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carolyn5879
Participant
July 8, 2025
Answered

Importing Tables from a Word Doc Creating Extra Paragraph

When importing a Word document containing tables, an extra paragraph containing the table anchor is added before the tables. How can this be avoided? 

    Bob_Niland
    Bob_NilandCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    July 9, 2025

    How are tables anchored in Word?
    I don't know, but suspect they may be an independent in-flow object.

    In FM, Tables must be anchored to a paragraph, so if not present in the source .doc/x, one presumably gets auto-created.

     

    Just trying it, using LibreOffice Writer to create a .docx, the anchor para just gets assigned the name ¶Normal. I'd suggest creating a new format named TableAnchor, which has the properties desired, perhaps including the negative space-below hack to match a negative space-above in the Table format, providing a run-in layout.

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    5 replies

    FrameMaker-dk
    Community Expert
    FrameMaker-dkCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    July 11, 2025

    It can't be avoided. Word has another way of working with tables compared to FrameMaker. In order to have a table in FrameMaker it HAS to be anchored in its own paragraph. Which is why FrameMaker creates a paragraph for the anchor when you import a word document containing tables.

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    Bjørn Smalbro - FrameMaker.dk
    carolyn5879Author
    Participant
    July 14, 2025

    Thank you, Bjorn. That is what I thought.

    Do you know if there is a way to preserve the table width when the Word document is imported? In the Word document, the table width is 7 inches. When importing into FramceMaker, the table results in only 6 inches wide.

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      FrameMaker-dk
      Community Expert
      FrameMaker-dkCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      July 15, 2025

      Unfortunately you can't apply a table width to a table format. It may be that adjusting the width can be scripted, though. FrameMaker has a column adjustment dialogue, and @frameexpert  may offer a solution for a small script which can address this feature.

       

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      Bjørn Smalbro - FrameMaker.dk
      Bob_Niland
      Community Expert
      Bob_NilandCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
      Community Expert
      July 9, 2025

      How are tables anchored in Word?
      I don't know, but suspect they may be an independent in-flow object.

      In FM, Tables must be anchored to a paragraph, so if not present in the source .doc/x, one presumably gets auto-created.

       

      Just trying it, using LibreOffice Writer to create a .docx, the anchor para just gets assigned the name ¶Normal. I'd suggest creating a new format named TableAnchor, which has the properties desired, perhaps including the negative space-below hack to match a negative space-above in the Table format, providing a run-in layout.

      Translate
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