Adding text between existing tables, and/or inserting text between tables

[Susan305351693t3o]

Hello again,

Thank you all for your help here.

I have another question.

How do you insert text or insert a new table between existing tables that are right on top of each other in a flow?

In Word, you simply hit a carriage return outside of the table. In FrameMaker, it's a mystery.

Here's what I've got.

The red rectangle shows the tiny space between the two tables where I want to insert text. But there is no way to do it, it seems. I'd also like to insert another table in that space.

How do I do this?

[Bob_Niland]

It looks like the Table anchors are run-together on the same line of text.

Turn on Text Symbols.
Navigate to that hosting text line, or just above it.
Type some wide character, such as M, then →, and repeat until past the last Table.

Insert a [Return] in between ┴ symbols.
Clean up the Ms.

Now, there is a chance that this could be harder than usual to do, if some prior author used the negative-spacing trick.

[Susan305351693t3o]

Hi Bob,

Not sure I understand.

Text symbols are on in the document already. There is no text between the tables, so there would be no line of hosting text to select. I want to put text between the tables and don't know how to separate them so that I can do that.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

If it's only 1 table and you want to place some paragraph text between the rows of the table, you have to either split the table into two parts OR add a new row above/below the desired insertion point and enter your text within the row. You probably want to break it up into 2 tables. 

[Bob_Niland]

re: There is no text between the tables…

That's because both Table anchors are likely in the line above the top table (or under it or even on the previous page). There's nothing between the rendered Tables to see or select.
You can also use a [→] [Return] series to try to parse it.

[Susan305351693t3o]

I hit "return" after the table anchor, which was located in the headline about the set of 4 tables. The paragraph mark landed after the last table (there are four of them total).

I still can't insert any text/other tables between the tables.

I guess my only option is to cut and paste each table around the paragraph mark that resulted from hitting "return?"

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Can you post a screenshot of what you get when you select the "upside-down T" icon - does it select all the table rows or does it stop some place? I ask because you can "stuff" a bunch of the anchors on top of each other & it doesn't look like there are separate tables there at all unless you tease them apart with spaces.

[Susan305351693t3o]

It seems to select all of the table rows:

[Bob_Niland]

re: It seems to select all of the table rows:

Then it sounds like it's one table, with some ruling & shading that has made it look like it's two.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Yup, I think Bob's right there - that looks like one table. In that case, as a quickie method to split it up, I'll copy that highlighted table & paste it at the next paragraph mark after the table (repeat again if you want to insert a table in-between). Now I've got a cloned copy & I can kill rows off the first table to make it appear with all the content up to the "break", add my text & new table if I want, then edit the copies to include whatever should follow after the break.

[Susan305351693t3o]

Thank you.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools · Accepted solution]

Another way to confirm a single table is to Ctrl+triple click within a table cell. The entire table will select.

Along with Ctrl+double click near the boundaries of a cell can help you select rows and columns as well.

[Susan305351693t3o]

Thank you. I did the CNTRL triple click and it looks like it's all different tables instead of one table as was suggested earlier in this thread. 

So the question, once again is, is there a way to insert text between the individual tables? Is it possible that all four individual tables are "reporting" to that one anchor, or does each table have to have its own anchor?

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools · Accepted solution]

They have separate anchors, but as noted above, the can "stack" visually in your doc.

Place your cursor before the anchor, then use the right cursor key to move one position to the right. Insert a return after the anchor to drop the 2nd anchor to the next line.

(I think Jeff recommended something similar above)
Repeat as needed for your series of stacked anchors.

(Bob recommended inserting an M (the "standard" wide character in between the anchors, which spreads them out. This is great for diagnostics, as he'll certainly add, but won't allow you to type in between tables.)

Once the anchors are on their own line, you can add content (text, space, whatever) between the tables and you can select each table anchor individually.

NOTE: The same thing happens with markers, and combinations of markers and anchors...separating them with either spaces or returns will help to identify and select them.

You can also use the Find/Change to search for and select each marker/anchor individually, even while they are stacked.

[Susan305351693t3o]

Thank you so much Matt! This is SO helpful!

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Awesome! If any of this helps, mark one or more of these as a correct answer for your issue.