two independent columns of text

[birksworks]

Dear All,

I hope you are well.

This suggestion has popped up in the Forum in the past, but I have not been able to tell if this feature has been added or not.

I would like to have two independent columns of text in one document. The left column on page 1 would continue onto the left column of page 2 and not into the right column of page 1. Same thing with the right column--it would contiune onto the right column of the next page and not into the left column of the next page.

Can Mellel 5 do this?

Thanks for your help,

BW

[birksworks]

Note that you can make a table, but if there is too much text in one cell, it disappears beyond the bottom of the page and does not flow over on the next page, which is what happens with a Word table. (And I hate Word!)

[DavidH]

Mellel can’t handle multiple independent text streams like a story-based desktop publishing app. And it won’t continue a table cell or text box across a page break. So I’m afraid the answer to your question is still no at this point. This would be a very useful feature for people offering translations alongside text in an original language, but adding it would represent a pretty big break with how Mellel has handled text up to now.

[birksworks]

Thank you very much for your answer. It isn't the answer I was hoping for--but it is definite!

I have wanted to see this feature in Mellel for more than 10 years and feel ill about having to use tables in Word to make this happen. One would think having text in the cell of a table flow from one page to anther would not be a big deal -- and would also do what I want, but....

Could you recomment other software that will do this (other than Word)?

As it happens, I want this functionality both for parallel translation passges and for comparing two passages from different sources in the same language.

Thanks for your help!

[Amontillado]

When I need something more than is possible in Mellel, I use a desktop publishing application, Affinity Publisher. It's very close to the capabilities of Adobe inDesign with one major difference.

Adobe inDesign is $20.99 per month. Affinity Publisher is $69.99 one time.

You can write in Publisher but you can tell that's not what it's for. You'll need some kind of editor to go along with it. Plain text editors almost make sense, but paragraphs should end with a single newline. Markdown and plain text editors encourage two newlines to separate paragraphs.

When I write a pamphlet, I write the copy in Mellel. Highlight and copy in Mellel, paste and match format in Affinity. That way I control my print style with the styles in Affinity.

Styles in Mellel are far stronger, but if I use Affinity's styles I keep the styles with the Publisher document.

Affinity also has sales from time to time. I got Photo, Designer, and Publisher for $50 each, no subscription.

Add an Epson Ecotank 11x17 printer, a guillotine cutter to even up the edges, and a long reach stapler and you've got a little book production system on your desk. I can print magazine style booklets with equipment all at arm's reach.

I use that setup to write exposé pamphlets about corruption in our local property tax office. I'm very happy with the results. The tax collector is very unhappy. That makes my day.

[DavidH]

A very different option, free but with a longer learning curve, is the LaTex typesetting system, originally created for mathematics but having lots of non mathematical uses. Several of the add-on “packages” that come with a basic LaTex installation and can be called in as you need them are designed to give you delicate control over special purpose column setups. A package that looks especially promising for your purposes is called paracol.