Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

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peter.malik
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Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by peter.malik »

Hey folks,

I think it'd be great if TABS could be more customisable.

One specific example that I can think of and the one that bugs me the most pertains to the footnotes:

I've noticed that, as the number of digits in a footnote increases, so decreases the space between a footnote number/character and the footnote text. It seems that the tab that's in between the footnote text and the footnote character follows the ruler and hence diminishes with the increased space taken by the footnote character. It'd be useful to have a way to keep the SAME space between the footnote character and the text, just as you have in the printed books.

Thanks!

Pete
rpcameron
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by rpcameron »

You can already do this, if you modify the paragraph style that governs your footnotes. Just ensure that there is a right aligned tab that is inset a bit before you tab symbol character, and it should have the effect you want:
[Right align tab] [Footnote sym] [Left align tab] [Footnote text]
— Robert Cameron
peter.malik
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by peter.malik »

Thanks so much for your advice. Please, pardon my ignorance, but I'm very ignorant when it comes to these issues. How do I actually insert these tabs? I really have no idea :(
rpcameron
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by rpcameron »

When you create/modify a paragraph style, you add your tabs by dragging them from the tab-well in the ruler. Then, you can click on the tab marker and you can modify its exact position.

The tabs are actually very customizable. You should explore the options when creating paragraph styles more thoroughly.
— Robert Cameron
peter.malik
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by peter.malik »

Please, bear with me. But how do I create more than one tab? And how do I insert a tab before a footnote character? There doesn't seem to be any option to do so.
rpcameron
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by rpcameron »

I responded to your private message, but for others looking here:

The quickest way to get an overview of how Mellel does things is by looking though its help and the Mellel Guide. Many questions are answered there.
— Robert Cameron
peter.malik
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by peter.malik »

I did read your message. Appreciate it. I have worked my way through the Mellel guide, but I still can't seem to figure out how to place a tab before the footnote character. Moreover, when I did try to fool around with this, all my footnotes got messed up in the process and even reverting to the original settings didn't help. Some spaces b/w the footnote character and the text were longer than others, in a totally haphazard fashion. In the process, Mellel crashed on me like seven times.
rpcameron
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by rpcameron »

My apologies. I haven't used Mellel in a while because it no longer provides the features I need. I (incorrectly) had thought that the note style was similar to an Auto-Title, which allowed you to modify its structure. I had forgotten that Mellel only allows your note symbol to be aligned left (or right, for RTL documents), with an optional tab following the symbol.

I apologize for leading you astray and letting you believe what you wish to do is possible—what you wish to do is not possible in Mellel right now. (Situations like this, such as the inability to change how note symbols are presented, custom numbering styles, &c. are part of the reason why I infrequently use Mellel now.)
— Robert Cameron
peter.malik
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by peter.malik »

No worries. It's good to know—at least—that I haven't left any other options unexplored.
peter.malik
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Re: Feature request: More customisation for TABS!

Post by peter.malik »

And,I should add, I hope that developers are reading this thread!
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