FM2020 Numbering > Format > Building Block > \t different in HTML and PDF

[defaultmdgbu8fseg0r]

Hi,
In FM2020 (16.0.3), it seems that \t is interpreted differently in HTML than in PDF.
In PDF the formatting is as expected, in HTML the tab size seems to be larger. This has the effect of changing the alignment of the paragraph styles that follow the list-type (numbered and non-numbered) paragraph styles. It is especially noticeable when using list-type paragraph styles in tables.
Removing \t from the format of the list-type paragraph styles and trying to use, for example, a couple of spaces, and then updating the following paragraph styles, means that the spacing becomes absolute rather than relative, and even more of a mess.
This was not an issue in FM2019.
Please see the attached images for an illustration of what's happening.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Is the CSS being used in FM2020 the same as in FM2019? That would be the first thing I'd check.

[defaultmdgbu8fseg0r]

We don't touch the css, we use what's supplied in FM2019 or FM2020, so I guess that's one for Adobe to respond to.

[Bob_Niland]

What in the CSS would control that?

HTML has no concept of tab spacing. If an HTML stream contains an actual U+0009(␉), it's just treated as white space.

Casually testing Publish output to Basic HTML for a default portrait doc (in FM2020), what gets emitted between the bullet and the text is
[    ]
That's 3×  and one ordinary space. As I don't use FM to output HTML, I don't know what might control that. I might actually have expected to see a series of  , repeat-count varying based on font metrics in the source document.

What's in a PDF isn't a tab either (as presented in Adobe Acrobat). Looking at a file I already had, it copies out as an ordinary space, although I suspect the rendering to PDF uses precise font metrics to acheive the desired source tab spacing.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

I get that, but you should confirm that they are identical first before contacting Adobe (you know that this forum isn't contacting Adobe, right?). For that you need to see https://helpx.adobe.com/contact/enterprise-support.other.html#framemaker for your Adobe Support options. I'd recommend using the tcssup@adobe.com e-mail address as it reaches a team dedicated to Technical Communication Suite products including FrameMaker.

[defaultmdgbu8fseg0r]

Ah, thanks Jeff! I will take your advice and look at both the FM2019 css and FM2020 css, if they are the same I'll try contacting Adobe in the way you've suggested. I appreciate you giving me a thread to follow.

[defaultmdgbu8fseg0r]

So, I've had a look and there are 127 CSS files in the FM2019 directory and 157 in the FM2020 directory. I really have no idea which of these I should be looking at but I did take a look at the stylesheet.css for both and they looked identical to this untrained eye.

With Bob questioning how a CSS might impact the HTML, I think I'll try chatting to Adobe Support to see what they say.

[frameexpert]

If you right-click on one of the bullet paragraphs in your browser, you should be able to "Inspect" it. Most browsers will show you where the CSS is for the element you are inspecting. If you need help with this, please contact me offlist. rick at frameexpert dot com.

[defaultmdgbu8fseg0r]

Update: This has now been triaged by Adobe Support and I've been invited to raise it as a bug, which I've done. So, if this problem is affecting you (or if you just hate wonky indentation) and you'd like to see it resolved, please vote for it here.