Styles templates inheritance - hierarchical paragraph styles (unstructured FM - Paragraph Designer)

Depending on what you need to update, it is possible to use Global Update for paragraph and character tags. The below is from Klaus Daube's Compendium, a very useful resource for those little tricks that make FM so powerful (first link on this page: https://www.daube.ch/docu/fmaker00.html).

This example details how to update the language on the Font tab for the Paragraph Tag Designer, but you can use it to update pretty much any property for either the Paragraph or the Character Tags.

Warning: Perform this procedure in a blank file that has your current tags.

1. Open the paragraph designer (menu Format > Paragraphs > Designer or CTRL+M)
2. Open the appropriate tab (e.g., Font)
3. In the Commands drop down list select Set Window to As Is or type SHIFT+F8.
4. In the Language field set the desired language (e.g. Schweizerdeutsch)
5. In the Commands drop down list select Global Update Options…
6. Set the radio buttons Default Font Properties only (the name of the current category) and All Paragraphs and Catalogue
   Entries.
7. Click Update.

Once you've confirmed that everything is working the way you want it to, open the production file and use File > Import > Formats to import the formats from the updated document (which must also be open) into the production document.

If you have multiple files in a book, you can select them in the book file and then import to all of them at once instead of individually.

Sadly, FrameMaker doesn't have the based on style feature that we rely on when designing styles in Word and InDesign. 

As a best practice, design carefully, and be ready to edit multiple styles when necessary. I try to use as few styles as possible in FrameMaker that will get the job done. 

~Barb