[softwarelist] Re: Columns

In article <464AAE1C.4000802@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, Peter Prewett
<pprewett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> The Master Page set-up cannot go above 10 columns in page and
> it only allows a change to the guttering or column width not
> both.

One is dependent on the other, i.e. page width = (column width *
no. of columns) + (guttering + (no. of columns - 1). So, having
set the width of a given frame and the number of columns within
it, you can then choose either the width of the columns or of the
guttering between them, but not both.

But if you want (say) 20 frames to a page just create two
equal-width frames and link them, and make each one ten columns
(and make sure that the space between the frames is the same as
the guttering between the columns). For 15 columns perhaps three
frames each of five columns to make the maths simpler!

> I have tried creating as a master page the 15 frames, with a
> right hand border, butted up to each other across the page and
> linking them. It is a long winded process as it requires copy
> and pasting left to right . . .

. . . or Object > Duplicate to make things easier and more
precise . . .

> . .. and then going right to left to bring each frame to the
> front to ensure the borders are showing and then going back to
> the document and no borders. It appears that one cannot but up
> (columned) frames with a border, master page with borders and
> the document no borders. It may be that I need to create a
> space between each frame.

Yes, the border is outside the frame, so to have to frames with
their borders abutting the space between them must be twice the
border width. Again, easy to control precisely if you use
Object > Duplicate

> The original file has 4 pages of 10 columns and saving the
> text and pasting into the new document with 15 linked frames
> (columns) does not create new pages. One has to create
> sufficient blank pages first before pasting. I thought that
> making a  the master page that any text overflow would
> automatically create a new frame.

It sounds as if you haven't created an autolink chain: as well as
linking the first to the second, second to third, etc., you also
ned to link the last back to the first. This is shown as a green
arrow, whereas the earlier links are black arrows. If you create
a 'Default master frame' when creating a document this master
frame is automatically linked to itself in this way: one green
arrow linking the frame back onto itself.

> I have spent some time trying to get it right but it looks
> like a number of work arounds are needed.

No, this is all standard stuff, although I hadn't realised there
was a limit of ten columns per frame before -- I more often use
individual frames. You learn something new every day . . .


Peter Newble.

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