Compensating for tabs and leader dots when converting to HTML

Report · Sep 24, 2009

A FrameMaker document contains a series of "tables" which are actually very long lists. They have the appearance of a TOC: a text phrase, a long line of leader dots, a tab, and a numeral at the end of the dots.

Since the tabs and leader dots vanish when converting to HTML, what might I do to either reconstruct the missing dots or re-create the look of a table for these lists?

Thanks,

Karen

Report · Sep 24, 2009

Hello Karen,

There is no way to automatically replace the tabs or leaders. During the conversion all of the information is completely stripped away, leaving no trace of it in the html code. In my documents I typically set them up like this:

In FM

Test Switch[colon][space] …………………..OFF

Test Switch: …………………..OFF

When converted to html

Test Switch: OFF

There is another, but more difficult way to keep your tabs and leaders somewhat intact, by the use of tables. If you put the data in a table you can keep the information separated by columns and rows. Also you must manual put periods or dashed instead having FM do it. When this is converted to html the data will remain in the tables. By removing the borders of the tables in FM it will appear clean, however; once you convert it to html you’ll see the borders again. You can either leave it this way or control the table properties by a CSS.

I’m not sure how my examples will show on the Adobe Forum, but I put them in.

In FM

Test Switch

…………………..

OFF

In FM without borders

Test Switch

…………………..

OFF

When converted to html

Test Switch

…………………..

OFF

When converted to html with CSS

Test Switch

…………………..

OFF

I hope this helps

JE