PBB: Query regarding text boxes and line numbers
I am currently working on a PB of John Donne's Holy Sonnets and Divine poems (with a couple of other major works thrown in for good measure) and was wondering if anyone knew any workarounds for the following.
Line numbers.
Some of the poems are long and I want to add line numbers (as per below), but I do not want them to act as part of the surface text (because this will effect copy and paste and the format when resizing the window). I was wondering if there was any way of getting the numbers to act like bible verse numbers but look like line numbers?
Text boxes.
I've added the commentary on the original text using text boxes, but, unfortunately, this has not carried over into the PB. I was wondering, therefore, if anyone had come across a better way of doing this. Again, I could do with this not acting with the surface text (so that cut and paste and formatting is not effected), but I can live with it as part of the surface text if there is no work around.
Once again, I really appreciate any advice more experienced/able users might be able to provide.
This is a screen shot from the PB in L4,
This is a screenshot from Word (i.e. how it should look),
Comments
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Andy -
Did you try using a table instead of a text box? Also, if you want to upload the .docx file, I will take a look.
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alabama24 said:
Andy -
Did you try using a table instead of a text box? Also, if you want to upload the .docx file, I will take a look.
Hi Alabama,
I have uploaded the .docx file.
I haven't tried tables yet, but if they work, that would be a helpful workaround.
I have only added line numbers to the last two poems (Anatomy and Progress). If I can get it to work so that it doesn't mess up formatting and copying, I will add line numbers to the other more substantial works.
I intend on adding some textual notes (probable dates of composition, textual variations, etc.). I may add headwords, etc... I just need to think about how useful (or otherwise) this might be.
Thank you very much indeed for looking at this. It is much appreciated.
Andy
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Andy -
I don't think I have everything figured out yet, but here is my attempt. I created a table with three columns, and placed 10 lines of text in each row. In the middle column, I put the numbers, and in the last column, I placed your commentary.
Highlighting text works well until you get to the bottom of the row, where it wants to also highlight/copy the center and left columns. I don't know if this is a better solution for you or not.
NOTE: this is just a small section of your document.
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alabama24 said:
I don't think I have everything figured out yet, but here is my attempt.
Hi Alabama,
Firstly, apologies for the delay in responding, we are in different timezones (I am in the UK).
Thanks so much for your help with this, I had not thought of using tables so extensively, but this may well be a solution. I am going to play around with this today. I am going to try using a table, with three columns but without rows, running through the entire document. I am not sure whether this will mess up the formatting/be incredibly unwieldy. If I get it to work, I will report back as this may, I guess, be useful for someone else.
I have also browsed in my existing L4 library and note that Paradise Lost does not have line numbers which, I would suggest, is a problem should anyone wish to undertake any serious study. Book IX is over 1100 lines long. I was thinking whether there was any way of applying a custom highlight or visual filter to address the numbering issue (as this could then be turned on an off), but I cannot see anyway of getting L4 to undertake a line count.
I was also wondering how you had managed to fix the double spacing issues?
In terms of the margin notes, I was wondering if anyone could point to a L4 resource which uses margin notes (or line numbers) so that I can look at how L4 handles this scenario. I note that the Bunyan collection converts what I recall to be marginal notes to footnotes. This would, I guess, be the easiest solution.
I would also be interested to learn whether anyone else has attempted to created a PB of poetry/verse and whether this has proved more successful.
And thanks once again, Alabama, I am very grateful for your wise advice and kind assistance with this.
Andy
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Andy Evans said:
I was also wondering how you had managed to fix the double spacing issues?
It took me about half an hour to figure this one out! There is a style called "no spacing." Originally I had tried using "soft" returns on each line [shift-return], but this caused the text to become justified, and for poetry you really want left aligned.
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alabama24 said:
It took me about half an hour to figure this one out! There is a style called "no spacing."
Thanks for this, Alabama. I was aware of the 'no spacing' formatting, but some the effected text appeared to be single spaced in the .docx - I will know to double check this first, next time.
I have gone with a modified version of your table and, although fiddly, this seems to be workable in Word. Strangely, however, things then go haywire when building in L4. I have attached screenshots and you will see that the PBB appears to change the line spacing from 10 lines to 7ish lines. I have toggled the 'no spacing' on the column in question, but it seems to make no difference. Also, if you flick down to An Anatomy and Progress you will find the formatting really becomes bizarre (albeit, I have spent very little time at that end of the document).
It is not my intention to impose further on your valuable time, but I report back wondering if this is in fact a bug. If so, it will potentially effect different types of tables and I will then post separately as a bug.
It may just be that what I am attempting is beyond the capabilities of the PBB, which would be a shame.
I have also attached the .docx for completeness.
0572.Donne - Divine Poems and Holy Sonnets - table test 3.docx
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