Excel table flipping backwards in InDesign

Hi graphiquedesigns,

tested a bit with table direction an InDesign.

Results: In my post above I was wrong.

The arrow that advances a cell selection to the left or to the right is no indication of the table direction.

So you can only do the following:

Run the ExtendScript (JavaScript) script code below on the selected table:

// Set table direction from LEFT to RIGHT:
app.selection[0].tableDirection = TableDirectionOptions.LEFT_TO_RIGHT_DIRECTION;

If that is not working as expected try the opposite with:

// Set table direction from RIGHT to LEFT:
app.selection[0].tableDirection = TableDirectionOptions.RIGHT_TO_LEFT_DIRECTION;

How to save the code to a script file, install the script file and run the script see:

http://www.indiscripts.com/pages/help#hd0sb2

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hi graphiquedesigns,

you could test if the imported table has the wrong table direction in InDesign.

Just select one single cell in the third or fourth column of the table and hit the right-arrow key on your keyboard.

To select a cell, select some text in the cell and hit the Escape key.

EDITED: Wrong assumptions on my side. Sorry.

Does the selection advance to the right?

Then the source table is showing the wrong table direction. Try to solve that issue with the source Excel file.

Does the selection advance to the left?
Then your InDesign table has the wrong table direction.

You can correct that with the ExtendScript (JavaScript) code I gave in that post after selecting the whole table in InDesign:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign/excel-table-flipping-backwards-in-indesign/m-p/10848056#M170668

FWIW: To select the whole table, just select a single cell and then do Select All.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

Hm. Or could it be that the Excel table is already in the wrong table direction?
Because the Excel file comes from an Arabic Excel version perhaps?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

I cannot tell why this happened, but you may try to switch the table back to "normal".

Select your table and
run the following ExtendScript (JavaScript) code on your selected table:

app.selection[0].tableDirection = TableDirectionOptions.LEFT_TO_RIGHT_DIRECTION;

How to save code as a script file, how to install a script file so that you can access it from your Scripts Panel in InDesign:

http://www.indiscripts.com/pages/help#hd0sb2

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

when you select the table

from table panel

left-to-right-table

right-to-left-table

Was a screen shot attached? I don't see it. Does selecting the table and clicking the Flip Horizontal icon in InDesign fix the problem?