Under-documented features... [-STOP THE DISCUSSION-]
> 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.) I haven't followed this thread closely, but if you have a book, you don't have to import formats file by file. You open your source file, bring the book to the front, select the components that you want to update, and do File > Import > Formats. In addition, there are a couple of third-party tools to help you. One is my ImportFormatsSpecial plugin, which allows you to import user variables and system variables separately. Another is FrameScript, which allows you to add your own "super" variable functionality to FrameMaker. Of course, it takes some time and scripting expertise (or money to buy a script), but for the most part, the sky is the limit. Rick Quatro Carmen Publishing 585-659-8267 www.frameexpert.com
Under-documented features... [-STOP THE DISCUSSION-]
> 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.) This is no chore at all. Define and set the variable in your title chapter. Then in the Book window, select each of the files you want to have the variable in and File -> Import -> Formats -> variable definitions -> Import. To get the variable to show up, you will need to then update the page layout in a 'body chapter' (for instance, you might want to add the title to your page header). Then again from the book window, select all of the body files you want to have the variable in and File -> Import -> Formats -> Page Layouts -> Import. If you define this properly in a template file, you will only have to perform the first step (import the variable) in any subsequent project. This is the same functionality that your 'master variable' thing does ... and it is already present as a book-level operation in FrameMaker. This email and any attachments are only for use by the intended recipient(s) and may contain legally privileged, confidential, proprietary or otherwise private information. Any unauthorized use, reproduction, dissemination, distribution or other disclosure of the contents of this e-mail or its attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the original.
Under-documented features... [-STOP THE DISCUSSION-]
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."
Under-documented features... [-STOP THE DISCUSSION-]
>> Initially I wrote to ask for help solving a problem involving variables >> sprinkled throughout a book, liberally throughout each chapter. My >> question was, is there a variable I can change and run through an entire >> book that'll put the book title in the page header of every chapter? << >> The general responses seem to be (1) nope, not in FrameMaker and (2) why >> don't you try using cross-references? Or import the variables from my >> title chapter into every other file? I am bemused by the lack of >> interest in what I think is a potentially valuable feature for FrameMaker. << The feature is already there. You can do it with any user variable you create! 1. Open a file. It can be a file already in the book, a separate template file, or a new empty file. 2. Create a new variable (Special> Variable> Create variable). Give it a name-- for example "BookTitle." Assign the title of your book as the definition of this variable. Example: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to FrameMaker." Click Add, Done, and Done. You now have your variable. You only have to create it once. 3. Leave the file open. If you close it, the next step will not work. 4. Open the .BOOK file where you want this variable to work. 5. Select all documents in the book. (Ctrl-a) 6. Choose File> Import> Formats. From the dropdown list under "Import from Document" choose the file in which you just created your variable. Deselect all checkboxes, except for "Variable Definitions." Click the Import button. Your variable now exists in every book in the file. Again, you only have to do this once. 7. That's it. "The Complete Idiot's Guide to FrameMaker" will show anywhere you insert the variable in those documents. Most likely, you will insert it in the header on a master page, so that it shows automatically in the page headers like you asked. Note: If you do this, don't forget to use File> Import> Formats and select only "Page Layouts" to import the new master page to the other book files, or your variable won't show because they'll still contain the old master page layout. You can also insert the variable anywhere in the text anywhere you might want the book title to appear-- on the title page, copyright page, in the body text, or wherever. This has the advantage that, if you change the title at the last minute, you need only change the definition of the variable, and then reimport it to the book docs. It will fix headers and entries in the text at the same time. Powerful! Mike Wickham
