Title/Heading/Row-Align Multi-Column Tables

[Bob_Niland]

File under: Frame Annoyances, with a limited hacky work-around

In the two-column format we commonly work in, we often need a table that is column-wide, but may flow into multiple colums.

The problem is that the continuation heading (and TableTitle, if used), never align with the starting heading/title. This is because the continuations start at top of column, whereas the table itself starts (by "Anywhere" default) below the anchor line (presumed to be "In Column" for this discussion)..

OK, what if we change Table > Table Designer [Basic] Start to:

• Top of Column: Oops, that becomes top of next column, leaving the anchor text column-widowed (but it gave me an idea).
• Top of Page: Oops, that becomes top of next page, leaving the anchor text page-widowed.
• Float: No effect

OK, what if we change the anchor text Format > Paragraph > Para Designer [Pagination] Format to:

• [Pagination] Across All Columns (AAC): Oops, table appears only in left column on all pages, or;
• [Basic] Space & Line Spacing, including negative values, appears to have no effect. Using a tiny font only minimizes the problem, and doesn't cure it.

I thought I had figured out how to solve this at one time, but could not recall it. I'm posting this in part to solicit some simpler solution. Web searching found only one solid candidate solution, and it was, of course, 404. Perhaps Frame versions later than the FM7/Win and FM7.1/Unix that I routinely use have enhancements to address this.

We normally just sidestep the problem by using an AAC format and a table that spans the page, with a fake center gutter, simulating a multi-column flow. But in a recent case, I wanted a real single-column-wide table of variable length (due to conditional rows and expected future growth), but I wanted the headings to align across columns. The table did fit on a single page, which is a limitation of the following hack.

Hack: This example presumes a normal 2-column page text frame that is 7.5in wide with a 0.24in gutter (3.63in columns), and table that needs no more than one page. It works for 3- and 4-column layouts as well.

1. Use an AAC anchored frame text line.
2. Create a full page width (7.5in) anchored frame (which can be Below, Top of Col, as desired).
3. Create a text frame inside the anchored frame. This frame is:
   one more than your standard page (3-column for this example)
   Same gutter size (0.24in for this example).
   Initially draw the text frame to fit inside the the anchored frame, so you can easily grab it.
4. Make sure the default (anchored table) paragraph format of the first column is "In Column".
5. Use Graphics > Object Properties to adjust the inside text frame:
   Set Width: to your standard text frame total width plus 1 column and 1 gutter (11.37in for this example).
   Set Offsets: to 0 and 0 (this will push the rightmost column out of sight for the moment).
6. Insert your table at the anchored table text of the inside text frame.
7. In Table Designer, set Start: to Top of Column (this pushes the start of table to column 2).
8. Select the internal text frame again.
   Set Offset From: Left: to negative one column + one gutter (-3.87in for this example).
9. The table now appears to start in page column one, and flows to additional columns with heading alignment.

This worked perfectly for my recent requirement. In fact, I used a 3-column layout (4 actual) for the text frame inside the anchored frame. Some math is required, sorry .

[Mike Wickham]

I'm not sure if I followed that correctly, but if I read it right, you

have a single-column table that spans multiple columns, and the issue is

that the first column does not butt up against the top of the text

frame, while the additional columns do. You want the table in all

columns to butt up against the top of the text frame so that they are even.

If that is the case, the solution is this:

1. Create a paragraph format called "TableAnchor" in the Paragraph

Designer. Assign it with a negative Space Below of -12.0 pt, "Fixed"

line spacing, "Start Anywhere.," "In Column." Assign the font size as

12.0 pt.

2. Create your table format. Give it a Space Above of 12.0 pt.

3. Then, always insert your table into its own, empty TableAnchor

paragraph. You will get the alignment you seek.

NOTES: Anywhere I said "12.0 pt," you can use a different font size-- as

long as you use the same number in each place. You may also want to

create a TableAnchorAAC paragraph format, which is identical except for

the Across All Columns setting, to hold tables that span multiple columns.

I hope I understood the question correctly and was of help.

[Bob_Niland]

> ... a single-column table that spans multiple columns ...

Not quite - I have a single column table, equal to or less than one column wide, that flows (continues) into multiple columns.

Getting a table to start at the top of the current column, with or without column spans, would likely be a solution.

> ... negative Space Below of -12.0 pt, "Fixed" line spacing, "Start Anywhere.," "In Column." Assign the font size as 12.0 pt.

Negative function on the negative function. Negative Space Below appears to have no effect at all (ditto for negative Line Spacing). In particular, we don't get heading alignment of the continued table in the second column.

Darn. I was hoping that

Fixed might have been the key (it is for some other table annoyances). Thanks anyway.

[Mike Wickham · Accepted solution]

>> ... a single-column table that spans multiple columns ...

> Not quite - I have a single column table, equal to or less than one column wide,
> that flows (continues) into multiple columns.

That's what I meant.. but mistyped "spans" instead of "flows."  Oops... I just noticed an error. In step #2, I said to give the table format a Space Above value of 12.0 pt. It should be a negative Space Above (-12.0 pt).

Above is a sample view of what I get.

[Bob_Niland]

> ... give the table format a ... negative Space Above (-12.0 pt).

Bingo. Thank you.

This, by the way, is the first time I've ever seen negative vertical text spacing work in Frame. The key appears to be that it must be set in both the Table and Paragraph formats.

The readership may disregard my hack solution, as it is more limited, and more confusing to future stewards of the document (possibly including the original author ).

[Bob_Niland]

Well, I've recast the table as a normal Flow A anchored object, using a special anchor para (TableAnchor).

I've even made it a 3-three column table by MasterPageMapping TableAnchor to 3-column page layouts. Problem solved. Much more elegant.

Exploring the envelope .... getting such a table to run multiple pages, with a special page layout, requires a bit more attention.

You need to set the "Span pages" Range Indicator in the MasterPageMaps, and then make sure the page following the table has some Flow A content to restore the default Left/Right flow (or call in some other page with a Single indicator, such as section/chapter start).

The TableAnchor para used for the alignment hack, and the Span_pages are key also for multi-page layout remapping. Curiously, in my tests, nothing inside a table caused a master page map to occur, not TableTitle, not CellHeading, not Cell Body, nor TableFootnote - only the Flow A text prior to or following.