Two rows per row?

[Ed Sheehan]

I have a bunch of rows with every other row terminated by a CR. The previous
row is terminated by a manual line break. Can I convert text to table and
have the two rows occupy one table row, with the end of the first row
holding a soft return?

I can manipulate these characters into something else if needed.

|-----------------------------|---------------------|
|This is the first text row | Still the first row | <- Not sure how to
terminate here
|This is the second text row | Still second | before conversion.
|-----------------------------|---------------------|
|This would be table row 2 | and so on |
|Table row 2, text row 4 | and so on |
|-----------------------------|---------------------|

Thanks,

Ed

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

I think what you're asking is whether you can create a two-column table out
of two-line text paragraphs, separating at the line break. I suspect not.
Replace the line break (^l) with a paragraph break (^p) and then convert
text to table, separating at paragraph breaks, but forcing a two-column
table.

 

[Ed Sheehan]

What I an trying for is to flow two text rows into one table row. I already
have 4 columns defined via embedded tabs. It's just that the two rows are
related so I want them in their own table rows.

So if I have 100 text rows, I would end up with 50 table rows, each with two
rows of text inside, for all 4 columns.

Sorry if I'm explaining this badly.

Ed

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

In other words, you basically have a table created with tabs, as follows:

Field 1<tab>Field 2<tab>Field 3<tab>Field 4<line break>
Field 1<tab>Field 2<tab>Field 3<tab>Field 4<paragraph break>

Field 1<tab>Field 2<tab>Field 3<tab>Field 4<line break>
Field 1<tab>Field 2<tab>Field 3<tab>Field 4<paragraph break>

Field 1<tab>Field 2<tab>Field 3<tab>Field 4<line break>
Field 1<tab>Field 2<tab>Field 3<tab>Field 4<paragraph break>

There's undoubtedly a way to do this programmatically, but I think I would
be inclined to start by converting to a four-column table, separating at
tabs. If the line breaks cause an issue, convert them to paragraph breaks
first. Then merge cells vertically to group each pair of entries, using F4
to repeat the operation. Or create the groups visually using line spacing
and application or omission of cell borders.

 

[Ed Sheehan]

Yeah, I was hoping to avoid going thru those steps 1,500 times. Since one
can merely press <Enter> in a cell to create an embedded new row, I thought
there might be a tag or something I could embed to create the same effect in
conversion. But, I guess not. Also, if you do it manually, then convert
table to text, then text to table, you'll lose the groupings, so Word
doesn't preserve that info thru the conversion procedure either.

I may need to rethink the double row deal and maybe scrunch it together on
the same row.

Thanks for your help,

Ed

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

1,500? You have 50 row pairs, each with four columns. I make that 200. Not
that I'd want to do it that many times, either.

 

[Ed Sheehan]

Thanks Lene,

While I was parsing the rows, I discovered that some row "groupings" consist
of three rows. As I read your macro, do I interpret it correctly that it
uses a counter to mathematically arrive at an 'every other row' scheme? If
so, I wonder if it would be possible to group/merge the rows by looking for
a carriage return to establish a new table row.

Thanks very much for the macro. I'll give it a try.

Ed