Where can I find good documentation about the Text Ruler?

Questions
21

If you select text in a field and apply any kind of styling the information is stored as a Character style and/or Paragraph style for the text. That is metadata, and because it is associated with the data you will not find that information in the DDR or XML copy. You will find it on the clipboard when you cut or copy the data.

You can apply character styles and paragraph styles to the field in layout mode. These are stored in Local Styles or in the selected theme. You will find these in the DDR or XML copy.

22

I finally saw the light ! I brought FMS, FMP and FMGo to the latest version 19.6.3. The fields in the database were brought back with an Auto-Enter that remove the format, and the check box that does not execute the Auto-Enter if any text was checked.

I copied the text form Word to FileMaker and set the Text Ruler accordingly for first Level and second Level. To work fine, I need to have the right pointer blue triangle over the down pointing triangle. Now in FMGo, the text is as seen on FMP !!!

I suspect a fix was incorporated in FMP or FMGo, buts since Claris does not list everything in the list of changes, I can't tell which app fixed my issue.

The Text Ruler is a nightmare to use: it's hard to select the Dash that defines the beginning position of the line, same thing for the triangle. And if you click in the wrong place you get a new blue arrow.

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23

You could SUBSTITUTE ( "¶" ; "¶" & Char (9) ) to force a TAB to the front of each line of text.??

24

Here is how I finally solved my problem.

This is how the text ruler is set for Level 1

image

  1. This grey dash sets the position of the first character, the bullet.

  2. The grey triangle sets the the position of the next character, where we want the paragraph to be left align. For the paragraph to be left align, we need something else.

  3. A Tab like this one needs to set set at the same EXACT position as the grey triangle.

Doing all this using the mouse/trackpad is next to impossible. Bout I found a way to do this without using the mouse/trackpad.

First select contiguous paragraphs for the same level, for example Level1.

Second, do Format > Lines Spacing > Other... this dialog is shown:

image

  1. In the Left field, set the position of the grey dash.

  2. In the First field, set the position of the grey triangle.

  3. It is possible to click the Tabs... button to set the Tab position, but it's better to it in the Inspector for the field. In fact in the field, I set the position for the three levels, I now need 3 levels.

I looked for some way to automate these entries, and @Malcolm suggested a product that creates macros. I also found out that MacOS has a built in app for that purpose, but they doesn't seem to be simple to learn, specifically the one from Apple. Since I didn't have time for that, I left that method away.

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