Re: fonts and variables in generated files

[jeremy@xxxxxxxxx (Jeremy H. Griffith)]

On Mon, 12 Jun 2000 11:59:16 -0700, Deborah Snavely <dsnavely@aurigin.com> wrote:

>You could use a character tag in the chapter files with one setting and the
>same tag with different settings in the TOC file, if the bugs in WinFrame
>5.x As-Is handling defeat you.
>
>I have long bemoaned the fact that in Frame 5.x on Windows anything, the As
>Is settings in any designer dialog GO AWAY as soon as you update the
>catalog. So if I'm making iterative changes to a character tag that should
>have MOSTLY As Is settings, I must:
>(a) make sure the tag is created and in the character catalog (because
>WinFrame won't add a tag to the catalog if I use the Set Window As Is
>first); 

Sure it will... ???

>(b) Set Window to As Is (because WinFrame won't correctly display any
>existing As Is settings of that character tag, it picks up the underlying
>settings of the paragraph)
>(c) RE-set all the correct settings that I want from MEMORY or a written
>record of what that character tag is supposed to contain but ONLY what it's
>supposed to contain (angle, typeface, weight, dictionary, underscore,
>whatever)

Er, if you reselect the format from the Character Tag box, Frame will
do that for you... including As-Is settings...

>(d) change any of the settings that need changing
>(e) update all, whereupon INSTANTLY the WinFrame designer box reverts to all
>the settings of wherever the cursor is. 

Yikes.  It's painful as described, but there's a very simple workaround.
At the very start, click *outside* the text frame, in the margin.  Now:

1. The Character Designer immediately goes completely As-Is.
2. You can check on any existing char format in the catalog by selecting
it in the Character Tag box, and you see all the real settings for it,
including its As-Is settings.
3. You can modify an existing format and use Update, or use one of the
commands from the button on the bottom left.
4. You can clear the Designer of any format shown by clicking the margin
again.
5. You can then create a new format by typing its name in the Character
Tag box (top left), setting just the properties you want to affect (the
rest remain As-Is), then clicking the Command button and picking New Format.

You can do the same with the Paragraph Designer, except that Frame won't
let you save a para format in the catalog until you have replaced all the
As-Is settings with specific ones.  So it's a futile exercise; after all,
what would As-Is *mean* in a para format?  Same as default?  Same as last?

>Note: This is a platform-specific bug. MacFrame (and probably UNIXFrame) can
>correctly display As Is settings in a designer dialog and will retain and
>display those As Is settings as you make other changes to the designer
>settings and catalog.

If clicking outside the frame didn't make it so easy, I might call it a bug 
too.  But as it is, I have to say it works as designed.  It's well described
in the manual, too...

-- Jeremy H. Griffith, at Omni Systems Inc.
  (jeremy@omsys.com)  http://www.omsys.com/

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