2-column tables

create page on the wiki and then promote it on wwp-users

I’m using FrameMaker 7.2 with ePublisher Pro 2009.4 to generate Microsoft HTML Help 1.x format CHMs.

I have a unique 2-column table set up for each admonition style (Note, Tip, Caution, and Warning). Each admonition type has two paragraph tags; one for each column. The left column contains the icon and the right column contains the text. The following is an example for the Note table:

Table name: Note

Column 1 paragraph tag: Admonition Note Icon (references Note.png)

Column 2 paragraph tag: Admonition Note Text


	Note: The left column that contains the icon should have a fixed width when you resize the CHM window.

Problem:

Currently, when you resize the CHM window, both columns resize proporitonally. This looks messy when you have adjacent tables and the text each in table is not aligned properly. Ideally, the left column should have a fixed size, and only the right column should resize.

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I have followed the instructions in the wiki article named "2-Celled Note Table" (http://wiki.webworks.com/HelpCenter/Tips/2CelledNoteTable) without success. That solution works fine if your output is Dynamic HTML, but not if the output is Microsoft HTML Help 1.x. The main problem is that all icons are missing when you output to Microsoft HTML Help 1.x. To verify, you can download the "2-Celled Note Table" wiki project, change the output format from Dynamic HTML to Microsoft HTML Help 1.x and recompile. You’ll notice that all the icons are missing. At first I thought it only affected my personal projects. The tables are formatted properly, but the images are missing in the output, even though the source image files are stored in the correct location. I suspect the content.xsl and wrappers.fti override files need to be updated for each output type, but I’m not sure how to update those files.

I had a support case with WebWorks support, but they were unable to offer a solution. Ben Allums kindly offered some suggestions, such as including a custom CSS file and some CSS selectors. I have tried to the best of my ability to get this to work as well, but no success yet.

Ben suggested I create a page on the wiki and promote it here on the wwp-users group, so I’m following his advice. I hope uploaded a small project in hopes that someone can offer some guideance and help me find a solution that works.

In summary, your "2-Celled Note Table" example works fine for Dynamic HTML, but not for Microsoft HTML Help 1.x.

This would all be much simpler if ePublisher implemented a per-table "Fixed width for first column" option in the Style Designer. <wink>

Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Morten Saether

Note table

•	Table name: Note.

•	The paragraph tag in the first column is named Admonition Note Icon. This paragraph tag’s Frame Above Pgf setting is assigned to Note Icon. On the Reference page, Note Icon points to an external file named Note.png.

•	The paragraph in the second column is named Admonition Note Text.


	Note: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Note: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Note: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST

Tip table

•	Table name: Tip.

•	The paragraph tag in the first column is named Admonition Tip Icon. This paragraph tag’s Frame Above Pgf setting is assigned to Tip Icon. On the Reference page, Tip Icon points to an external file named Tip.png.

•	The paragraph in the second column is named Admonition Tip Text.


	Tip: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Tip: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Tip: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST

Caution table

•	Table name: Caution.

•	The paragraph tag in the first column is named Admonition Caution Icon. This paragraph tag’s Frame Above Pgf setting is assigned to Caution Icon. On the Reference page, Caution Icon points to an external file named Caution.png.

•	The paragraph in the second column is named Admonition Caution Text.


	Caution: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Caution: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Caution: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST

Warning table

•	Table name: Warning.

•	The paragraph tag in the first column is named Admonition Warning Icon. This paragraph tag’s Frame Above Pgf setting is assigned to Warning Icon. On the Reference page, Warning Icon points to an external file named Warning.png.

•	The paragraph in the second column is named Admonition Warning Text.


	Warning: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Warning: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST


	Warning: TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST TEST