Returned values break over two pages

[Kevin Fay]

I have two text boxes that I have linked together. I have a total of 5 rules that return tagged text. The tagged text consists of a table and formatted text for the table. A record can have as few as 1 returned value, and as many as 4 or 5. The returns are different sizes. I have the two boxes linked together because if they have more returns, the tables need to flow to the next page.

 

My issue is when certain tables are returned and the formatted text shows up on the first page, but the table shows up on the next. Is there a simple way to make sure that everything gets bumped to the next page?

 

The only thing I can think of is to do some math to figure out which values are present and stick some extra space between them to push the rest of the returns to the next page.

[mhilger]

Kevin,

 

Here's a little trick that I've used in the past to ensure that a block of text stays together in these overflow situations. This is based on the fact that we will never break a single row of a table in an overflow.

 

So... you can put all of your text in a table. Now this will be your formatted text and the table data you already have.

 

The trick is - make a very skinny column for your first column in the table. Then, use the vstraddle attribute for the first cell for this new column and straddle all rows in your table.

 

If memory serves, you need to put some content in this straddled cell for it to work in this scenario. Put in a non-breaking space ( ) at a small pointsize so it fits in the skinny column.

 

The end result is that we will not break this straddled cell across frames/pages in overflow situations so everything will stay together as you expect. You DO need to make sure that there is enough room for this table, though, in the frames or else the entire table will not appear.

 

hth

[Kevin Fay]

Mark thanks for the tip. I probably wouldn't have thought of doing it, but it makes sense.

[Kevin Fay]

I can't get it to work. I either get the red line at the bottom of the box, or Acrobat crashes.

 

Here is a simple table that I made that uses the vstraddle tag and it doesn't show up in the text box. There is definitely enough space for it. It works until I add the vstraddle.

 

    var table = '';
       table = table + '<table columns="4" alignment = "left" margins ="top:0;bottom:0;left:0;right:0"';
       table = table + 'BoxRules="top:none;bottom:none;left:none;right:none"';
       table = table + 'ColumnRules="frequency:1;default:none;alternate:none"';
       table = table + 'RowRules="Default:none">';
       table = table + '<column width = 72 /><column width = 7200 /><column width = 7200 /><column width = 7200 />';
       table = table + '<row>';
       table = table + '<cell vstraddle="2"> ';
       table = table + '<cell hstraddle="3"  shading="PANTONE 371 C,50">Text';
       table = table + '<row>';
       table = table + '<cell shading="PANTONE 371 C,100">2008 Measurement Unit %: ';
       table = table + '<cell> ';
       table = table + '<cell shading="PANTONE 371 C,100">2008 Measurement Unit %: ';

       table = table + '</table>';

   return table;