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I dusted off FrameMaker 7.1 (we've been getting away from FrameMaker
docs, so saw no need to upgrade) to create a little QuickStart Guide,
based on one that I produced for several years.
It's essentially four tables.
The first table is a checklist of Common Criteria satisfying questions
about the integrity (security, tampering, order/shipping paper trail,
etc.) of the product as received by customer. It fills the first page.
No problem.
The second table is a pictorial list of the items the customer should
have received in the package. It fills the second page. No problem.
The third is a two-column set of text-and-picture instructions for
quickly getting going with the product. It extends to four pages, even
though there's more than enough room on three pages. Problem.
The fourth is a few troubleshooting pointers. Less than a page. No
problem.
The problem with the getting-started instruction table is that steps
1-through-6 appear on the first page of that table, and steps
7-through-10 appear on the next page, but the third page of the table
has only steps 11 and 12 (a single table row), and the fourth (final)
page of the table has only steps 13 and 14 (again, a single table row).
In both the latter cases, the empty space below the single row is nearly
twice the space occupied by the table row.
I can't find anything that tells the table to break off a single row for
each of two pages. Nor can I see anything that makes the first two pages
of the table behave differently (i.e., the way I expect them to). As far
as I'm concerned, the third page of the table should have two rows,
steps 11-and-12 and steps 13-and-14, with no break between, followed by
plenty of empty space - in other words, there doesn't seem to be an
available-space reason for the break. In the table designer, I had
"Orphan Rows" at 2, but changing that made no difference. Not that
orphan rows had any reason to be invoked regardless...
I even tried using Table > Row format... > Keep with: Next Row for the
step 11-12 row and Table > Row format... > Keep with: Previous Row for
the 13-14 row, but no joy. All rows are set to the default "Start Row:
Anywhere".
The break happened sometime while I was moving stuff around in the table
and briefly had some extra rows. After I deleted the extra rows and
saved, and the document re-paginated, the unwanted split between the
last two rows was there, and I can't see how to get rid of it and
combine them back onto a single page - where there is PLENTY of room for
them, plus another row if I needed. Other than that awkward split, with
vast empty spaces below the single table rows on the two pages, the
document looks fine
This'll be some simple thing that I'm overlooking due to being out of
practice with FM. The original document would have been created with FM
6-point-something.
Anybody got a suggestion (other than subscribing to the Framers list
again) for this one little glitch?
Thanks,
Kevin
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