text column vs text area

[TheeeDragon]

ok - so I just learned they are different
and how to create each one
and although I 'KNOW' that columns FLOW into NEXT column
but how do you make/connect to the SECOND column? (or can you?)
and how do you see the height limit for the column?

and now that I now KNOW how to make text areas
and how to link if the text is too big for a text area
what is the benefit of the text column? (are there any??)

[gwpriester]

There are a few ways of linking a text column. There is an overflow button lower right in a text area, click that button then either drag to an existing text column or drag a new text column and the text will automatically flow into the next column. Once you have created a new text column, you can adjust the size of it and the text will fill and flow accordingly.

[TheeeDragon]

looks like you linked text AREAS = which I now learned how to do
so why does Xara have text columns? which seem NOT to have a lower boundary
as do the AREAS???

ty

[gwpriester]

This is why they invented the HELP menu.

[TheeeDragon]

read the text area and KNOW it well
was asking why is there a text COLUMN??
as it has no lower limit
(guessing for smaller simple things like the text LINE??

[gwpriester]

The only thing I can think about is it is possible with a text area to divide it into columns. The text in the attached screen capture was one wide text area.

Right click on the text and select Columns and you can break the area into multiple linked text columns.

Each column is separate and you can shorten of lengthen a column and the text automatically re-flows.

[Acorn]

A Text Line will grow to the right until you make a line break. Try to avoid creating any.

A Text Column will fill to the right side and flow down forever.

A Text Area can link into other Text Areas as an overflow.
Text Areas can be spilt into Columns, which are not Text Columns but adjacent top-aligned Text Areas.
These can be reshaped and positioned so are, in reality, just linked Text Areas.
Only Text Areas can be linked.

A Text Column can be extended by moving either end along the red line.
A Text Column can be changed into a Text Area by dragging its end point(s) away from the alignment of the red line.
Shift+Drag on the end point allows you to control the angle and size of the text object

A Text Area can be changed into a Text Column by collapsing the height to zero.
Linked Text Areas cannot do this unless they are unlinked first.

A Text Line cannot be converted into anything else.
You need to Cut & Paste into an existing Text Column or Text Area.

Acorn

[TheeeDragon]

^^ - this matches my current research
THANKS!