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December 17, 2015
Answered

Using Framemaker 7.2. Creating a table at the top of the first page

  • December 17, 2015
  • 2 replies
  • 1286 views

When I try to create a table with four lines and two columns, it appears on the top of page 2 rather than page 1 where I want it. I cannot find a means to anchor it at the top of the first page. What am I doing wrong?

Dennis....

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Stefan Gentz

By the way, in FrameMaker 2015, there is also a table format "catalog" like you know it from the paragraph and character style catalog. This makes it very easy to assign table designs to tables (see here).

2 replies

Stefan GentzCommunity ManagerCorrect answer
Community Manager
December 17, 2015

By the way, in FrameMaker 2015, there is also a table format "catalog" like you know it from the paragraph and character style catalog. This makes it very easy to assign table designs to tables (see here).

Community Manager
December 17, 2015

Hi Dennis,

You can specify in the table designer, where the tables starts. Click into the table and open the table designer. In the "Basic" section, you find the "Start" drop-down. Select "Anywhere" instead of "Top of Page". You might also need to adjust the "Orphan Rows" setting. If it is too high, long tables will not break over pages properly.

Please also make sure, that the paragraph containing the table anchor is not set to "Top of Page" (Paragraph Designer > Pagination > Start > Anywhere vs. Top of Page).

You can find comprehensive information about formatting tables here: FrameMaker tables, especially here: Table position and spacing.

*Stefan.

December 17, 2015

Hi Stefan...

Thank you for your assistance with this. While "Anywhere" is a rather ambiguous term, it's surprising to me that it seems to ALMOST do what I needed. Why "anywhere" gives the results it does seems odd to me. However, there is a gap above the table; it does not start at the top of the column as desired. Why is this?

Community Manager
December 17, 2015

When I turned on View Text Symbols, I see the reason for the space above. It is due to a paragraph that precedes the table and serves as the table anchor. But I want the table to be at the very top of the first page, with the text on the page to follow the table, not precede it. Thus I think the table anchor should be right below the table, not above it.

The purpose of the table is to list in a consistent manner a single metadata element or "tag" that can or should be embedded in digital music files, along with the tag's allowable name aliases, where and when it should be used, its significance and priority (essential, optional, etc.) and so on. After the table, I wish to then add text which discusses the function of the tag in greater detail and then to display numerous examples of proper usage.

As you can see, I want the table to be at the very top of the first page, with text to follow it, not precede it. The completed book comprises 30 or 40 "chapters" like this, many of which only require a single page (table + description), with each chapter appearing in alphabetical order according to the proper (default) name of the tag. For the finished book, it would be desirable to have chapters that are one to two pages long, depending on the amount of discussion and the number of examples required to display the various ways the tag might be utilized.


Hm. Maybe I don't understand the problem. Is this what you mean? There is one mini paragraph only with the table anchor. After the table is the explaining text.