Table Continuation variable space

[jenniferr59561502]

Hello, looking for a little advice! I understand this is probably a limitation of framemaker but hoping maybe someone else has dealt with something like this or has an idea that I am not thinking of.

Per the customer’s format: 

Table titles end with a period and when a table rolls to another page the period appears at the end of Continued. The inserted variable is showing as a character space which isn’t what we want. Is there another way to close this space (see red arrow below)? 

(And this isn’t something that we can suggest to the customer to change their style and location of the period or to nix it all together, as we are not in control of the publication just providing supplements to their existing manual. I don’t think they are using FrameMaker to author in either. Currently were are splitting the table and handling the formatting manually.)

Thank you all!

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

What version of FM? Can you turn on the text symbols to give a clearer view of what's in that table title?

[jenniferr59561502]

Framemaker 2020 version 16.0.2.916

[frameexpert · Accepted solution]

This is a basic limitation of FrameMaker; it puts a non-breaking space on the first page of the Table Continuation variable. I have tried to figure out a workaround over the years, but still haven't been able to.

[jenniferr59561502]

ok thank you, glad to know it has messed with someone elses brain too. 🙂

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Cool - I've never noticed that.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Where is the period coming from...the Table Continuation variable?

Does your style guide require a period at the end of table titles?

[jenniferr59561502]

The period is typed in and a requirement of the customer's currect style guide.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Sorry, only 3 options I can see:

• Break into separate tables with different title tags to manage first and subsequent table sheets
• Break into separate tables with manually typed numbering and continuation info
• Change the style guide

Ugh, a lot of work for a tiny little punctuation mark!

[jenniferr59561502]

Agreed. Yeah, currently were are splitting the table and handling the formatting manually. I'd love to change the style but we are just providing supplemental information and so that is not our call or a topic point up for discussion.

[yatani]

There is one way I came up with.

Create three types of character formats.
chafmt1, character spacing: -70%
chafmt2, color: white, character spacing: -12%, character width 200%
chafmt3, default

Edit the Table Continuation variable as follows.
<chafmt1> <chafmt2>.<default>- Continued.
*There is a space between <chafmt1> and <chafmt2>.

Insert "Table Continuation" variable at the end of table title
Example: Title of the Table.[Table Continuation]

The idea is to just put a white period on top of the previous one to make it look like it's disappearing.
Hopefully it should look like the screenshot.

When converting to HTML etc., unnecessary periods will appear, so please be careful in the final output.

[frameexpert]

Brilliant!

[jenniferr59561502]

Luv it! gonna try this out! thank you!!