Can I get the current page number?

[_JackSony_]

I open my xml file in FrameMaker.When I save the xml file,I want to record the current page number to my xml file.How can I deal with the problem?

[Russ Ward]

JackSony,

Speaking just for myself, I can't understand what you are asking for. Can you clarify?

Russ

[_JackSony_]

When I open my xml file,The opened file will be added page number (1,2,3....)by FrameMaker.When the opened file saves as another xml file,I want to get the page number from the opened xml document in Framemaker,and write the number into my xml file.as a result,I can find the page number of content in my xml file.

[Michael_Müller-Hillebrand-basb]

I guess you want to know the "number of pages" a document uses when published using the FrameMaker template.

You can access it like that:

FrameMaker offers a system variable containing the page number of the last page of each document. You could insert this variable somewhere in the document and its content will be written to the XML.

Maybe this helps,

- Michael

[_JackSony_]

Thank you,Michael.But I want to get not only the number of pages,but also the page number of every page in my FM document.
For example,Page 14 of 126. the number of "14" is the page number of the fourteenth page.
When I open my xml file,The opened file will be added page number (1,2,3....)by FrameMaker.I want to save the xml file including the page number.so I can find which page some subject lies in within my xml file.

[frameexpert]

Where in the XML file do you want to put the page number? Do you want to assign it to a particular element's attribute?

Rick Quatro
rick at frameexpert dot com

[_JackSony_]

Thank you,Rick Quatro:
Yes,I want to assign the page number to a particular element or element's attribute.How Can I deal with it?

[frameexpert]

You could use FrameScript or the FDK to assign the page numbers to the attributes just before the document is saved to XML. If you can send me a document offlist, I can give you a quote for a FrameScript script to do this. Thanks.

Rick Quatro
rick at frameexpert dot com

[_JackSony_]

Ok,thank you very much.Have you another methods to deal with the problem if I don't use the FramScript or FDK?Can you give me your email address?

[_JackSony_]

Rick Quatro:
if I don't use the FDK or FramScript,Can I modify my EDD and read/write ruler to accomplish my task?

[Michael_Müller-Hillebrand-basb]

No, you cannot use the EDD or R/W rules for this task.

The whole issue of XML is about the separation of content from presentation. The page numbers are the result of a certain way of presenting the XML content, with another page size you would get other pagination. Also, if transformed into HTML page numbers would be irrelevant.

If someone asks you to implement this feature (which is possible using the ways Rick outlined), the idea of structured documentation seems to be not very well understood.

- Michael

[Russ Ward]

Yes, unless there is some linkage between an XML publishing system and pages in a PDF, although that doesn't make much sense really if you are already publishing from the XML.

[_JackSony_]

But my presentation is fixed previously in FrameMaker including font,page size.So when I publish the document from the xml,the page number should be invariable relatively.
When I get the page number of the page that some subject lies in within my xml file,I can set the current page footer's content according to the subject.

[Russ Ward]

Jack,

I don't quite follow exactly what you are trying to do, but it sounds like you are describing a FrameMaker cross-reference. If all of this has to work inside of FrameMaker, why not use cross-reference elements/objects?

RUss

[_JackSony_]

I will research into the cross-reference elements/objects.Now I can't confirm whether the corss-reference will be helpful to me.Thank you very much!

[_systecgmbhnuremberg_]

Hello JackSony,

The page number is an artefact of paginated publishing, and as much a layout thing as "14pt, Times New Roman" is. Even if it was possible to include page numbers in the XML, one shouldn´t: The main reason to use XML is to separate content/structure from layout.

To achieve the page number display you are talking about, you could do either one thing:

1. In the final FM source, from which you wan´t to produce PDF, edit the master pages to contain a cross reference to a cross reference marker that sits on the last page of the last file of your book that is to be published to PDF. This way, the "Y" in "page X of Y" gets updated properly. Mind: If you last file is an Index, it is not enough to put the cross reference marker into the Index heading. If the index has more than one page, this is not the last page. To avoid this, you might add a last chapter file to your book after the index, that says "this page is intentionally left blank" or something and contains the cross reference marker.

2. You might use TOOLBOX, a plugin collection for FrameMaker. This plugin collection contains a plugin for that: On your master pages you use a special variable called "LastPage". When started, the plugin determines the last page number and fills it into the variable.
You find more information on the following page (trial download):
http://www.systec-gmbh.com/en/sites/downloads_epub.php
In there theres documentation that describes all modules of TOOLBOX.

Hope this helps.
With kind regards,
Franz.

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