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Number Populate in text boxes

New Here ,
Feb 02, 2023 Feb 02, 2023

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I am trying to duplicate a singular text box and have a more straightforward way to have each text box's text be a number that is sequential. 

 

I just want about 96 text boxes to go from 1-96.  I obviously can do this manually, but I have to think there might be a secret trick to this.

 

Thanks,

Matt

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How to , Scripting , Type

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correct answers 1 Correct answer

Guide , Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

It's just an InDesign feature that exists since 20 years!

 

Capture d’écran 2023-02-03 à 09.56.26.png

 

(^/)  The Jedi

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Community Expert ,
Feb 02, 2023 Feb 02, 2023

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Use a numbered list paragraph style. I would also set style to start in the next text frame.

 

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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New Here ,
Feb 02, 2023 Feb 02, 2023

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I did that.  It worked in frame one.  But the numbering does not seem to be continuing to the following frames.  Any ideas?

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 02, 2023 Feb 02, 2023

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You need to link them together.

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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Just to clarify, the text frames don't have to be linked either on one page or across multiple pages. The options for the numbered list need to be set to continue across all text frames.

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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But then in what order on the page they needs to be to be counted properly?

 

Left-right, top-bottom = rows 

or

Top-bottom, left-right = columns

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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But then in what order on the page they needs to be to be counted properly?

 

It seems to number them in the text frame creation order—probably the text frame's id property. - Mark

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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Then linking them together is much better option 😉

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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Hmm, you raise an nteresting question. My intuition (from experience, but never explicitly tested) is that Indesign never repeats a text frame id in the same document. If this is the case, then not-linking would be a very robust approach, and quite a bit simpler than linking 96 frames together. I'd definitely try that first. Personally.

- Mark

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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Yes, IDs are unique per collection of objects. With more "positive" side effects 😉 

 

But my point is - what, if for some reason, you need to add TF "in the middle"? With threaded TFs you just click in/out port and draw new TF...

 

I'm a strong believer that even with simple / one-off tasks - it's better to do things right from the beginning 😉

 

Even with 96 TFs - if/when most of them are on the same page - you can make linked row / column, duplicate it and then just link last with first 😉 

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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You make a good point. Still, unless you have many numbered text frames on the same page it might not matter, because page order is prioritized over frame id anyway. However, doing manual page imposition would probably ruin my list, whereas yours would be solid. I haven't tested.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 03, 2023 Feb 03, 2023

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😉 with few TFs - I wouldn't bothered either - but with 96... It could be painful to reorganise them if layout needs to be changed 😉 

 

At least one more benefit with linked TFs - you have all the extra options offered by ParaStyle options - like where the paragraph needs to start? So you can skip some TFs and start from the next page / spread. 

 

Or - you can quickly replace the contents 😉 when you need something more than just the numbers 😉 import from TXT/DOC or prepare in Excel 😉

 

Etc. 😉 

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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Frames do NOT have to be linked.

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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If they are on one page, you can create a large number of text boxes in seconds: 

click and drag a large text box

do not let go of the mouse button

use the arrow keys to add rows and columns

let go of mouse button when you get to the number of boxes you want.

 

They will be linked. When you apply a numbered-list style set to next frame keep options, you can just type returns to add numbers to boxes. I did a quick test and it took less than a minute.

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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Hi David, that sounds really cool! However I couldn't get it to work (ID 18.1, MacOS 13.2). Are you sure it isn't using a plug-in? - Mark

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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Not a plug-in and it works cross-platform. Make sure you do not let go of the mouse button until the very end.

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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So do they have to be linked or not? 😉 

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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Lists will work between either linked or unlinked text frames. The option to continue numbering across threads is on by default but it should be double-checked.

 

David Creamer: Community Expert (ACI and ACE 1995-2023)

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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Looks like you've missed few posts 😉 

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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No need to link the frames, no necessary plugin:

  1. create a new paragraph style, and choose a numbered list in the “bullets and numbering” options. Be sure to create a list in the List dropdown menu. 
    Capture d’écran 2023-02-04 à 23.33.59.png
    Capture d’écran 2023-02-04 à 23.34.06.png
    The first option must be ticked, the second does not matter if you don't use the book feature


    Capture d’écran 2023-02-04 à 23.34.15.png
    define the numbering style, as usual
    Capture d’écran 2023-02-04 à 23.34.30.png
  2. create a text frame, apply the paragraph style and type a space to trigger the auto numbering
  3. duplicate the frame to get a new numbered frame. So simple!
    Capture d’écran 2023-02-04 à 23.34.58.pngCapture d’écran 2023-02-04 à 23.35.10.png

    Numbering order is defined chronologically: the last frame created has the higher number. If you want to renumber, you can cut the desired frame and paste it in place: it will become the latest one and all the frames of the list will be renumbered.

 

If I remember well, Anne-Marie Concepción gave a trick on InDesign secrets years ago in which she explained how to change the stack order in the layers panel to renumber the frames, but I can't find it any more and I am unable to make it work.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 04, 2023 Feb 04, 2023

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We have already discussed it 😞

 

What if you want to ADD new TF in the middle ?

 

Or change the contents - add something more - and unique - than just numbers ?

 

Or start from Next Spread - skip some TFs on the current page ?

 

With linked / threaded TFs - not a problem - with 96 separate TFs ... on different pages ...

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 05, 2023 Feb 05, 2023

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That's a completely different purpose. The solution given by @FRIdNGE that I have ticked as correct and that I have used many times is very useful in touristic maps, for example, when you want to number touristic areas of a city with automatic increasing, instead of manually numbering ach separate frame. I also used it in quizzes like this:

Capture d’écran 2023-02-05 à 15.33.28.png

 Capture d’écran 2023-02-05 à 15.44.50.png

The grey square is a anchored text frame at the beginning of the line with auto numbering. If I copy paste this line, the second question will be numbered as 2 (or b, and so on). Of course, I could use a rule (above or below) to get the grey square on the left of the frame, but this means that I have to calculate the rule offset to properly set it up, and this is a very tiedous process if the width of the text frame changes.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 05, 2023 Feb 05, 2023

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Yes, everything depends on the end goal - and only as long as you won't need to insert any new numbers in between... 

 

I'm pretty sure you can achieve your empty square using a glyph? 

 

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Community Expert ,
Feb 05, 2023 Feb 05, 2023

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I'm pretty sure you can achieve your empty square using a glyph?

Yes, sure, but not a square filled with a letter.

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Community Expert ,
Feb 05, 2023 Feb 05, 2023

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RobertTkaczyk_0-1675633463218.png

 

Yes, you can 😄 almost 😉

 

But it works only up to 9 and numbers only 😉 and rather should be used in separate TFs 😉

 

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