Re: line numbers?

[Dan Emory <danemory@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>= I am an editor for an IEEE standard and we are preparing to send the standard
>= out for ballot.  Line numbers would be very useful (almost required) for
>= commenters to refer to specific areas in the document.  Does anyone know how
>= to get line numbers from Framemaker?  I am considering editing the resultant
>= Postscript (from the Unix version, the Windows Postscript is pretty ugly),
>= but I hope there is an easier way.  3rd party plug-in maybe?
>
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There is no automated way in FrameMaker to consecutively number every single
text line. Trying to put the numbers on master pages assuredly will not
work, because the same number sequence will be repeated on each page. Also,
if the spacing between paragraphs is not the same as the line spacing within
paragraphs, or if the text is interspersed with figures and tables, the
numbering on the master pages cannot possibly match up with the text lines.

Nor will an autonumbering scheme work if paragraphs have multiple lines, and
every line within each paragraph requires an unique number.

The only approach that seems viable (and it is very cumbersome) is to create
a very narrow sidehead column containing a paragraph tag (call it
LineNumber) with line number autonumbering. If this LineNumber paragraph (0
space above/below)has the same fixed line spacing setting as the text
paragraphs, you'd then have to hit the return key in the sidehead column for
the second and succeeding lines in each text paragraph, then insert an
unnumbered spacer paragraph in the sidehead between each paragraph break in
the normal text column to keep the numbers lined up, then insert another
LineNumber paragraph below the spacer, and so on.

Everytime a text paragraph is revised in such a way as to increase or
decrease the number of lines, you'd have to make adjustments in the sidehead
column. Then, for tables, you'd probably have to create another paragraph,
(call it LineNumberTable), which continues the auto numbering, and use it
for table row lines. You'd probably also have to create several types of
un-numbered spacer paragraphs for use in the sidehead column that would be
used for gaps above/below figures, tables, equations, etc.

Clearly the above approach, although workable, is untenable, given the
amount of work required, particularly, as would seem likely, if the document
will undergo many revisions.

The lack of some truly automated feature to do line numbering effectively
debars the use of FrameMaker for preparing legal documents and other
document types which require line numbering. That deficiency, along with
several others (e.g. deficiencies in footnotes that make FrameMaker
unacceptable for academic papers), substantially and unncecessarily limits
the market for FrameMaker, something we should all be concerned about. Since
it is unlikely that Adobe intends to ever provide such a line numbering
feature, it would seem to be a great opportunity for someone to develop an
API that could do the job. 

 
     ____________________
     | Nullius in Verba |
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Dan Emory, Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
Voice/Fax: 949-722-8971 E-Mail: danemory@primenet.com
10044 Adams Ave. #208, Huntington Beach, CA 92646


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