Re: Building two tables side by side in Frame

["Richard G. Combs" <richard -dot- combs -at- voyanttech -dot- com>]

Scott White <swhite -at- eds -dot- com> wrote:

>      Breaking out of lurker mode to pose a question.  I'm trying to create
> tables that I want to rest side by side in Frame.  Is this possible?
> Suggestions for a work around?  I'm on digest so it may take a day to
> respond.  TIA!

Lisa Bronson provides the simplest way to fake it (make one table with a
borderless column in the middle). Rob Domaschuk suggests a couple of ways
using a separate text frame, but they're a bear to set up and maintain.

There is a way to do exactly what you want. It's a bit fussy to set up, but
*if* the table contents are stable (that is, the number of rows and the cell
heights aren't going to change), it's maintenance free; the two tables flow
with your text as one. Of course, the tables must *fit* side by side within
your text column.

1. With the cursor in your table anchor paragraph, insert the first table.
Set its alignment to Left with no indent. Set the number of rows, column
widths, etc. Later, the alignment will be easier if you set all the rows to
an absolute height (same min and max). For this table, set the Space Below
to a negative number at least equal to the height of the table. E.g., if the
table contains 4 rows, each 36 pt. high (72pt. = 1 in.), set its Space Below
to at least  -144 pt.

2. With the cursor still in the anchor paragraph (and just after the first
table's anchor), insert the second table. At this point, it will be below
the first table. Get its rows and columns set up properly and set its
alignment to Right (if you don't want this table at the right margin, you
can set a right indent).

3. Now comes the magic. Set the second table's Space Above to a negative
number exactly equal to the height of the first table (-144 pt., in our
example). When you apply this change, voila! The second table jumps up to
beside the first. (Assuming that, horizontally, there's room. If it doesn't,
check the table widths, indents, alignments, etc.)

As with paragraphs, the vertical space between two tables is the larger of
the upper one's Space Below and the lower one's Space Above. If you set both
to negative values, the "larger" space will be the one with the smaller
negative number.

HTH!
Richard

------
Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Voyant Technologies, Inc.
richard -dot- combs -at- voyanttech -dot- com
303-223-5111
------
rgcombs -at- free-market -dot- net
303-777-0436
------






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