Indented tables not keeping "autofit to window" setting

[nsemple]

We have Flare 4.0 and are creating WebHelp output

We've created indented tables and want to keep the "auto fit to window" setting intact so that when users resize the output window, the text in the table wraps rather than disappearing from view.

Unfortunately, this is not happening as it should.

When we open the TableStyle Editor for the table and look on the General tab, the left table margin is set to 31 pt for our indented tables as we would like it to be.

When we then create a table based on this style and open the Table Properties dialog box for the table, the autofit behavior is set to "AutoFit to window" as it should be.

To me, these settings mean that in our WebHelp output, the table will be indented 31 pt from the left margin and the table will resize if the user narrows the output window so that the text in the table wraps and is always visible.

Unfortunately, the indentation appears correctly, but the table does not resize as it should. When the user resizes the window, the text stays its original size and content is no longer visible.

Does anyone know why this is happening and what can be done to fix it?

[LTinker68]

Unfortunately, the indentation appears correctly, but the table does not resize as it should. When the user resizes the window, the text stays its original size and content is no longer visible.

Set it to the default option, which is autofit to content. The window will automatically adjust the available space to make the content fit. If you have a lot of content in your cells, then it'll stretch to the right edge of the window.

Autofit to window sets the width to 100%. When a page is loaded, the browser determines how big the window is and automatically sets the table width to match. When you resize the browser window, it doesn't dynamically recalculate the dimensions of the window. It will only do that when you refresh the page. So if you want the table width to be dynamic, it has to be set to autofit to content.

[nsemple]

When I do that, I lose the indentation for the table.

[LTinker68]

It kept it for me. How did you set the indent? Did you set a margin-left value on the table tag? I even used your 31pt and it worked (I thought it wouldn't know what to do with the point unit of measure, but apparently the browsers -- FF at least -- do the conversion).

[nsemple]

I set it using the table style sheet editor.

Here is some of the code that appears for a table when I insert it based on the table style:

<table style="width: 100%;border-collapse: collapse;caption-side: top;border-spacing: 0px 0px;margin-left: 31pt;margin-right: auto;">
<col style="width: 50%;">
</col>
<col style="width: 50%;">
</col>

[LTinker68]

You need to lose the width of 100% on the table (setting it to autofit to content should do that) and lose the margin-right setting on the table. Also, get rid of the 50% width on each of the columns.

[nsemple]

Ok, Thanks a lot. This worked. But it seems as though I have to make the changes to the code for the table in the internal text editor.

For example, in the TableStyle Editor, the table margins box lists the left, right, top, and bottom margins for the table. I changed the left margin to 31 pt, that is all. The settings for the other margins are there by default (their default value is listed as 0). I do not see any way for me to tell it to not include the other margins.

Also, there is no where in the TableStyle Editor (that I can see anyway) for me to set the values for the column width percentages. There isn't a setting for this on the Table properties dialog box either. The 50% width for the two columns seems to come across by default.

Am I correct in that you have to make these changes in the code or is there some other way through the TableStyle Editor that is just not apparent to me?

[LTinker68]

To be honest, I don't use the table stylesheets at all -- I create custom TR and TD classes. I didn't like some of the problems I had with table stylesheets in earlier versions. I might get into playing with table stylesheets in v4 since they made some changes, but I'm not familiar with the new settings.

The 50% on the column widths might have been because you initially set the table to autofit to window, which automatically sets it to 100% width. Doing so might automatically set widths on the columns, too, although I'd be surprised by that -- it's generally not good practice to set widths on all the columns if you also set the width on the table.

As for having to edit the code in the topic every time (and yes, that's what I meant before -- should have been more explicit) that would depend on where those column widths and margin-right settings are coming from. If they're re-added to the table every time you add a column or row, then you'll have to always remember to modify the page code. However, if those settings were left over from the earlier settings and adding a row or column doesn't re-add them, then you should be fine if you create a new table, so long as you remember to use the autofit to contents option and don't manually specify widths for the columns.

[nsemple]

Thanks for all your help LTinker68.

This is the first time I have used the table styles as well. I had too many issues with tables in versions prior to 4.0, that I avoided table styles until now.

From the information you gave me, I was able to figure out that Flare picks up past settings on the Insert Table dialog box even if they are grayed out. For example, In the AutoFit Behavior box, I had checked the Autofit to contents radio button, so the settings for the other radio buttons should have been ignored because they were disabled and appear grayed. However, they seemed to get picked up and inserted into the code even though the radio button for them had not been selected. (The fixed column width radio button had a prior setting of 50% that was grayed. I had to manually change it to 0% even though I was not going to select the radio button for this option.)

Also, the Align box on the Insert Table dialog box must be set to default if you are inserting a table based on a table style that has an indented format. If you have the Align box set to something else (such as left, center, or right), it will override the indent value you have specified for that table style.

Thanks again. I appreciate all the time you spent helping me figure this out!

[frma]

I have just now found a way out of a similar problem (in Flare 3.1).
Two-column tables imported from Word were persistently inheriting 50% width for the columns, regardless of attempts to change the autofit settings. With both table width and column width set to auto according to the XML editor, the topics were still being generated with column widths at 50%.

The solution is to move the column widths manually in the span control so that they are both set to some fixed value, then reset them to auto. Tpoics are then generated properly.

/Francis

[bash7012]

Hi,

This is possibly a very stupid question but re:

When we open the TableStyle Editor for the table and look on the General tab, the left table margin is set to 31 pt for our indented tables as we would like it to be.

...

How do I access the TableStyle Editor so that I can change the table margin?

Kind regards,

[LTinker68]

You have to create a table stylesheet first. To do so, go to Project > Add Table Style. When you do that, a new folder is created under the Resources folder called "TableStyles". Expand that folder and double-click on the stylesheet file. The table stylesheet will appear, although its GUI is different from the normal Stylesheet Editor you get when you edit the main stylesheet.

[bash7012]

Ah! That's what I was looking for. Thank you Lisa. I'd been looking in the Table Properties and general style sheet and wondering why my changes weren't having the desired effect.

Thanks again.