Seeing original tag definitions [was: fonts and variables in generated files]

[Rhea Tolman <rhea@xxxxxxxxx>]

David Cramer wrote:
> The trick to using the dialog box is to remember
> to *select the tag
> name from the popup before every change*!!!!
This topic has gotten a lot of attention, but there's I want to lean on
it a little more. If you want to display the original settings of a tag,
you must reselect that tag from the list of tag names in the Designer *even
if that tag is already displayed in the Designer*. In fact, you must reselect
it *especially* if that tag is already displayed. Frame's intention about
this is as follows: (a) to see the font characteristics of a particular
bit of text, click in it and display the Character Designer. It shows you
all the character properties at the insertion point. If you select a range
of text and do this, the Designer shows you what properties are true for
the whole selection. Things that change within the selection are set to
As Is. (b) To see an original tag definition, select--or reselect--it from
the list in the Designer. You see the original definition and are free
to change it and Update the definition as you will.

The situation is one step weirder for the Paragraph Designer. The Default Font page always shows you the font settings for the definition, not the selection. I guess they figure you can get the current font info from the Character Designer. The rest of the Paragraph Designer works like the Character Designer, though. It shows you the properties of the paragraph containing the insertion point (except for font settings). If you reselect that same tag from the list in the Designer, you see the original settings.

It's arcane, I know. But once you get used to it, it's useful. I use the functionality I just described every day. I guess if I were designing FrameMaker, I'd add a field labeled "Showing" on the left side of the Designer. There would be a dropdown with two entries: Current and Definition. That way, it would be explicit which thing you were seeing.

-Rhea Tolman
Lead Tech Writer, B-Bop Associates, Burlingame, CA

> And you CAN set all settings to As Is (press Shift+F8
> in Windows)
> when creating a tag; or maybe I don't understand your point (a)?
>  



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