I’ve written several three-movement works. I’m trying to create a title page template including a table of contents made up entirely of tokens (so that I can use the template for different multi-movement works). I’ll refer to this screenshot (post continues below):
In the middle you’ll see a frame with three rows, each with a number, the flow name token, and the first page number token for each flow. The question: How do I R-justify the flow page number tokens? I’ve looked through a couple of tab-related threads on this forum and I’m missing something basic:
How do I insert an R-tab stop? I’ve gleaned from other threads that if I click the relevant text box frame boundary, the properties panel displays this (continues below):
But if insert a tab using the tab key on my Mac keyboard between, say, the two tokens in the first row of the relevant frame, none of the property panel settings seem to do anything for that tab (and the tab that is inserted is an L-tab).
Can someone be so kind as to clarify for me step-by-step 1.how to insert an R-tab and 2. how to change the tab’s spacing? (I realize this may not be a great way to do a table of contents given that Dorico doesn’t support leading characters, but I’d still love to know what I’m doing wrong with regard to tab creation and manipulation).
I think it all works. Note that you’ve got the left tab stop set to 0.35mm, which is a tiny amount. By the time you press tab, you’re already past that location.
Note also that a left tab stop is measured to the left edge of what you want to align, and a right tab stop is measured to the right edge.
Here the grid lines are 5mm apart. You can see that the start of the second column is 15mm (3 boxes) from the left frame edge, and the right side of the third column is 65mm (13 boxes) from the left frame edge.
There is no such thing as a left tab or right tab character – there is just a single tab character. The tab character just tells text to move to the next tab stop, and the properties of that tab stop determine how the text aligns.
Thanks, very helpful! So it seems that there are only three formattable tab stops possible in a text box. What was confusing me was this:
If you don’t activate any of the “tab stop” boxes in the Properties panel, the tab key still functions, but in a “default mode” of a few spaces at a time (you can tab your way through a line).
Now, if you activate the left tab stop and set it to, say, 50mm (thanks for pointing out the fact that .35mm is not a particularly useful distance ), then the first time you hit the tab key, the cursor jumps to 50mm. If you then hit tab again, the “default” tab distance of the tab key applies out to the end of the line (the cursor moves maybe 5 mm each time).
If you also activate the center tab stop and set a distance, of, say 100mm, then the first two tab stops will go to their respective distances, and then if you tab further within that line to the right of the second tab, that default tab spacing will apply to the rest of the line.
Ditto for the right tab stop. And if you have only the left and right tabs active, if there is still room to the right of the right tab stop, the “default tab spacing” applies out to the end of the line.
Does that make sense? It would be helpful if Dorico text boxes could display ¶ symbols, but I know it’s not a word processor.
), then the first time you hit the tab key, the cursor jumps to 50mm. If you then hit tab again, the “default” tab distance of the tab key applies out to the end of the line (the cursor moves maybe 5 mm each time).