Set (and keep) Table Margins

[dcrouse10]

I have TCS4.

I am linking a Framemaker book into Robohelp so everything keeps up-to-date. Mostly, it works fine.

But..

How do I apply a margin to a table in the CSS so that it stays? I want to put some space between all tables and what is around them (text, other tables, etc.) just to clean things up and make it easier to read. Padding moves the text within a cell. I need to shift the table itself as a unit.

I can make the change manually in RH by adjusting the table properties of each table, but with hundreds of tables to setup each time there is an update, it gets terribly time consuming. Table margins seems to be entirely missing from the CSS or Master Page config.

Where is it hiding? Can I set a margin for all tables of a type collectively? And have it survive Forced Updates? 

I even tried modifying the CSS file directly with mixed results.    margin-top: 10.000px;     and such.

Thanks.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Are you mapping the table to a CSS style in the conversion options?

If not, modify your conversion to do so, then you can control the properties from the CSS table definition.

WARNING: You may find that formatting applied to the table in Fm still sneaks through as inline formatting in the Rh table. Remove formatting from the tables with the Custom Ruling and Shading dialog in Fm.

As always, endeavor to eliminate the class="FM_ string from your HTML by explicit mapping of the styles. If not, you'll never gain control over the formatting in Rh.

-Matt

Matt R. Sullivan
co-author Publishing Fundamentals: Unstructured FrameMaker 11

[dcrouse10]

I am using a CSS to run the conversion, but I do not see anywhere to configure margins for tables. The rest of the conversion is working, but there is just no option to set margins that I can find.

Where did they put it?

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

IIRC, you'll need to add the CSS code manually (I recommend adding it to the RHStyleMapping.css file, or the file you've defined as the default conversion CSS)

While you're in there, create a body element definition, and add  a font-family setting to set a default font for your project and help with the formatting (among other things) of numbered lists.

You can choose to edit the CSS directly in Rh (in HTML view?) or use another editor like NotePad or Dreamweaver to make the changes.

[dcrouse10]

I dabbled a little with that, but it didn't work. The changes show up fine in the CSS editor in RH, but do not make it to the output. It seems the RH added some formatting of its own that is overriding the CSS.  I don't know where it comes from: its not in the import CSS or the output CSS.

I did manage to corner one of our programmers this morning and he suggested something that did work. At the end of the CSS file, add a line.

table {

     margin: 10pt;

}

That works, overriding the overrides and getting the spacing I need.  It also survives updates.

SWEET!

Thanks for the help.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Glad to hear you solved it!

Did you add that line to the RHStyleMapping.css?

[dcrouse10]

No.  I have another CSS that is based upon RHStyleMapping.css, and I made the changes to that.

I suppose I should ask, does RHStyleMapping have any lingering influence on things even if you have said that you are not using it?

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

So you're using a different base CSS for conversion, yes?

And you made the changes to that CSS?

If you've chosen a different CSS for base conversion, that's what you update, and that's where you should put the defaults for things like table and body elements.

No, there are no lingering effects of the RHStyleMapping.css...it's only used if you leave it as the default in a linked project (and I suppose in an imported project as well, but I don't do that...)

FYI, you can see which stylesheets are applied (typically at least 2...a base css, and one containing formatting of unmapped elements) The base CSS is the only one you should modify; the other is rewritten each time you update.

[dcrouse10]

The changes were made to the CSS that I am using.

What is the name of the CSS for unmapped elements?

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Sorry, didn't finish off that thought in the prev...time for Coffee #2!

The css for the unmapped will be autogenerated, based on the Fm document name, and visible in the topic proporties (IIRC) or visible in the Topic List if you are viewing the CSS column. It doesn't really matter tho, as YOU SHOULD NOT CHANGE IT