I don't think this will totally suit your needs, as it has no problems automatically expanding vertically, but horizontally is a bit more complicated (you have to remember to drag the right guide):

Make it a table.

Create a table, 3 columns, 3 rows. Set the row height of the top and bottom row to exactly the inset value you want (you might have to set the cell insets to 0 all around before ID allows you to make it very small). Do same for the leftmost and rightmost columns. Then give the inner cell the dotted outline you want, and add some cell insets all around, so your text won't be flush against the dotted border.

Ah — my poor brain. You are correct, you did mention it's just a model name change. Yup — for that you might prefer Conditional Text.

It's as simple as it sounds: you create two conditions, you mark the text that ought to show and hide for each version, and then you can toggle one to On and the other Off.

Just like with layers, you wouldn't want both on or off. I imagine it would be useful to be able to define a set of mutually excluding conditions, so you can't ever have that happen. Perhaps this suggestion can still make it in time for CS5 :-D

Correct: a text frame and all that's inside it is on a separate layer. That includes anchored objects (as these are anchored inside the text).

An alternative could be to put the graphics on a layer of their own, using Text Wrap to have the text, erm, wrapped around them. It might well be worth the trouble of re-doing what you have now; it's how I did a brochure in English, French, Polish, Russian, Spanish … and a dozen more languages.

What you describe can be achieved with Conditional Text (CS4 and, presumably, newer versions), as this can effectively remove and show any text immediately. But it's more meant for tiny changes from one text to another, not the entire contents of a frame. I have no doubt it would work, but using layers is so much more indicated here …

Heh heh. Alphabetically, eh? Adobe added a special trick to the menus, which is always a bit confusing to me as I “grew up” with the menu order as it is.

Hold down Apple+Alt+Shift and select any menu (sorry, behind my Mac now; it must be fairly same-like for Windows). Presto! Instant Alphabetically Sorted Menus!

Perhaps they could make this a Preferences setting.

Edit -> Menus .. (at the very bottom) allows to hide or highlight individual menu items. But no, customizing to the extent you want is not easily possible.

I would not say “totally impossible” because it can be done. InDesign's Scripting languages allow you to add scripts as new menu items on any position you want; so you could create a new menu item called “Rules” that for all intents and purposes does what “Paragraph Rules” does. Not for the faint hearted, though, so only try if it really bugs you.

That said, well, perhaps there is a general want for more menu customization. I would love to be able to create my own context sensitive popup menu, showing only those items I always use. Feel free to let Adobe know your thoughts using their Feature Request Form: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=wishform

Neither.

A placed PDF is treated as an image by InDesign — all of its hyperlinks and booksmarks etc. are discarded (not to mention page transitions — what should happen with these?).

Since a PDF is an image, you cannot search for text inside of it.

(Good news is, if you Export your ID doc to a new PDF, that one is fully searchable — in Acrobat, that is.)

No real problems for me after working for two weeks on Win 7 with CS4. The things you mention may relate to an outdated display driver … (This has been identified as causing ID problems before.)

No real problems for me after working for two weeks on Win 7 with CS4. The things you mention may relate to an outdated display driver … (This has been identified as causing ID problems before.)