Added one word to a cross reference definition and the text turned magenta

After applying all the suggestions offered by Bob, Barb, and Winfried (thanks to you all!), the problem still presented itself. As an experiment, I inserted the first cross reference into the subject paragraph and the same thing happened–the page number reference turned magenta. (I had already checked for conditional text markers in the paragraph and there were none.) So then I took the new cross reference and inserted it into a different paragraph and it worked perfectly. This experiment told me that the problem is not with the new cross reference definition itself, since both the first and second cross references broke in the subject paragraph and yet worked in a different paragraph. Methinks there is something goofy about the subject paragraph itself, though I'm danged if I can figure it out.

I solved the problem by inserting the new cross reference into a different paragraph (where it worked) and then copy/pasted that cross reference back into the subject paragraph. Voila! The cross referenced page number remained black.

Thank you for all of your help.

Bill

Hi,

Did you really copy the cross-reference format from your "Edit Cross-Reference Format" dialog into your post above?

What I notice:

In your definition you <$paranum>, once with a space after it and in the second instance without space.

However, in your result there isn't any paragraph numbering.

What happens, when you apply the first cross-reference format to your second instance with the magenta colour? Is the page number still in magenta?

Yes, and as Barb said: Check, if any conditional text is applied! If you insert a cross-reference in text with a condition, the cross-reference will adopt the conditional text.

Best regards, Winfried

Hi Bill:

I think Bob is on the right track. (I couldn't figure out why it started with <Cross Reference> until I read his answer.)

• So, the Cross Reference character style turns the text blue?
• Is the paragraph style set to Black?
• Is magenta used anywere else in the file?
• Are you using condition tags?
• Can you share screen shots of the two definitions or skip all my questions and share the file? You can email it to me directly, if you like. 

Also, FWIW, <Default ¶ Font> at the end of each definition is unnecessary and can be safely removed. Character styles automatically turned themselves off at the end of the cross reference.

~Barb

I presume that ‹Cross Reference› is a Character Format.
‹Default ¶ Font› is in there twice, so I'm not sure what the 2nd instance is trying to turn off.
Also, you can use ‹/› as a shorthand way of doing that.
I further see a space in the first instance of ‹$paranum› ‹$paratext›, but not the latter.
Not sure if any of this explains the colors.