How to Select Multiple Objects Within Frame All at Once By Clicking and Dragging?

[Cassady35210722mg7w]

How can I create a selection of multiple objects within a frame? Whenever I try to select and drag, it just selects the entire frame, as opposed to the frames and objects within the frame. This poses a challenge when creating a form within a table that you need to edit the field properties all at once. Is the only solution to just click and ctrl+shift each object or edit each field manually? As an aside, ctrl+shift does not allow me to select multiple cells within a table that I've converted to graphic cells and then changed to a field (all of which are the same type!).

Thank you for your help!

[Joel Cherney · Accepted solution]

I'm just now finishing a massive file-re-engineering project for a client of mine, with a very large number of form fields, and lots of form fields anchored in cells of tables that are themselves inside of other tables. It's been a bit of a slog, to be honest. Are you actually working with interactive form fields, here? If so, there is no way to multi-select them. Their properties can be altered via scripting, but you can't grab more than one at a time with the Selection tool. 

Or do you mean you are working on a print form, and you need to edit multiple table cells? You can kinda multi-select them, if they are all contiguous, but even then it can be dicey to actually select all of the fill-in-the-blank cells of a hardcopy form made with a table that is not very simple in structure. In those cases I find it a great deal easier to create a Cell Style (Window -> Styles -> Cell Styles) with the properties I need to set in the fill-in cells, and then apply that style.  

[Cassady35210722mg7w]

Thank you for the confirmation! Yes, I was working with interactive form fields. I appreciate the advice on editing their properties via scripting! I will try that approach. I appreciate your help!