Re: Running H/F variable works on master page, but not user variable

[ezra <ezra@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ed was kind enough to point out to me separately that you are limited to
whatever building blocks are available in the pick list when you are
defining a particular variable plus any explicit string you type in.

For user variables all you have available to define them are literal
strings and character formats. For other variables (dates, times, etc.)
the legal building blocks are shown in the pick list below the area
where you create the definition.

If you try to literally type in a building block that is not supported
for the type of variable you are defining (such as <$paratext[tagname]>
for user variables), FrameMaker treats what you typed in as a literal
string (no different from "foobar" or any other random string) rather
than as a building block (to be replaced by the appropriate value from
the specified source).

Ezra



Ed Malick wrote:

> I don't think you can use any of the variable building blocks in user
> variables (just character formats).
> 
> /Ed.
> 
> At 05:45 PM 5/25/00 -0700, ezra wrote:
> >I have created a background text frame on a custom master page that I
> >apply to the last page of my document. In this frame I insert a variable
> >that picks up information from one of the paragraph tags on the first
> >page of my document.
> >
> >If I use one of the predefined Running H/F variables and define it as
> ><$paratext[versionnum]>, it works perfectly (I get the version number
> >typed into the versionnum paragraph on the first page of my document to
> >appear as background text on the last page of the document). If I define
> >a user variable with exactly the same definition and use it instead of
> >the Running H/F variable, I end up seeing the string "<$paratext"
> >(without the quotes) on both the master page and the body page (in place
> >of the version number).
> >
> >Anyone know why this is? And is there another workaround besides using
> >the Running H/F variables? (It turns out I can use these, but I'm
> >interested in any other workarounds for the day when I might not be able
> >to make use of them for some reason.)
> >
> >FrameMaker 5.5.6 on Solaris 2.7.


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Ezra Steinberg				Resonate, Inc.
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