How to Split Table Cells into multiple rows?

[wuts23143389]

Hi all,

I have a Table with cells that need to be split into multiple rows (see attached files). What is the best practice for this? I tried right click on cell --> split, but you can't specify the numbers, and the two columns become independant of each other. Is this a limitation in InDesign and I should find a script for? If so, does anyone know a script that works well for this kind of task? I.e. splitting a cell into multiple columns, based on paragraph break.

[Creamer Training]

Rows don't split automatically. I do not know if there is a script or not. 

I went to get the link on InDesign User Voice to post the link and this feature was the first one listed:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests

Direct link to feature request:

https://indesign.uservoice.com/forums/601021-adobe-indesign-feature-requests/suggestions/33854788-op...

[Geоrge]

>>  I do not know if there is a script or not. 

http://adobeindesign.ru/2021/02/14/%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B5%D0%BD%D0%B8%D0%B5-%D1%81%D1%82%D1%80%D0%...

this is just workaround.

Adobe is not implemented this feature many years and even top-1 request feature not helps 😭 

[wuts23143389]

@Creamer Training 

Hi thank you for your reply. I was talking about splitting a cell inside a table into multiple cell like Word can, not rows not splitting across pages, but yes I did have a problem with that too and I already commented on your uservoice link.

@Geоrge is that script available in English? I'm afraid I can't follow Russian instructions.

[Creamer Training · Accepted solution]

Sorry for being dense, but are you referring to splitting a cell? You can do that, but you have to manually cut-&-paste the text into the cell. (Technically, this feature simply adds a new row and merges the other cells automatically).

[wuts23143389]

@Creamer Training 

Thank you, that would work albeit I wish there's a script or native feature where you can convert different paragraphs into multiple cells automatically (i.e. the cell has 5 paragraphs, one click to make each paragraph into its own cell.

 

[Creamer Training]

That would be nice, but then again, it would make too much sense...

[Diane Burns]

If you can't find a script, and you have a lot of text to convert this way, see if this "brute force" technique might work.

1. Select the text in a cell

2. Go to the Table menu and choose "Convert Text to Table.."

3. The text will be converted to a table within that cell. Not ideal, but with the control of strokes, etc., it might be a partial workaround.

[Diane Burns]

Also, please do fill out the feature request as David Creamer mentions. 🙂

[wuts23143389]

Hi Diane, thank you.

I tried using your workaround method as well but I found it was just easier to go back to original Word document with the table and formatted it there. Inserting table within a table caused an issue with rows that were aligning on different columns no longer lined up and that would cause more workaround.

And I filled in David Creamer's feature request 😉

[Scott Falkner]

Create a new empty table with the number of rows and columns you want (in this case, 3 and 3). Select the text in column 2 of your current table and convert text to table (Table > Convert Text to Table…). Select the cells of the table (in this case, three cells) then select the corresponding cells in the empty table. Paste. Repeat for other columns.

[wuts23143389]

Thank you Scott. How did you go from screencap 2 to 3? I.e. how did you delete the upper level table only leaving the inner tables?

[Scott Falkner]

That's one screen capture with three tables in one text frame.

Top: My reproduction of your table.

Middle: The same table after converting the contents of R1C2 and R1C3 to tables.

Bottom: A table created using Table > Create Table with 3 rows and three columns. I selected all the cells in each of the subtables from the middle image and pasted them into the corresponding cells of the empty table.

[FRIdNGE]

Just For Comment! …