Preserving forced returns in a cross-reference

[Guest]

Hi.

I have a document where I would like to cross-reference paragraphs that have forced returns in them.

Unfortunatelly the returns are lost.

Any idea on how to accomplish this?

I am using unstructured FrameMaker 10.

Thank You

Peter

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

Use Text Insets instead of xrefs

[Bob_Niland]

> Use Text Insets instead of xrefs

Can a document text inset from itself (assuming that's the requirement here)?

If so, wouldn't the target text need to be in a unique Flow?

I'm thinkin' it might be easier to craft the original text as a variable, including hard returns ( \r ) as needed, then just use the var everywhere needed.

[Jeff_Coatsworth]

That would probably be even easier ;>)

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

I always teach xrefs, variables, and text insets back-to-back, as they're kinda related. Each would work to a degree, but it just depends on the size of the reused content.

For the TI, you could have the common text in a named flow on the reference page. The flow could be in the content doc, or in a separate doc containing one or more named flows.

[Guest]

Thank you.

That was a lot of new information.

I guess I have to read more about text insets, flows, reference pages etc.

My particular case is a large grammar of a programming lanuage that is listed as a complete grammar in its own chapter.

Fragments of that grammar is then repeated together with the description of specific language features.

I do not believe variables is the way to go as the grammar is formatted with both paragraph formats and character formats.

Ideally I also wish to have non-terminals cross-reference productions.

Can you recommend any books or websites that covers stuff like this.

The Adobe documentation mostly focuses on the Pods not on recommended use.

/Peter

[Arnis_Gubins]

You might want to also have a look at Steve Kubis' Auto-Text tool. See: http://www.siliconprairiesoftware.com/Products.html

This allows you to set up re-usable content snippets that are fully formatted.

[Matt S - Tech Comm Tools]

@Peter: Well, since you asked...

I cover all of these in the 700 page book listed in my signature.

-Matt

Matt R. Sullivan
co-author Publishing Fundamentals: Unstructured FrameMaker 11

[Bob_Niland]

Text Insets work, as long as you don't need automatic Xrefs to a Glossary.

Suppose the first element in your grammar is the Abend keyword.

View > Reference Pages

View > Grid Lines

Special > Add Reference Page

Name: [ Syntax01 ]

[ Add ]

If the language is extensive, you are apt to need multiple Reference Pages.

From the graphics tool pod, select Text Frame tool.

Draw a suitably sized text frame on grid.

Graphics > Object Properties

Flow: Tag: [ Abend ]

[ Set ]

In the text frame, author and format your grammar for the Abend keyword.

View > Body Pages

At the desired insertion point in the narrative:

File > Import > File

{file self}

<*> Import by Reference

[ Import ]

Flow to Import:

<*> Reference page Flow [ Abend ]

Formatting of Imported Flow:

<*> Reformat Using Current ...

or

<*> Retain Source's Formatting

Updating of Imported Flow:

<*> Automatic

Repeat for remainder of grammar. Add new Syntax## Ref Pages as existing ones fill up.

[Bob_Niland]

> Text Insets work, as long as you don't need automatic Xrefs to a Glossary.

Not an issue. It turns out that named flows can exist on Body pages too. You can create a text frame in an ancored frame, for example, and give it a unique Flow name.

This would allow the creation of a syntax reference, where each term/phrase is defined in a uniquely named flow. Use of the fully-formatted syntax definitions elsewhere in the document/book would be Text Insets. The re-uses would be hypertext links to the syntax ref, that work properly.

As with all Text Insets, of course, an end-of-paragraph comes in with the text. As I recall, Run-In formatting can be used to deal with that if it's a problem.