well?
Check the Table>Row Format>Start Row field and the Table Designer>Pagination>Start field to make sure neither is set to Top of Column or Top of Page... should be set to Anywhere.
Have you tried adding a row beneath the row containing step 12 to see if it will remain on page 3?
Good luck!
Cheryl Dwyer
Lead Tech Writer
Industrial Medium, Inc.
McLean, VA 22102