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1. Re: Table Styles and Cell Styles not working properly
Faith-Action Nov 18, 2011 1:18 PM (in response to RichardM0701)I feel the same way. i cannot make the table and cell styles work unless it is one simple style - in which case you could just do it in one stroke anyway!
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2. Re: Table Styles and Cell Styles not working properly
MT.Freelance Nov 18, 2011 2:45 PM (in response to RichardM0701)It is probable that you have local overrides on the tables that are preventing the Table style from applying properly. Local overrides are when you manually apply a style.
So, If you create a table, then style it by applying character and paragraphs styles, then apply your border changes, fills, etc., and then apply a table style... nothing happens. The table has the table style applied, but your local overrides are preventing it from showing. That is why when you clear the overrides, everything appears as you have set in the table style.
With a table style applied, the cell styles will not show as enabled in the cell style panel, unless you have applied it as a local override. Also, the little '+' next to the [None] cell style indicates there are overrides in the table cell you have selected.
Same concept applies to paragraph styles. You can assign a paragraph style and override everything manually or accidently with a character style selected. This can trip you up if you accidently have a character style selected in the character style panel when you assign a paragraph style.
With nothing selected in your document spread (CTRL+Shift+A or CMD+Shift+A), check to ensure that you do not have the random character style or paragraph style selected in the character or paragraph style panel. If it is, then everytime you create a new text frame, or a type in new text, or create a new table, that style comes along for the ride.
HTH
-mt
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3. Re: Table Styles and Cell Styles not working properly
Faith-Action Nov 21, 2011 9:52 AM (in response to MT.Freelance)Thank you so much for trying to help. I have followed your suggestions but still come up with some problems. May i explain my tables and ask a few questions? Maybe you can help me --- I've spent HOURS on this. We are invovled in developing a curriculum and we use so many tables that the cell and/or table styles would be very helpful.
Here is the description of a typical table;
1) a header row (which i don't usually use the header option because i only repeat the header if it breaks over non-facing pages, otherwise i use a "continued" in the top line of the table on a facing page). This row will have 3 to 6 cells. I use a 1pt stroke on the outside border of all 4 sides, with a .5 stroke on the inside cell columns. It would be nice to include the style, as i see this is an option, but not so necessary. I also use cell fill of black, 10% tint.
2) the following rows/cells use a .5 stroke with the border being a1pt stroke (so basically the outside of the table is a 1pt stroke with inside strokes of .5pts)
3) i use a merged-cells footer row (altho the same explanation applied as in the header row) that has the 1pt stroke on the top row with a 0pt stroke on the other 3 sides.
Is it possible to create this with these parameters or am i going to have to use a script (which i don't know how to write!)?
Thank you for your time and advice.
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4. Re: Table Styles and Cell Styles not working properly
Faith-Action Nov 21, 2011 9:55 AM (in response to Faith-Action)PS - these tables come in from Word from the authors. I select the entire table and opt-click to clear all styles in the paragraph, character, table and cell styles.
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5. Re: Table Styles and Cell Styles not working properly
MT.Freelance Nov 21, 2011 1:26 PM (in response to Faith-Action)1) In the Table Setup dialog, you can define how the headers and footers repeat (every time, once per frame, once per page, skip first). Unfortunately, this cannot be defined by the style and also doesn't work as once per spread (which would suit your preference). To view your Table Setup options, select the table and either go to the menu (Table > Table Options > Table Setup), or use the keyboard shortcut (CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+B or CMD+SHIFT+ALT+B). Click the Header and Footer tab.
An advantage of defined automatic header and footers is that when your table spans more than one frame or page, then the headers/footers are automatically generated, even if the content is later changed (rows added or removed for instance). When you manually place a header row using a body row, if the content changes or your update the table, you may loose the header, or it may shift position to no longer be a header.
2) you can setup the general table style to auto-format your outer border as well as you column and row strokes, fills, etc. Anything set there can be overridden by a cell style, or manually applied styles.
3) like my example screenshot. Uses the top border stroke to cap the bottom of the tables that break across pages or frames.
As for getting more complex, such as only doing heading rows on new spreads, or alternate text for heading rows (such as 'continued'), I think there may be some 3rd party plugins that can do that... such as the Smart Styles by Woodwing.
Regarding pulling text from Word. I has used copy/paste from Excel for years to populate tables in InDesign. I cannot say that I've messed with tables from Word, but they may behave similar to Excel..
Once the table format is established, it is simple to copy the text in Excel and Paste into the InDesign tables, where the text picks up the formatting assigned to the table. One key part of this is that your clipboard preferences in InDesign must be set to Text Only. Otherwise, the styles from the office applicaiton come along for the ride and can cause styling issues.
You can set your general preference for this in Preferences > Clipboard Handling, and set the When Pasting option to Text Only. Doing this should eliminate the step you listed of clearing the imported styles after pasting your data.
To paste into an InDesign table (if you do not already know), be sure to select the first cell that the data will paste into. If you only place the cursor IN the cell, then your pasted contet will try to fit in that single cell...
HTH
-mt





