Strange orphan behavior in tables

[Combs, Richard]

Andy Kass wrote: 
 
> As soon as the bottom row of the table doesn't fit, the
> last 2 rows of the table jump to the next page. This is
> the first quirk, that an orphan setting of 2 allows a
> single orphan row orphan (feature or bug, you decide).

Just a misnaming, really -- if the setting were called Widow Rows, this
would be the expected behavior. :-)
 
> I should now be able to insert more content *above* my
> table, pushing the orphan row down to my page margin.
> However, as soon as the orphan row gets pushed to within
> an inch of the page margin, the whole table jumps to the
> next page. If row 2 of my table is 2 inches high, the
> table jumps when the orphan row is within 2 inches of
> the page margin. The only explanation I could find was
> that this is a bug (or a ghost row).

Confirmed. I'm seeing the same behavior in FM 7.2 (don't recall what
version you're using). I don't think the gap is quite as big as row 2,
but it's close. 
 
> Note that this does not happen if you have 2 or more times
> as many rows as your orphan row setting. In that case, the
> setting works exactly as documented, and you don't have the
> problem with unusable whitespace mentioned above.

Also confirmed. And that suggests a workaround: 

1) Add an empty row after the first. 

2) Make the pgfs in its cells 2 pts and set their Top and Bottom Cell
Margins to negative numbers that offset most of the table's Default Cell
Margins. E.g., if the table cell margins are 6 pts, set the pgfs' to -4
or -5 pts. You want the row height to be small, but big enough so you
can tell when it's selected. 

3) Use Table > Custom Ruling & Shading to remove the ruling line between
the first row and the new second row. 

The new row takes up very little room. Since you now have four rows
instead of three, the problem is solved. At least until the tiny 2nd row
gets pushed to the next page. :-)

HTH!
Richard 


Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
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