Converting Rows to Headers

[Writer]

Some particular points that have frustrated me in the past are:

* rows not splitting across pages
* not being able to nest a table within a table without putting the inner table in an anchored frame
* not being able to rotate a table without putting it in an anchored frame

I know that most of those are surmountable if I'm using FM to create my output, but I use other tools to create output (such as ePublisher), and the results can be less than optimal. For example, ePublisher converts anything in an anchored frame to a graphic, and so text is not formatted for tables within anchored frames.

Fred, you mentioned Word in your previous post. I do think that Word handles tables better than FM does, at least with the first two points. I don't think I've tried to rotate a table in Word, so I'm not sure about that. However, as you also mentioned, Word doesn't handle anything else particularly well, so I don't consider is an acceptable tool overall.

I do like FM, and it meets most of my needs within acceptable limits. I just don't like the table feature.

As for plug-ins, I think it's great that people can come up with plug-ins to fill in the gaps (pardon the pun) in FM. It's the spirit of open source, but with a price tag. A lot of plug-ins aren't free. I would find it embarrassing to constantly have to go to my manager with my cap in hand saying, "Please, sir, I want some more."

Nadine

--- On Fri, 2/12/10, Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com> wrote:

> From: Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com>
> Subject: RE: Converting Rows to Headers
> To: generic668 at yahoo.ca, "Yves Barbion" <yves.barbion at gmail.com>
> Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> Date: Friday, February 12, 2010, 10:13 AM
> 
> 
> 
> 
>  
> I was *not* attempting to get into a pissing contest with
> you. I am genuinely curious what tool you have found to be
> superior at handling tables and why. An opinion without
> supporting evidence or experience is not informative. I was
> hoping (perhaps naively...) that this thread could be turned
> into a discussion that would actually be useful to the
> members of the list. Who knows, if you bothered to tell the
> list what you see as FrameMaker's shortcomings you might
> lear than it is not as inadequate for your needs as you
> think. This list has some very savvy and inventive users who
> have come up with some very clever solutions to unusaul
> requirements.
> -Fred Ridder
> 
> > Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:41:07 -0800
> > From: generic668 at yahoo.ca
> > Subject: RE: Converting Rows to Headers
> > To: yves.barbion at gmail.com; docudoc at hotmail.com
> > CC: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> > 
> > Folks, I have no intention of getting into a pissing
> match with you all. If you feel that FM tables works well
> for you and meets your needs, excellent. If you have the
> budget to buy a plethora of plug-ins, also excellent. 
> > 
> > I don't know anything about your processes,
> procedures, needs, or budgets. I feel no compunction to tell
> you that your perceptions are wrong or to take you to task
> publicly and make you justify your perceptions.
> > 
> > Conversely, you don't know my processes,
> procedures, needs, and budget either. All I'm saying is
> that in my experience, I have not found the table feature in
> FM robust enough for me.
> > 
> > You're allowed to disagree with me. I'm okay
> with that. Different opinions are a good thing in a forum
> because that's what a forum is for. However, your
> opinion is an opinion, and not THE answer. My opinion
> isn't THE answer either...it's just my opinion.
> > 
> > Nadine
> > 
> > --- On Fri, 2/12/10, Fred Ridder
> <docudoc at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > > From: Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com>
> > > Subject: RE: Converting Rows to Headers
> > > To: generic668 at yahoo.ca, "Yves Barbion"
> <yves.barbion at gmail.com>
> > > Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com
> > > Date: Friday, February 12, 2010, 8:57 AM
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > 
> > > So what tool(s) do you think does a better job
> with tables
> > > than FrameMaker? I've used a lot of different
> tools over
> > > the years, and I find the FrameMaker
> implementation to be
> > > the best one I've worked with, and one of the
> few that
> > > actually handles a table as a self-contained
> object and not
> > > just a bunch of paragraphs with boxes around
> them.
> 
>  		 	   		  
>