Table with Text on Multiple Pages

[satishmen]

We are facing the issue of inserting a lengthy code in a Framemaker table.

Is there an option to split the table automatically to multiple pages.

i.e. After generating the pdf with multiple pages, and if I copy the code, then it must copy only the code and not the other contents of the pdf, like headers, footers, dates and other variables.

Thanks in advance.

[Winfried Reng]

Hi,

No. FrameMaker will not automatically split tables into separate rows. It leaves the control to you.

If you want to have your code in several rows, then you have to do this manually. Or write an ExtendScript script or pay someone to do this for you.

It's not clear to me what you mean with header, footer of a PDF.

Best regards, Winfried

[satishmen]

Thank for your reply, Winfried Reng

To describe the issue in details, I am attaching two images:

1. First Image contains an SQL Script Code which is more than a page. (CodeExceedingMainPage.png)

2. Second Image contains pdf with code selected. In this we can see that the pdf variables are also copied.

Required Solution: I want to copy the contents of a code which spans multiple pages.

Possible solution: Create a Text Table which spans across pages. But how do we do it?

[Winfried Reng]

Hm. When this code spans more than one page, and you select the code on the first and the following pages, you will always select also the footer and the header text.

If you put the code into a table, and the table continues on a second page, it's the same.

I could imagine something, where you put the code in a second column with 2 PT and white. Then you could add something like "Copy code here". You would have to test, if your readers would understand.

You could also ask on the Acrobat forum, if someone would write a script for you, so that you have a button next to the table which copies the invisible code.

[frameexpert]

Are you creating the PDF from FrameMaker and distributing it so people can copy/paste the code? One way to do this is to use a master page for the code that doesn't have headers and footers.

[satishmen]

Thank you very much for your reply!

Yes, you are correct! 

We will be distributing the code to our clients.

BTW, we have to use trh standard Frame Maker template.

Let's not consider it a a code. Let us assume I have written a long story in Framemaker and it's spanning multiple pages. I then generate a pdf. Now when I copy from pdf all the headers and footers of the template are also copied with my story.

How must we add the story text in Framemaker and generate the pdf,, By which only the story will be copied from the pdf.

[K.Daube]

Yes, copying from PDF indlucdes the whole page contents...

As far as I know it is possible to include/attach any file to a PDF. This could be a text file with the code.

[Winfried Reng · Accepted solution]

Good idea. Yes. You can also append a text file (or another format) with the code to the PDF. But you have to educate your readers that they find the appended files. And you should check, how this looks like in non-Acrobat viewers.

[satishmen]

Yes. I have shared the document with the attachment. However, educating the customer is slightly difficult. They are rigid to have the code or story directly in the pdf.

Many years back I could have done it by setting the table size. But now I am not able to do it or do not remember how to do it.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Why does your code/story need to be in a table?

[satishmen]

Good question.

Not necessarily the code in a table.

I can directly have it on the page with a normal tag.

But the bigger problem here is, I want the reader to directly to copy only the code or story, if the ' content spans multiple pages. 

And, it must not copy any other variable in the pdf.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

I suggest storing the code snippets in attachments that your user can access via a link in the PDF.

Here's the feature video I made that describes the Embed PDF and Attach PDF options.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-4EBRlCsjw

[satishmen]

This is a client requirement. For saftey reasons client wants only pdf without any attachments. They want to copy it directly from the pdf. No attachments are encouraged.

[Bob_Niland]

For text blocks that aren't terribly large, another hack is to include it all as a small table or inset at 2.0pt (which is the smallest point size that FM routinely supports without further hacks). There might need to be some larger lead-off text saying copy-all-from-here.

[satishmen]

The code spans 12 A4 size pages. Due to some strict regulations by authorities, the pdf is is the only source. And attachments are not supported. Some of the authorities are opening in pdf in browsers. So they are not seeing the attachments.

Full of restrictions, and I am unable how to do this.

[frameexpert]

With these restrictions, I would suggest making a master page with no headers and footers. Apply this master page to all of the pages that has the content that needs to be copied. When the user selects the text that needs to be copied, there won't be any header or footer content that will become part of the selection.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Looks like your solution is to NOT put the code block in a table, shrink it to the smallest size visible and include "Copy from here" instructions.