Preserving formatting in a text container field

[George P]

Hi:

 

I'd like to preserve line offset formatting in FMP.

 

For example, here's what I have in Word:

 

1. Four score and seven years ago

     A. Four score and seven years ago

         I. Four score and seven years ago

              a. Four score and seven years ago

              b. Four score and seven years ago

     B. Four score and seven years ago

         I. Four score and seven years ago

              a. Four score and seven years ago

                  i. Four score and seven years ago

              b. Four score and seven years ago

                  i. Four score and seven years ago

                  ii. Four score and seven years ago

 

And here's what one sees in FM Pro:

 

1. Four score and seven years ago

A. Four score and seven years ago

I. Four score and seven years ago

a. Four score and seven years ago

b. Four score and seven years ago

B. Four score and seven years ago

I. Four score and seven years ago

a. Four score and seven years ago

i. Four score and seven years ago

b. Four score and seven years ago

i. Four score and seven years ago

ii. Four score and seven years ago

 

Any and all suggestions welcome. Thank you!

 

PS I'm using FMP12 and would happily upgrade to FMP13 if this would fix the issue. Much appreciated.

[comment]

You just need to insert the appropriate amount of tabs at the beginning of each line.

[bcooney]

George, imho you are in for a world of pain. Perhaps storing a PDF?

[comment]

George, imho you are in for a world of pain.

 

 

Why would you think so?

 

[Lee Smith]

comment beat me again.

I would add that you can control the TABs by turning on the rulers “View” >> Ruler in Browser mode.

[Charity]

Hi Comment,

Would you be willing to show us how you do that?  Do you use records for each line and keep the 1. A. b. numbers in separate field and how do you then sort them?  I think I can see how you insert the number of tabs according to the indent but that means you have kept the indent number in each row also, right? Did you then write this to a single field at the end?

[Lee Smith]

Are you talking about a hierarchical view of portals? If so, here is a file that may help by comment Getting More Out of Filtered Portals: 6. Hierarchical Portal

[bcooney]

Because, FM is not a word-processor. Yes, I've have been there doing tabs in mail merge modules, and the user keeps expecting more and more word-processing functionality. I would bet, but probably shouldn't have assumed, that the next request is for hanging indents. Just say no.

[comment]

Would you be willing to show us how you do that? 

 

There's no "that" being done here. The title of the thread is "preserving formatting"; I merely copied the above text, replaced runs of spaces with tabs and pasted the result into a text field.

[comment]

Because, FM is not a word-processor. Yes, I've have been there doing tabs in mail merge modules, and the user keeps expecting more and more word-processing functionality. I would bet, but probably shouldn't have assumed, that the next request is for hanging indents. Just say no.

 

I agree that Filemaker is no word processor. Still, everyone should make up their own mind regarding what's reasonable to implement and what isn't, balancing their own requirement priorities against their own developer resources.

 

Hanging indents, BTW, are trivial to implement:

 

[bcooney]

I know how to do a hanging indent, comment.    As you've told me in the past, I must pay attention to what I post, as I have a bit of reputation and "if Barbara finds it difficult, well, I shouldn't go there."

 

So, I'll refine my response. "OP, I don't know where you're going with this. FM has the ability to define tabs in text fields. However, it is not a word-processor. Why do you need the formatted text stored in a FileMaker text field? Are the formatting requirements (tabs) similar to each other? Will you be printing this text? How many pages do you expect to have in each field?"

[comment]

As you've told me in the past, I must pay attention to what I post, as I have a bit of reputation and "if Barbara finds it difficult, well, I shouldn't go there."

 

 

I said that? How sensible of me! 

[bcooney]

Yes, my favorite left-handed compliment from you!

[George P]

Thanks to all for their input; much appreciated!

 

Here is more detail:

• The “1.” Level has no indents and no tabs
• The “A.” level has no indents and one tab stop at 0.25”
• The “I” level has no indents and one tab stop at 0.5”
• The “a.” level has no indents and one tab stop at 0.75”
• The “i” level has no indents and one tab stop at 1.0”

So, my question would be, how do I "convert" the tab stops in Word (that have multiple different values) into something that can be imported into FMP that will preserve these offsets?

• Is there a way in Word to search for, say, a tab stop of 0.5" and convert it into two tab stops of 0.25" each? Would this preserve the offsets in FMP?
• Is there a way in Word to search for, say, a tab stop of 0.5" and convert it into a certain number of spaces that is double the number of spaces for a tab stop of 0.25"?

 

Sorry, these are likely easy, basic queries but I'm a complete computer idiot. Much appreciated!

[Charity]

Well I didn't know about that hanging indent, bcooney.  Who would think beginning it will minus would solve the problem I had when trying it months ago.   I should have asked here I see now.

 

Sorry Comment I misunderstood the field.  It looked like records and I figured a field held the tier level and you somehow made each field jut to the right according to some trick.   I see now it is not records but lines in a text field and still I learned from it many things.

jut to the right according to the tier number like tier 1 is no jut but tier 2 is 5 and tier 3 is 10 etc so I misunderstood it all.

I mean jutting by time sing the tier number times some number to indent and not a field behaviour.  forget I was here.

[comment]

So, my question would be, how do I "convert" the tab stops in Word (that have multiple different values) into something that can be imported into FMP that will preserve these offsets?

 

I don't think that's possible (or if possible, feasible). AFAIK, when you paste text from another application, you paste only the characters and (if pasting rich text) the character styling - but not the paragraph styles, where the positions of tab stops live (this is different from copy/pasting within the Filemaker application, where paragraph styles are preserved).

[comment]

Who would think beginning it will minus would solve the problem

 

It doesn't really begin with a minus. Conceptually, it begins with setting the 'Left' indent to say 36 px (to the right). Then you set the 'First line' indent relative to that.

 

 

I mean jutting by time sing the tier number times some number to indent

 

Ahm ... what language is that?

 

Actually, I think I know what you mean. Lee pointed to a demo where something like that is implemented, IIRC.

[Charity]

Oh.  Your second screen shot in #10 above appears to show -36 in the first indent where I got that from.  And the link by Lee was good but I was thinking you were indenting on a layout and not a portal.  I just realised it is probably the same thing as a list view which is what I was hoping.  I will play with it further.  I am working on similar which is why I got interested.  Thanks guys.

Oh "time sing" was an auto correct error.  I meant "TIMESING" darn auto correct keeps fixing it.  Multiplying is the word I was looking for not another language.  Jutting is indenting I think also.

[comment]

Oh.  Your second screen shot in #10 above appears to show -36 in the first indent where I got that from. 

 

Well, I said "conceptually". You cannot set the 'First line' indent to a negative amount, unless you have set the 'Left' indent to a positive amount (equal to or larger than the negative amount) first.