Is there a more reliable way to determine if two rows are in the same column?

Hi ​@dublove, `horizontalOffset` is for Character, not Cell. Here is a script to show you how to analyze the cells position.

—Mark

/**
 * @file Show Column and TextFrame or Selected Cells.js
 * @author m1b
 * @version 2026-05-07
 * @discussion https://community.adobe.com/questions-671/is-there-a-more-reliable-way-to-determine-if-two-rows-are-in-the-same-column-1560600?tid=1560600
 */
(function () {

    var doc = app.activeDocument;
    var cells = doc.selection[0];

    if (!cells || 'Cell' !== cells.constructor.name)
        return alert('Please select one or more cells and try again.');

    // get all the selected cells
    cells = cells.cells.everyItem().getElements()

    var message = 'Selected Cells';

    for (var i = 0; i < cells.length; i++) {

        var cell = cells[i];
        var columnIndex = cell.columns.firstItem().index;
        var rowIndex = cell.rows.firstItem().index;
        var parentTextFrame = getParentTextFrame(cell);

        message += '\n Column ' + columnIndex
            + ' | Row ' + rowIndex
            + ' | Frame ID ' + (parentTextFrame || {}).id;

    }

    alert(message);

    /**
     * Return a row's parent text frame.
     *
     * Notes:
     *
     * (1) Getting the parent text frame of an overset cell is a
     *     challenge because there are no insertion points. Here I
     *     add a zero-width space as the first character so at least
     *     the first insertionPoint will now reside in the text frame.
     *
     * (2) Another complication is a bug where indesign will
     *     display the incorrect height for an autogrowing, overflowing
     *     cell, and place the cell in the wrong parent text frame.
     *     (See explanation here: https://community.adobe.com/t5/indesign-discussions/how-can-get-parenttextframe-of-a-cell-was-overflow/m-p/14030313
     *
     * (3) If your use case is such that returning `undefined` when the
     *     cell|row is overset is acceptable, then pass `false` to the
     *    `evenWhenCellIsOverset` parameter. This will be much faster.
     *
     * @author m1b
     * @version 2025-04-05
     *
     * @param {Cell|Row} row - an Indesign Table Row or Cell.
     * @param {Boolean} [evenWhenCellIsOverset] - whether to find the parent text frame of an overset cell (default: true).
     * @returns {TextFrame}
     */
    function getParentTextFrame(row, evenWhenCellIsOverset) {

        if (!row.isValid)
            return;

        if (
            false === evenWhenCellIsOverset
            && row.hasOwnProperty('texts')
        )
            // the quick way; will return `undefined` if the cell is overset
            return row.texts[0].parentTextFrames[0];

        if (row.constructor.name == 'Cell')
            row = row.rows[0];

        var cells = row.cells;
        var rowTextFrameIDs = {};
        var rowTextFrame;
        var parentTextFrames = row;

        // find the text frames of the row
        while (
            !parentTextFrames.hasOwnProperty('parentStory')
            || undefined == parentTextFrames.parent
        )
            parentTextFrames = parentTextFrames.parent;

        if (!parentTextFrames.hasOwnProperty('parentStory'))
            return;

        parentTextFrames = parentTextFrames.parentStory.textContainers;

        for (var i = 0; i < cells.length; i++) {

            var cell = cells[i];

            // insert zero-width space to expose first
            // insertion point in case where cell is overset
            cell.insertionPoints[0].contents = '\u200B';

            if (cell.insertionPoints[0].parentTextFrames.length > 0)
                // store the parent frame index of this cell
                rowTextFrameIDs[cell.insertionPoints[0].parentTextFrames[0].id] = true;

            // clean up
            cell.characters[0].remove();

        }

        // match it to the *last-most* parentTextFrame to ensure
        // that the entire row returns the same (correct) text frame
        parentFrameLoop:
        for (var j = parentTextFrames.length - 1; j >= 0; j--) {
            if (rowTextFrameIDs[parentTextFrames[j].id] == true) {
                rowTextFrame = parentTextFrames[j];
                break parentFrameLoop;
            }
        }

        if (
            rowTextFrame != undefined
            && rowTextFrame.isValid
        )
            return rowTextFrame;

    };

})();