Cross-References Text Dropped?

[_lyncca_harvey_]

I'm having a problem with cross-references exporting to XML. I'm using Frame 8, and I have associated an element as a FrameMaker "cross-reference". I then go to insert that element and everything seems to work properly (no errors).<br /><br />But then, I open the XML and get something like the following:<br /><br /><l2item><para>Approval for Return to Service Procedures. See <refint<br /> refloc = "RSM0420" reftype = "Heading &#x0026; Page"/>.</para></l2item><br /><br />So, it drops the text of the link and replaces it with a "." and then also does not close out the tag "</refint>".<br /><br />Any ideas of what is going on?<br /><br />Thanks!

[_Van_Kurtz_]

Lyncca,

I do not output xml, so this is a guess. In general xml and html, an element that has NO content but has attributes can be written as instead of . Therefore, it appears that the refint element is properly closed out because of the / after the attributes and before the >.

I do not know about the other problem, but it appears to be recording the linking information, that is, refloc and reftype attributes, so that when it is opened again in Frame, FrameMaker uses that information to recreate the text of the cross-reference. Note that the cross-reference text depends upon the target of the cross-reference, which someone could change in the xml file before opening again in Frame. Just a guess.

Van

[Russ Ward]

Hi Lynnca,

The text of a cross-reference is a property of the FrameMaker xref object that is expected to be autogenerated, so it is not included in the markup. The XML version of an xref is similar to the internal FrameMaker model, where you insert an xref an the text is automatically created and controlled internally. An xref saves as an empty element with information about how to find the source and regenerate the text, but no indication of what text was originally displaying when you exported the markup.

Properly configured, the xref text will autogenerate when you reimport to Frame, so the empty element is OK there. If you are using the XML with some non-Frame post-process, that process will need to accommodate this convention for representing xref links.

Note that the refint tag is actually closed, as indicated by the trailing slash just before the final angle bracket. This is a shortcut for representing elements with no content.

Russ

[Russ Ward]

Sorry. Got your name wrong, Lyncca.

[Lynne A. Price]

Lyncca,

Just to add to what's already been said, the period is not a replacement for the cross-reference text; it is the character following the cross-reference.

--Lynne

[Guest]

Man you guys are smart! Thanks for the help!

We (well actually our client) will be using another editor - Arbortext to be exact. So, we are documenting in Structured Frame, exporting to deliver XML and then they will import it into their editor.

Russ, you said that if that is the situation that we will "need to accommodate this convention for representing xref links". Is that something we need to do in the FrameMaker export, or something they will need to do from their end?

And last, Russ, with a name like Lyncca, it's spelled wrong more often than right ;)

[Russ Ward]

Lyncca, I don't think I can answer your question very well. I know how Frame handles xrefs in structural markup, much like it handles the internal xref object which autogenerates its own text. I have used FrameMaker XML in a "post-process" type of architecture, in which I have had to autogenerate the xref text much like Frame does. I'm not sure I can comment on your situation, though. I don't know enough about it... maybe someone else has more insight about transitioning authoring tools.

Russ

[MarttiP]

Hi Lyncca,

From Arbortext editor point of view, the way Framemaker exports xref's (as Lynne said, empty elements with proper reference attribute to referenced location) is ok. The format attribute is "frame centric" and in case of plain Arbortext editor (so, not Styler or Publisher) the page information is useless, some FOSI/screen stylesheet is required to make Arbortext to show the referenced text. Arbortext supports the id/idref-based cross-referencing.

Hope this helps,
Martti

[_lyncca_harvey_]

They are indeed using Arobortext, so everything should be good then! Thanks so much, you guys are brilliant!