Some particular points that have frustrated me in the past are: * rows not splitting across pages * not being able to nest a table within a table without putting the inner table in an anchored frame * not being able to rotate a table without putting it in an anchored frame
I know that most of those are surmountable if I'm using FM to create my output, but I use other tools to create output (such as ePublisher), and the results can be less than optimal. For example, ePublisher converts anything in an anchored frame to a graphic, and so text is not formatted for tables within anchored frames. Fred, you mentioned Word in your previous post. I do think that Word handles tables better than FM does, at least with the first two points. I don't think I've tried to rotate a table in Word, so I'm not sure about that. However, as you also mentioned, Word doesn't handle anything else particularly well, so I don't consider is an acceptable tool overall. I do like FM, and it meets most of my needs within acceptable limits. I just don't like the table feature. As for plug-ins, I think it's great that people can come up with plug-ins to fill in the gaps (pardon the pun) in FM. It's the spirit of open source, but with a price tag. A lot of plug-ins aren't free. I would find it embarrassing to constantly have to go to my manager with my cap in hand saying, "Please, sir, I want some more." Nadine --- On Fri, 2/12/10, Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com> wrote: > From: Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com> > Subject: RE: Converting Rows to Headers > To: generic668 at yahoo.ca, "Yves Barbion" <yves.barbion at gmail.com> > Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com > Date: Friday, February 12, 2010, 10:13 AM > > > > > > I was *not* attempting to get into a pissing contest with > you. I am genuinely curious what tool you have found to be > superior at handling tables and why. An opinion without > supporting evidence or experience is not informative. I was > hoping (perhaps naively...) that this thread could be turned > into a discussion that would actually be useful to the > members of the list. Who knows, if you bothered to tell the > list what you see as FrameMaker's shortcomings you might > lear than it is not as inadequate for your needs as you > think. This list has some very savvy and inventive users who > have come up with some very clever solutions to?unusaul > requirements. > -Fred Ridder > > > Date: Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:41:07 -0800 > > From: generic668 at yahoo.ca > > Subject: RE: Converting Rows to Headers > > To: yves.barbion at gmail.com; docudoc at hotmail.com > > CC: framers at lists.frameusers.com > > > > Folks, I have no intention of getting into a pissing > match with you all. If you feel that FM tables works well > for you and meets your needs, excellent. If you have the > budget to buy a plethora of plug-ins, also excellent. > > > > I don't know anything about your processes, > procedures, needs, or budgets. I feel no compunction to tell > you that your perceptions are wrong or to take you to task > publicly and make you justify your perceptions. > > > > Conversely, you don't know my processes, > procedures, needs, and budget either. All I'm saying is > that in my experience, I have not found the table feature in > FM robust enough for me. > > > > You're allowed to disagree with me. I'm okay > with that. Different opinions are a good thing in a forum > because that's what a forum is for. However, your > opinion is an opinion, and not THE answer. My opinion > isn't THE answer either...it's just my opinion. > > > > Nadine > > > > --- On Fri, 2/12/10, Fred Ridder > <docudoc at hotmail.com> wrote: > > > > > From: Fred Ridder <docudoc at hotmail.com> > > > Subject: RE: Converting Rows to Headers > > > To: generic668 at yahoo.ca, "Yves Barbion" > <yves.barbion at gmail.com> > > > Cc: framers at lists.frameusers.com > > > Date: Friday, February 12, 2010, 8:57 AM > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > So what tool(s) do you think does a better job > with tables > > > than FrameMaker? I've used a lot of different > tools over > > > the years, and I find the FrameMaker > implementation to be > > > the best one I've worked with, and one of the > few that > > > actually handles a table as a self-contained > object and not > > > just a bunch of paragraphs with boxes around > them. > > >