What is this mysterious text area?

[Thomas_Calvin]

Hi all.

I'm trying to understand the formatting of some docs I've inherited, and I'm new to InDesign.

I don't understand what I'm dealing with in the attached screen shot. There appear to be three columns, but the text frame has only one. The area(s) containing the text are part of the text frame (they disappear when the text frame is hidden or deleted), but can't be selected in the layer view.

And, as you can see, the mystery area exists outside the text frame itself. What might this be?

Note: The other objects in the layer list are on a facing page, out of view.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Something in an underlying text frame, or another (possibly locked) layer?

[jmlevy · Accepted solution]

I think that it is a table.

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Not being able to select it is odd. OP might try tabbing/arrowing over from the accessible columns to see.

[Robert at ID-Tasker · Accepted solution]

@Thomas_Calvin 

It's a Table.

[Thomas_Calvin]

Thanks guys. It is most likely a table, and I can tab between the columns. But it does not appear as an entity in the layer list; there are no other layers in the doc aside from what's depicted.

Where would the table properties be shown?

[James Gifford—NitroPress]

Start by dragging the text frame wider for access to those columns.

Then select the table full width, and drag the right margin in to a net width better suited to your text frame size.

All controls are in the Table palette and/or Table menu.

[Thomas_Calvin]

Thanks. I had made the frame smaller to show how the mystery area overflowed it. Even with it as big as possible, you can't select the table... except with another mystery thing; it has no ToolTip, does nothing when clicked, and produces no relevant context menu when right-clicked:

But when double-clicked, it turns the cursor into the row/column-selection arrow.

The question is why the table is not mentioned anywhere, and is missing from the Properties pane:

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

By @Thomas_Calvin

Looks like you're on a Master / Parent Page?

But you should still be able to edit it "as usual"?

[Thomas_Calvin]

You're right about the master page, but there wasn't any apparent way to select it or any indication that it was a table.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

Click inside the frame with the Type tool--if you can't, Cntl/Cmd-Shift-click in the frame with the Selection tool. 

The look at the Story Editor under the Edit menu. You can see any hidden text items there. 

This is what a table would look like, with the table text below it:

[Thomas_Calvin]

Thanks!

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

You're right about the master page, but there wasn't any apparent way to select it or any indication that it was a table.

By @Thomas_Calvin

That's why you should REALLY invest some time in tutorials.

And your employer should cover the cost if needed - or at least allow you some time.

[Thomas_Calvin]

I brought some headphones in today, so I'll dig through a few tutorials. My past experience was with FrameMaker, which I learned pretty thoroughly. So at least I'm not a total noob with such software.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

A few of us on the Community are instructors with expert experience with both InDesign and FrameMaker.

I can't speak for everyone, but I know Barb Binder and myself fit that description. 

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Thanks guys. It is most likely a table, and I can tab between the columns. But it does not appear as an entity in the layer list; there are no other layers in the doc aside from what's depicted.

Where would the table properties be shown?

By @Thomas_Calvin

Table is a Character in the Text.

You need to select table and then you'll have some options in the top bar - or in the Context menu:

If part of the Table is outside of the TextFrame - and you don't have cursor in this table - or haven't selected Cell / Column / Row - you won't be able to click on this part.

[Thomas_Calvin]

Thanks. Even with the frame big enough to contain the table, you can't select it... even by clicking on a cell border. The only way is to guess that you have to double-click on the tiny, unlabeled "list"-looking icon on the left side to invoke table-selection mode.

[Thomas_Calvin]

Also the table is still missing from the Properties pane even if you have the text-insertion point sitting in it.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

Also the table is still missing from the Properties pane even if you have the text-insertion point sitting in it.

By @Thomas_Calvin

Because you've to have it selected:

If you have text cursor in the cell - or text selected in the cell - you're in the "text mode" - not the "table mode".

[Thomas_Calvin]

Unfortunately the means to select it are not apparent, because of the missing ToolTip.

Also, I would expect table-related controls to be revealed when you're working in a table. The Properties pane shows Character controls with no characters selected. Other applications (Word, for example) reveal table controls when the cursor is placed in a table with no text selected.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

@Thomas_Calvin 

No offence, but you should invest some time and watch some tutorials.

Of course, we are here to help - but things you're asking for - are really a basic stuff.

Even the Adobe help pages should give you a lot:

https://helpx.adobe.com/indesign/using/selecting-editing-tables.html

[Thomas_Calvin]

I'm at work.

[Thomas_Calvin]

I had no way of knowing this was a table; therefore I would never have searched the help pages for information about tables. That's why the lack of the word "table" in the UI is such a critical problem, despite my spending quite a bit of time experimenting with the file before posting a question here.

[Robert at ID-Tasker]

I had no way of knowing this was a table; therefore I would never have searched the help pages for information about tables. That's why the lack of the word "table" in the UI is such a critical problem, despite my spending quite a bit of time experimenting with the file before posting a question here.

By @Thomas_Calvin

Fair enough.

[Peter Spier]

Tables are text objects, not separate entities like a frame, so it won't show individually in the layers panel. It actually is contained in that text frame, but it's confusing because tables are not constained to stay within the frame boundaries.