John Milligan wrote:
But let me be allowed to debunk the notion of using cross-references
to do the same thing. If they all turn into clickable links, as was
noted by several, why would I want to do that?
Because they only become clickable links in a PDF with Acrobat data
enabled; there are lots of other deliverables from FrameMaker that
aren't interactive PDF, and x-ref's do just fine for those other
purposes. You didn't tell us what your final output was, so we gave you
the info we could that might help.
And about importing
the variables and/or master pages from the title chapter... file by
file, that charming chore gets tedious really quick. (Not to mention
that if your variables are slightly off... Well. even more work.)
You don't have to do it file by file. Open your Book file and your Title
chapter, and in your Book window select all the other chapter files.
Then import (variable) formats to all of them in one swell foop.
Pilot error is a problem in any application...
So, in closing allow me to introduce what I call the "super"
variable. I initially create a variable named "book_title" with a
placeholder description "[booktitle]". I place it in the title
chapter, but the dialog box gives me a special option -- "apply this
across a book". This master variable becomes the key to all other
instances of this variable throughout a book. I then populate the
rest of my book files with the variable entitled "book-title", and
when I compile my book --- VOILA! -- all the chapter variables look
to the master variable in the title chapter. And... when I change the
definition to the actual, real title and recompile the book? It's a
thing of beauty. Ha, and they said it couldn't be done!
With all the interoperability between autonumbering and variables
already existing in FrameMaker, I don't see why something like this
couldn't be done. Oh well.
I believe other list members mentioned one or more of the various
plug-ins that are available for this sort of thing; Bookvars from
Leximation, for example: http://www.leximation.com/tools/info/bookvars.php
FM was designed to be extensible, and developers have taken good
advantage of that. There are hundreds of plug-ins and Framescripts out
there that cover just about any need you might have.
Anyway, I am really not here to argue, but to propose. For those of
us still missing the indexing dialog box from PageMaker, and still
groaning over its miserly counterpart in FrameMaker, I dedicate this
letter.
Have a look at the indexing plug-ins that are available. I use IXGen,
and I think it's fabulous (and it's not limited to just index markers).
There are others that a little googling will turn up for you.
Best regards,
--
Stuart Rogers
Technical Communicator
Phoenix Geophysics Limited
Toronto, ON, Canada
+1 (416) 491-7340 x 325
srogers phoenix-geophysics com
"Developers explain How the Product Works.
Technical writers explain How to Work the Product."
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