Can I make two text boxes two columns?

[AnotherMe]

Is there a way for me to take two text boxes that already have text in them and convert them into one text box with two columns?

Thanks

[SJRiegel]

Not directly, but you can turn the first one into a two-column text box, then link the two. The text from the second box should then be pulled into the first one. You can use a column break to control which text the second column starts with. Second box can then be deleted. 

All that being said, it would probably be easier to cut-and-paste the text from the second box into the first one.

[John Mensinger]

Not in any elegant way.

1. Click the out-port of the first frame, then click in side the second frame to thread them; first-to-second.
2. Delete one of them. (Now all the text is in a single frame.)
3. Use the Text Frame Options dialog to set the frame to 2 columns.
4. Resize and relocate as desired to position the 2 columns.

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

Yes! … and it's very simple! 

The only thing to know is the gutter size between the 2 text frames!

Select the 2 frames:

… fusion them:

… convert into "rectangle":

… and change the frame option: 2 col. and gutter size (see above):

Done!

If indépendant frames, first thread them with Text Stitch!

(^/)

[Obi-wan Kenobi]

… But if you are as lazy as me, just select the 2 text boxes and do it in one click! 

app.doScript(main, ScriptLanguage.JAVASCRIPT, [], UndoModes.ENTIRE_SCRIPT, "Convert 2 Text Frames to 1 With 2 Columns! …");
function main ()      
{
if (app.selection.length == 2)
    {
        a = app.selection[0];
        b = app.selection[1];
        if (a instanceof TextFrame && b instanceof TextFrame)
            {
                if (a.geometricBounds[0] > b.geometricBounds[0])
                    {
                        a = app.selection[1];
                        b = app.selection[0];
                    } else
                        if (a.geometricBounds[0] == b.geometricBounds[0] && a.geometricBounds[1] > b.geometricBounds[1])
                            {
                                a = app.selection[1];
                                b = app.selection[0];
                            }
                        if (a.nextTextFrame == null && b.previousTextFrame == null)
                                a.nextTextFrame = b;
            }
    }
a = app.selection[0];
b = app.selection[1];
var gB_a = a.geometricBounds;
var gB_b = b.geometricBounds;
b.remove();
var gutter = (gB_b[1] - gB_a[3]).toFixed(2);
a.geometricBounds = [gB_a[0], gB_a[1], gB_a[2], gB_b[3]];  
a.textFramePreferences.textColumnCount = 2;
a.textFramePreferences.textColumnGutter = gutter;
}
// ___ (^/) ___

Based on an original code written 6 years ago [march 2010] by Jongware and shared here:

http://indesignsecrets.com/topic/is-there-a-script-to-combine-selected-frames-as-threaded-text-40

Thanks [Jongware]! 

(^/)