Copy text, paste text... tabs not copying?

[DigitalChickster]

Hi all! Here's what I'm doing. I have reports set up with data... and tabs. I have paragraph styles for those... as some lines are headers, some lines are just the data, and some lines are averages. Well, we've added a new column. So I have a template I'm copying and pasting into older reports. Everything copies just fine... except the new column comes in with no tab at all (it IS in the new template, but it doesn't copy). How can I copy the text box and keep the paragraph styles... that include that new tab? 

Thanks! 

I'm running InDesign v 18.3 on my iMac running OS 13.4.1.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

I am not 100% clear on your workflow... the cut and paste is from ID to ID, right?

Tables are always a little weird in the way they handle text formatting and paste. It may just be that. Also, if the new cell is empty except for the tab, white space alone often does not paste as intended; the process deletes it.

Have you messed with the various paste options (right-click, Paste without Formatting, etc.) in Prefs | Clipboard Handling?

[DigitalChickster]

Sorry... it was a bit hard to explain. Yes, I'm copying from a new InDesign template. I update that with everything new as these reports change over time. Then when I pick up old reports (these are monthly or yearly studies, so I just pick up the old report and update it with new data), I just flow in the new data. 

I did mess with the various copy and paste options. At least the ones I know... same as what you listed). I have NOT tried preferences in clipboard handling. I'll go check that out. 

Thanks for the quick response! 

[Peter Spier]

Have you considered and tried Placing the spreadsheet as an active link?