IDCS: Paste tabbed text into formatted table

[Scott_Falkner@adobeforums.com]

I have formatted a table I like, and I want to import unformatted tabbed text into the existing table. I cannot paste into more than one selected cell. I can paste the text into one cell, but that's no help at all. I tried converting the text to a table, but the three columns I should get turn into about twenty columns.

[Dave_Saunders@adobeforums.com]

Scott,

I wrote a script to do that in CS. I've packaged it up as a shareware product available from my web site, here: Populate Table From Clipboard <http://www.pdsassoc.com/index.php?Nav=solnssub&Ban=PopulateTableFromClipbo ard&Info=PDSproducts/PopulateTableFromClipboard/index.php>.

It runs in "demo mode" until you register. Demo mode is fully functional; it just gently reminds you that the product is shareware every now and then.

Dave

[Scott_Falkner@adobeforums.com]

Hey! Pretty nifty!

I don't know if I will use this. I need to create a template which will be used by several other people. It's bad enough that I need to use an intermediary program to strip text formatting, but then installing a script, and training people to use it (oh, and convincing management to pay for it) is making a moutain from a molehill. I might be better off using tabs, although I'll loose automatic alternate row shading, and miss it terribly.

[John Mensinger]

Scott,

If you do use tabbed text, but still want alternating shaded rows, you could set up a paragraph style with a rule of appropriate tint, along with a stroke width and offset to make it fall behind your text and look just like a shaded table row...

[Scott_Falkner@adobeforums.com]

Yes, I do that myself quite often (too bad it doesn't survive a Convert to Outlines). I fear that will be too complicated an unintuitive for some of the users the file is intended for. They are used to using files with shaded bars behind, and this might be a new trick for an old(ish) dog.

The more I think about it, the more I think I'll take the plunge and educate them on a superior method.