Hi Nancy This plugin can prevent you from wrecking your headers (Running H/F):
http://www.frameexpert.com/plugins/importformatsspecial/index.htm I don't have a spreadsheet, but I do have a "Template Guide" (or sometimes I call it a "metatemplate"), in which I document (almost) everything which I have designed in my template. It's just a regular FrameMaker file in which I have examples of all of my paragraph tags, character tags, table formats, cross-reference formats etc. I also briefly describe how to use some components of the template. For DITA-based templates, I have included hyperlinks to the DITA Language Specification<http://docs.oasis-open.org/dita/v1.1/CD01/langspec/ditaref-type.html#topic>for more tips on usage and examples. You've made a good point here: "document your template" (for yourself and your colleagues). This is also rule n? 1 of my FrameMaker Template Design classes. Cheers -- Yves Barbion ? Managing Director ? Adobe-Certified FrameMaker Instructor www.scripto.nu ? skype: yves.barbion ? T: +32 494 12 01 89 On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 7:33 PM, Nancy Allison <maker at verizon.net> wrote: > Hi, everyone. I've created a template that I'm pretty happy with. It is > structured like a book file and contains separate files for front matter, > preface, body text, and index. > > I am trying to keep track of how I did things in it. For example, I've used > one variable in the headers for the unnumbered chapters (Index, TOC, > Preface). I've used a separate variable in the headers of the numbered files > (chapters and appendixes). This means that I can't carelessly copy the page > layouts from, say, the Index file into the Chapter file, or I'll have to > spend time fixing the headers that I've just wrecked. > > Just to be clear, here are the things I can copy from one file into all the > others without doing harm: > > Variable definitions > Cross-reference formats > Table formats > Character formats (the list is short, so no reason to tailor it to each > type of file) > Color Definitions > Document Properties > Reference Pages > Conditional Text Settings > Math Definitions > > Things I can't -- I have settings tailored to each type of file in the > template: > > Paragraph formats (in each file I include only the relevant paragraph > formats. Cuts the list way down.) > Page Layouts > > > I think. > > My question to you: Do you have a spreadsheet, or some other table or form > that you use to keep track of what the heck you have set in your template? > > I googled "Framemaker template inventory" and got only hits for templates > for tracking inventory (like widgets). > > Right now, all the nifty features of my template are fresh in my mind. If I > go away and work on something else, I won't remember how I set it up. Surely > after all these years there are off-the-shelf tools for keeping track of how > a template is set up. > > I am more than willing to shell out for a wondrous plug-in, if someone has > created one that meets this need. > > --Nancy > _______________________________________________ > > > You are currently subscribed to Framers as yves.barbion at gmail.com. > > Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com. > > To unsubscribe send a blank email to > framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com > or visit > http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/yves.barbion%40gmail.com > > Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit > http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info. >