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Jeddleman
Inspiring
June 19, 2009
Answered

Variable Import Feature

  • June 19, 2009
  • 1 reply
  • 1411 views

Using: FM 8.0

I am importing variables throughout several FM books using a single FM file. The issue I have been dealing with is that each FM book system variables are setup slightly different to meet the needs of each book. This has caused me trouble because I want to maintain the current system variables in each book but update only the user variables. Is there a way I can achieve this?

 

JE

    This topic has been closed for replies.
    Correct answer

    Rick Quatro has a great plugin called Import Formats Special that lets you choose which types of formats to import, including differentiating between user and system variables.

    See http://www.frameexpert.com

    Another way is to create a "minimalist" MIF file that contains only the user variables, and import that. There might be an example of one of these minimalist MIF files in FM's MIF reference document -- basically it's just the MIF header plus the variables section, nothing else.

    1 reply

    A
    Anonymous
    Correct answer
    June 19, 2009

    Rick Quatro has a great plugin called Import Formats Special that lets you choose which types of formats to import, including differentiating between user and system variables.

    See http://www.frameexpert.com

    Another way is to create a "minimalist" MIF file that contains only the user variables, and import that. There might be an example of one of these minimalist MIF files in FM's MIF reference document -- basically it's just the MIF header plus the variables section, nothing else.

    A
    Anonymous
    June 19, 2009

    Nice tip, Sheila! and since updating variables was towards the top of my tasklist for the day I just tried it: fwiw, here's my minimal .mif file.

    I did notice, though, that opening the .mif file ready to import the user variable automagically added default settings for system variables; so if my target document(s) were one of the Dutch books where I've redefined $TableContinuation, it looks as though that redefinition would still get clobbered by the import. Quatro to the rescue, then, and not for the first time ;-}

    <MIFFile 9.00> # Generated by FrameMaker 9.0p237
    <VariableFormats
    <VariableFormat
      <VariableName `title'>
      <VariableDef `Safety Management System Manual'>
    > # end of VariableFormat
    > # end of VariableFormats
    # End of MIFFile

    W
    Community Expert
    Winfried RengCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    June 19, 2009

    Hi,

    You have to import the MIF snippet by importing it into your FrameMaker file.

    Select "Copy into Document". Then you can import the user variables (if you

    buy Rick's ImportSpecial script) of this FrameMaker file into the other files

    of the book.

    Do not open the MIF snippet as a regular MIF or FM file. Then FrameMaker

    will not add default values for all default variables.

    Such MIF snippets are very good to switch variable values and cross-

    reference definitions after translation into another language. Specifically

    Trados presents only those values which are actually used in a

    document to the translator. All those variables/cross-reference definitions

    which are set but not actually used will be still in the source language.

    When you import such a MIF snippet you can switch all definitions.

    Best regards

    Winfried

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