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Participating Frequently
May 18, 2021
Question

Auto generating the page number a text frame is located on within the cell of a table?

  • May 18, 2021
  • 2 replies
  • 1808 views

I have a document with several pages and on each page I have multiple independent text frames containing information.

At the beginning of the document I have a table that acts as a quick reference, sort of a hybrid between a Table of Contents and an Index. This table references a portion of the information in the text frame and page number. 

When I need to add/move text frames or pages, I have to manually renumber the page number cell of the table that I have at the beginning. Is there a way I could assign some a tag/identifier to a text frame and then call upon that in the table at the beginning so the cell will automatically update with the page number.

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2 replies

Participating Frequently
May 19, 2021

I apologize for the lack of visuals. The document contains sensitive information so I could not just post screenshots. I created a mockup that will attempt to describe in more detail what I am trying to achieve. The document is around 30 pages right now, but will eventually be much larger. The first few pages are a table that I created that acts as a "guide" to match a letter designator of an item to the page number that it is located on. Then I have several "content" pages that have information about the item along with a photo. Whenever I need to move/add "content" items, the references to the page numbers change in the "guide" pages. I was hoping there was a way that I could automate the numbering of the pages in the guide section, so I don't have to do it manually.

I tried adding the "current page number" marker to the end one of the "content" text boxes, threading to a second text box, and inserting a frame break. However when I move the second box to the "guide" page it displays the page number of the guide page and not the content page.

Peter Spier
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 19, 2021

Current Page Number marker always shows the page number of the page on which it is located. Next Page Number marker is used to show the page number of the next linked frame in a chain of linked frames. It is put into its own frame that must touch the frame in the chain preceding the frame you want to reference.

Participating Frequently
May 19, 2021

Ok. Thank you for explaining that. I got it and as you said before that does indeed work. 

 

It is a shame that the Next Page Number frame can not be nested into the table. I am not sure if going through all the trouble of making these Next Page Number frames is worth the effort since I will also have to manually move them around over the guide table. I feel like I would be trading one devil for another. 

Peter Spier
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 19, 2021

You might be able to do this using "next page number" markers which are normally used for jump lines when a story is continued in a magazine or newspaper. Should be a help topic covering how they work.

Participating Frequently
May 19, 2021

Thank you for your reply. I spent some more time experimenting with those markers and can't make it do what I am requiring. I think I am just stuck manually renumbering in my table when I add or move things. 😞

Peter Spier
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 19, 2021

I haven't tried this, but I really think if you put an empty frame with a frame break into your table cell and thread it to the main text, then add a second frame in the cell that touches it with the next page marker it ought to work. Did you do that?