Is it possible to flow numbers through multiple tables, each with separate attributes?

[MTPmedia]

This is a bit of a convoluted question.

Basically I'm trying to find a way to spread a long table of numbers across multiple pages, preferably just by copying and pasting one column out of excel. That part is fairly straightforward, but I also want to apply separate attributes to each individual table so that incoming numbers within a given cell will change their justification and size AND the cell size.

Currently, I've set a document so that the tables are linked across multiple pages, each (when separate) with their own attributes, but as soon as I copy in the text it applies the attributes of the first table to all subsequent tables, even if using ctrl+shift+v to retain the styles of the cell rather than the text. I've tried cell styles and table styles but it doesn't seem to solve the problem, unless I'm doing something wrong.

Is it possible to get around this or am I asking too much?

[Steve Werner]

It's not a built-in feature of InDesign. There might be a way to script it, however. Perhaps someone will answer who knows more about the scripting of tables than I do.

[MTPmedia]

Hi Steve,

I thought as much, that's a shame. I'll just continue to manually type in numbers across 150 pages for the time being then 😄

[Laubender]

Hi MTPmedia,

did you consider using the automatic numbering feature of a paragraph style for this?

If the numbering should happen e.g. in the first column of your table just format the first cell with auto numbering.

For that you need a single blank character so that the auto number is showing up.

The other cells can be numbered like that:

Select the cell with the auto number ( do not select the contents of the cell, just the cell! )

Copy the selected cell to the clipboard.

Select all other cells you want to do the numbering.

Paste the contents of the clipboard.

Before you start doing this, save your document or test with a duplicate of your document so that you can go back easily.

FWIW: You could transform the auto-numbers to editable text with the Paragraph Style Panel.

Select the paragraph style in the panel and right click. There should be an option for converting the auto numbers to editable text.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Laubender]

Ok. There is more to the task, not just auto-numbering.

Could you show a screenshot?

Does the styling of the cells with the numbers follow some rules?

E.g. Cells with numbers 101 to 150 should be styled with cell style 1.

Cells with numbers 151 to 200 should be styled with cell style 2.

Something like that?

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[MTPmedia]

Hi, thank you for your reply, I'm sorry for my delayed response.

I've attached a screenshot of a basic version of the sort of thing I'm trying to do. This is one long, super tall table. I want to be able to copy a column of numbers out of excel (or an email, or however the numbers come to me) and paste it into this kind of document so that the table applies a different style to the numbers depending on which page it's on.

I've had a look in all the different kinds of styles, but none of them appear to do what I'd like to.

[Laubender]

Hi MTPmedia,

thanks for your screenshot.

Hm. InDesign's table cells are not aware if they are on a page left or right from the spine.

There is also no way that a cell style can detect this automatically.

So to get some automation to that process a custom script is indeed necessary.

But there could be a problem even with that. How can a script know in advance how many cells go into a column of a specific page if the cell's height will change? Or if you edit your table, remove or add cells. Or if you add or remove text before the table? So, what's possible with not too much time for development is a "dump" script that will not interact with editorial changes. A script that you need to run every time you are doing editorial changes.

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )