Cannot Remove Character Formats

Report · Jun 03, 2011

I inherited a document that has a boatload of unneeded Character Tags. I need to remove all Character formatting except Default Font. I've tried importing formats and removing overrides, importing from a blank template, deleting all formats and using the Utility to reapply them, but I still get Character Format overrides. How do I remove all character overrides in my document.

The previous writer thought she had to add character formatting to each paragraph tag in the doc. Thus, we have way too many when we are supposed to have only a few.

I'd be grateful if anyone can tell me how to remove all character format overrides.

Thanks,

Jeff in Houston

Report · Jun 03, 2011

What version of Frame?

If FM10, new options may be available.

Report · Jun 03, 2011

Sorry. I should have mentioned I'm in FM 9.

Report · Jun 03, 2011

Just to clarify, this is what I have...

Flow:A ¶: Body f: *Default

That default is an override. I've even tried re-adding it to the doc and then removing it, but to no avail. I need all those Character overrrides removed.I know there must be a way, there has to be.

Report · Jun 03, 2011

If the real answer doesn't turn up, a MIF hack appears to be...

The ChFmt "Unneeded" appears to be applied by the markup:
<Font
<FTag `Unneeded'>
<FLocked No>

Default ¶ Font resumes with:
<Font
<FTag `'>
<FLocked No>

Merely converting all instances of

to

seems to be the equivalent of applying Default ¶ Font.

I haven't tested to see if another open/save cycle or MIF wash eliminates the now-redundant do-nothing tags.

Report · Jun 03, 2011

Thanks, I'll give it a go.

Report · Jun 04, 2011

Jeff,

How about this: Edit > Select All, then click the Default ¶ Font entry in the Character Format Catalog (aka ƒ Catalog).

If you are a keyboard user (and not a mouse-r) you may hit: Ctrl+A, F8, Arrow Down, Enter (after F8 look what happens in the status bar at the lower left corner of the program window). This assumes you have all patches applied to get to FrameMaker 9.0p255. In version 8 or earlier you would save the Arrow Down keypress.

- Michael

PS: Have not tried this major action myself.

Report · Jun 04, 2011

How about this: Edit > Select All, then click the Default ¶ Font entry in the Character Format Catalog (aka ƒ Catalog).

...

PS: Have not tried this major action myself.

I have (in 7.0 and 7.1), and it sets the entire flow to the first paragraph format. This is probably not a desired outcome.

Report · Jun 04, 2011

Michael Müller-Hillebrand-DsJNYY wrote:
Jeff,
How about this: Edit > Select All, then click the Default ¶ Font entry in the Character Format Catalog (aka ƒ Catalog).
If you are a keyboard user (and not a mouse-r) you may hit: Ctrl+A, F8, Arrow Down, Enter (after F8 look what happens in the status bar at the lower left corner of the program window). This assumes you have all patches applied to get to FrameMaker 9.0p255. In version 8 or earlier you would save the Arrow Down keypress.
- Michael
PS: Have not tried this major action myself.

Hi, Michael:

I tried the "major action" in the FrameMaker 9.0p237 report sidehead.fm sample file, available via File > New > File > Explore Standard Templates > Reports > Report Sidehead > Show Sample, and got disaster. The exact cause isn't clear, but it's probably due to FrameMaker's confusion over how to handle each paragraph's default paragraph format when multiple paragraphs are selected. It's an inviting area for someone with free time to spend exploring the intricacies.

Applying a character format to a complete paragraph affects the paragraph format - the paragraph tag in the status line displays the override indicator asterisk symbol; if a tagged character format was applied, there's no asterisk before its tag name in the status line, and if an untagged character property was applied, no character tag appears. The proper way to format a paragraph is to use a paragraph format. To get around this override "problem," folks cheat by inserting a space before the paragraph mark, aka pilcrow, then selecting all up to and including the last character prior to the space, and applying the tagged or untagged character format. Selecting the whole paragraph, or selecting all up to, but not including, the pilcrow, and then applying a tagged or untagged character format to it, causes the override indicator asterisk symbol to appear before the paragraph format tag in the status line.

Applying a tagged character format to a selection of text within a paragraph that's been "worked around" by formatting it with a character format up to but not including the final character before the pilcrow (whew) doesn't cause the asterisk to appear before the character tag's name. If the workaround applied an untagged character format up to that last character, the character tag in the status line is the one that was applied with the workaround; if the workaround applied untagged character formatting, there's no character tag in the status line.

This gets more interesting when tagged and untagged character formatting is applied within character-tagged formatting that's been applied by the workaround. And, it gets more confusing when an insertion point is in a tagged character format that's within text that's been worked around.

If I understand Jeff correctly, "Default" is a created character tag. How confusing can this make things? Hmmm...

Finally, character formatting is tricky enough on its own, but when these additional complexities are part of the mix, it's really hard to sort out. Applying the Default Paragraph Format option from the character catalog isn't sufficient to restore all the properties of the original paragraph's format. Sometimes applying any character tag then removing it, applying Default Paragraph Font, or reapplying the previous tag can help restore things. Similarly; applying these steps with paragraph formats may help.

siliconprairiesoftware.com has some inexpensive paragraph and character tools that may help. At http://www.cudspan.net/plugins/ you'll find some useful free tools. Rick Quattro, frameexpert.com may have some scripts that can help.

Search Google for terms like "FrameMaker removing formatting," and similar phrases, without quotes.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

Report · Jun 06, 2011

Thanks all. At least now I know that this issue is testy for many of us. I re-created the doc. Thanks for all the advice.

Report · Jun 04, 2011

I'd be grateful if anyone can tell me how to remove all character format overrides.

There may be some new tools in FM10, but in earlier versions this appears to be surprisingly gnarly problem. Aftermarket tools may exist.

The first thing I tried, which I expected to work, did not:

delete unneeded fmts from the Character Catalog (this turns all applications of that format into local overrides)
pick a paragraph instance (say, Body) that has one of those overrides, in the present pgf or elsewhere
re-apply the pgf format (to set all Body back to stock)
[Update All]

I would have expected the UA to clear out local character overrides, but no. You have to select all of each pgf, and re-apply the pgf fmt.

When I have to remediate legacy documents in my day job, I run into a lot of override issues (plus nonsensical pgf names and inconsistent application thereof, polluted catalogs, etc.). Frankly, the easiest way to fix this is to copy into a plaintext editor first (only because Unix Frame doesn't have Paste Special). On Windows, you can start with a clean template and Paste Special - Text.

_______

If redundant character formats are the only problem with the documents at hand (seems unlikely), then a MIF edit may be the fastest solution.

Report · Jun 08, 2011

Hi Jeff,

there are some plugins for FrameMaker which might help you.

Toolbox for example offers a plugin called "Formats" which allows you to remove all or all unused formats.The plugin is freeware and will remain active after the 30 day trial period, so you might want to give it a try.

- Maike

Report · Jun 09, 2011

Thank you Maike. Toolbox is great. I have searched for things such as Toolbox, but none seemed to fit my needs. Thank you again. I appreciate it.

Jeff