How to use Keep Options for Directory Listing Formatting

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    • #96915
      Candace Cage
      Member

      So, I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve never really used Keep Options before. But I’m working on a project where I believe this would prove very useful. Basically, I’m formatting the following business listing information:

      Name Business Name
      Address Phone

      I have 3 different Paragraph Styles that I’m using, let’s call them PARAGRAPH STYLE A, B, and C, in different combinations. Formatting depends on amount of characters in each listing. So I have the following 4 types of listing groups happening (sorry, I think this is the best way for me to be writing them…):

      A – Name \t
      Business Name¶
      B – Address \t Phone¶

      OR

      A – Name \t
      Business Name¶
      B – Address¶
      \t Phone¶

      OR

      C – Name \t Business Name¶
      B – Address \t Phone¶

      OR

      C – Name \t Business Name¶
      B – Address¶
      \t Phone¶

      What options do I need to apply and to where to get each grouping to stay together and not split between columns of text, causing me to have to adjust the text boxes manually to keep listing entries together? Right now, I have the following applied to STYLE A: Keep with next 1 lines, Keep Lines Together, and All lines in paragraph selected. This seems to sort of be getting the job done, but not completely. I’m still having to adjust, but at least things are snapping into place somewhat nicely when I do. I feel like there must be a way to get both STYLEs A and C modified to do what I need it to do, so I don’t have to adjust any text boxes at all.

      And, not sure if you need to know this information or not, but the hard returns are in place due to the GREPs that my boyfriend wrote for me (still wrapping my head around what they mean and how to write them myself) which were used in the Excel data and in InDesign to call to the information and format it with the Paragraph styles accordingly.

      I’m such a newbie at this – please, any suggestions or other resources you can refer me to would be helpful. I feel like I’ve read a bunch of things, on this site and otherwise, and still can’t seem to figure it out.

      If you’ve read this far – THANK YOU!

    • #96922

      From looking at your examples, I’d say you want style B to keep with previous lines. In your keep together options, there is an area to say keep with previous.

      Also have style C keep with next lines.

      What is the “/t”?

    • #96924
      Candace Cage
      Member

      Hi Dwayne,

      Thanks for your response! That makes sense to me, but will that still work when there’s a hard return, and essentially two lines of STYLE B? Or will it still split in those instances and just keep A and B together when B is one line, and B and B together when it’s two lines?

      The \t is to signify a Tab.

    • #96925
      Candace Cage
      Member

      Dwayne – you are awesome! I tried it out, and it worked perfectly. THANK YOU! :)

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