Link text elements within a document and have them auto update if changed

Forum|Forum|8 years ago
November 12, 2017
2 replies
1483 views

Hello all. Looking for a way to first link several text elements (within a document) to each other. Then, if I change only one of the elements, all others will automatically update with the same change.

In the simplified example below, all instances of superscript 1 need to change to superscript 3. So I want to change only one instance of superscript 1 to now be superscript 3 and have all other instances of superscript 1 update accordingly. Then I want to change the former superscript 3 to superscript 1, etc, etc. Note that I am only changing the superscript itself, not the text attached to (or next to) the superscript.

I've looked into cross referencing as well as endnotes but have not had any success. I am running ID CC v13.0. Any tips would be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

This topic has been closed for replies.

jane-e

Community Expert

From your screen shots, I am guessing that it's similar to footnotes or endnotes, but not quite, is that right?

I see the Disclosure table which is like endnotes. Then I see multiple references in the body paragraphs to each Disclosure Reference.

Does the Disclosure table have to be in that order? Or can it be reordered?
When you change a superscript from 1 to 3, does that mean that text now links to the #3 Disclosure Reference?

Please say more about what you are trying to do so we can give the best answer.

Barb Binder

Community Expert

What the do the superscript numbers represent? Are they the footnote numbers (or endnote numbers) of the Disclosure Reference?

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

B

BryCasAuthor

Participating Frequently

Thank you Barb and Jane.

Yes. The superscripts located in the paragraph text must always reference the same superscripts in the disclosure. And yes, you could look at them as footnotes or endnotes, kind of.

These are marketing and legal documents and obviously the superscripts (references) in the paragraph (actually the entire document which consists of multiple stories and pages) must be in sequential order from top to bottom of the page. Problem is the client is constantly reordering where things appear in the paragraphs. Perhaps this new screen shot will clarify. Client has added language and now text4 appears first in the paragraph (or document). Thus, with all instances of text4, the superscript should be changed to 1. Subsequently, the current text1 should now have a superscript 2. The current text2 should now have a superscript 3, etc.

All I want to do is somehow link all superscript 1's together (just the superscript, not the text associated with it) so that if I change just one instance of the superscript 1, all other occurrences change as well. Same w/ superscript 2 - - link all those together, etc. etc.

Been searching for a solution for some time now. Just not sure it's possible to do.

These do span multiple stories and pages. Not sure if that makes a difference.

I'm not concerned with automatically (and sequentially) reordering the disclosure table. I can do that manually.

I currently do a find/replace but it is a bit tedious (and sometimes confusing) considering the number of references in each doc as well as the number of docs I create or edit on a monthly basis.

Thanks again.

Barb Binder

Community Expert

So they are not InDesign footnotes or endnotes—meaning not using those specific features.

It sounds an though they are manually numbered. Can you number them with InDesign's numbering feature? If so, cross-references will do the trick. And when you rearrange the content, or add/remove content, the auto-numbers update automatically. Then, you just need to update the cross-refs in the cross references panel.

~Barb at Rocky Mountain Training

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