Generate a list of style definitions in a template

[Wanda Jane]

I'm finding myself in a bit of a maintenance nightmare. I have a series of templates and I have manually updated the paragraph styles to synchronize the paragraph formats that are used across the templates. Each template has a different function, so they share a core set of paragraph styles. They each have use-specific paragraph styles, so just importing *all* the styles doesn't really work for me. I could, alternatively, put the shared styles in a separate template, I also need to track the complete set of paragraph formats. I'm willing to do the manual updates to synchronize the templates if I have a guide to work from.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

I keep examples of my styles within the body of my template, allowing me to noodle with different combinations.

Sometimes it's helpful to keep them in a table, allowing me to easily choose, for instance, 5 heading styles for a global update.

If you're mired in too many formats, though, consider whether your audience will pick up the subtleties of the different styles in the first place. 

Ultimately, you can use Rick Quatro's FindChangeFormatsBatch script to simplify your paragraph assignments and remove unneeded styles.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I keep a style guide in a book inside an excluded folder. The guide keeps all styles grouped together for easier updating (for example, changing the color of all the headings). This guide can be linked to multiple projects and descriptions to why the styles are used could be added, if necessary, effectively turning it into a style-usage guide.

Without knowing too much about your workflow, I would probably isolate the use-specific into a separate guide for each project. And, as @Matt-Tech Comm Tools suggested, I would consolidate as many nearly identical styles as possible. For example, figure caption that is 11.5 and 11.25 pts.

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

David, a point of curiosity...why is the excluded file in an excluded (group/folder), rather than just at the root of the book?

I do the same with my template file, but don't bother to wrap it in a group or folder.

-Matt

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

I just like to create a GROUP in case I need to exclude something else. It also sets it off from the other documents. 

(I said folder but meant group...)

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Funny, I just discovered that behavior recently! 
yes, much easier to drag into an excluded folder. Plus, collapsing the template folder is a space saver

[FrameMaker-dk]

@Dave Creamer of IDEAS @Matt-Tech Comm Tools Curious here... Why are you not using FrameMakers built-in template location?..

[Matt-Tech Comm Tools]

Getting a bit off OP topic, but clients often need multiple versions of a template for their customers. It's much easier to access and to save files that are in a writable directory. Even if you point FrameMaker to a writable dir, multiple templates would still be (in my opinion) more difficult to navigate and maintain than an explicit reference in the book file.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

The file needs to be on the server and with easy access to users.

Also, I find that templates get out of date almost as soon as you start using them, regardless of how much preplanning you do. New formats added and existing styles tweaked. I usually pick up the last version of a job and update it for the new projects so it always carries forth any changes.

[FrameMaker-dk]

I think I would contemplate two things:

1: Use FrameMakers built-in template location (C:\Program Files\Adobe\Adobe FrameMaker 2022\Templates) and use that for storing the templates. A template for each function and a template for shared styles.

2: Use a naming convention for the paragraph styles, which will allow you to root them out when necessary.

3: FrameMakers catalog palettes have a neat function that allows you to sort the styles as you wish AND to exclude/include styles in the catalog. That might help you to, for instance, collect all the shared styles in group at the top.

Using the built-in template location is a great help, because it ensures that your templates are write protected, so you not accidentally changes anything. Also it is a great help for gradual change in template use.

[Winfried Reng]

I always copy the template file into the active folder.

I maintain all my graphics and also e.g. warning icons from the reference page in a folder which is in the same folder as the FrameMaker files.

When I would just open the template from the default template location, FrameMaker would not use the icons in the currect graphics folder, but those of the template location.