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

[Carefree_Companion15C2]

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.

[Peter Spier]

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.

[Carefree_Companion15C2]

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]

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?

[Peter Spier]

OK, I just tried and it doesn't seem to work in a table cell, but it does work in general, so perhaps you can simply use a grid of text frames rather than an actual table.

[FRIdNGE]

Sorry but ???!

Make a true "TOC"!

Maybe some screenshots would be welcome!

(^/)  The Jedi

[Carefree_Companion15C2]

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]

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.

[Carefree_Companion15C2]

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. 

[FRIdNGE]

What you need seems to be a so simplistic scenario! ;

Your "~TOC" is a table where each data line is "extracted from the data you have in the other pages ("AC", "TEXT", "TEXT", "TEXT", "TEXT" and the page number where these data are).

So, create your "Table building template" (2 rows/6 columns: Header + current line for the future data).

… collect the 5 data for each line and 1 page number of the page containing them (5 + 1 = 6 (columns)).

… and build all the table (1 row per each 6 data)!

I mean: do it with just 1 click!

[If the layout and data change, of course, you will need to click again ("1 new click")!]

I know: it's painful!

(^/)  The Jedi

[Carefree_Companion15C2]

Thank you for your reply.