How to create a List Of Paragraphs containing text from a background frame

[AlanB1958]

I am trying to create a List of Effective Pages (LEOP). I have read the excellent post here of Barb Binders. https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-framemaker-how-to-create-a-list-of-effective-pages/#:~:t....

I think I have understood the processes covered in that post.

From reading that post it's my understanding that text in a background frame will be included in a List of Paragraphs (LOP), provided of course you have selected the correct paragraph tags. However in the LOP's that I have created the only paragraphs that appear are those contained in template frames.

Have I misunderstood or I am missing a step some where?

Thanks for any help.

[frameexpert · Accepted solution]

A background text frame is one that is added to a master page and does not contain a Flow name. You cannot enter text into these frames on your body pages. Content from these text frames cannot be included in FrameMaker generated files.

[AlanB1958]

Hi fraemexpert,

Thank you for your reply.

I did know that you couldn't enter text into the background frames on the body pages and I suspected the text in these frames wasn't able to be included in the generated files. However the "How to" I had read included a page number heading in the generated LOP file. I hadn't been able to generate a file with page number included, hence my question.

Thanks again for your reply.

[4everJang]

What exactly are you trying to achieve? Do you need to have the background texts included in your LOP and where should they appear in the list? There are ways to make the FM process do what you need it to do but it sometimes requires a different approach to the original problem.

[AlanB1958]

Thank you for your reply.

Yes, I need the page number to appear in the List of Effective pages. Currently the page number is generated using "Numbering Properties" under Format-Document.

This is for an aircraft Maintenance Manual where LEOP's are a regulatory requirement.

Page numbering isn't consecutive with page number blocks allocated to each individual section of a chapter. There are 9 sections per chapter, with section 0 using the numbers 01 to 99, section 1 numbers 100 to 199, section 2 numbers 200 to 299 and so on for sections 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. Number blocks are rarely completely used and number blocks repeat in each chapter.

I have structured the manual where each section is an individual file or chapter, which allows me to achive the page numbering I need.

With what I have described in mind will what you propose to suggest work?

Thank you for your help.

[4everJang]

Can you share a (possibly fictitious) extract of such a LOEP that shows how and where the page numbers appear ? That makes a big difference in the possible solutions.

[AlanB1958]

here's a sample of what one of the LEOP's looks like now. It doesn't have to be exactly like this.

[Barb Binder]

Hi Alan:

Currently the page number is generated using "Numbering Properties" under Format-Document.

Page number basics

• We add page numbers to a FrameMaker document using the <$curpagenum> variable on the master pages. 
• We control how the numbers increment by selecting chapters in the book window and choosing Format > Document > Numbering. 

Once defined as above, they will appear automatically in the headers/footers of your documents.

It sounds like this is all working correctly in your documentation? And the issue you are asking about is why they don't appear in the generated LOEP?

All generated files pull the page numbers in automatically (LOPs included), though it is possible to remove the <$pagenum> building block from the LOP reference page in the LOEP file. If that's what happened, go ahead and add it back in as per step 3.2 on the blog entry you referenced: https://www.rockymountaintraining.com/adobe-framemaker-how-to-create-a-list-of-effective-pages/

If you need additional information, I suggest a.) taking advantage of @4everJang's generous offer to review your document and b.) show us a screen shot of your LOP reference page and the first page of the LOEP after you update your book.

Two additional notes that you may find helpful:

• I will be delivering a webinar this Wednesday on understanding generated files.
  https://framemaker-essentials-working-with-generated-files.meetus.adobeevents.com 
• I will be delivering a webinar in June on document review, including how to create an LOEP. https://framemaker-essentials-document-review.meetus.adobeevents.com

[AlanB1958]

This document is around 2000 pages with 400 chapters or files. Some chapters are many pages some are just one or two pages.

I have been experirementing with a trial file to get the LEOP sorted before applying whatever changes I need to make to the whole document to produce the complete LEOP. 

In the screenshots attached I haven't bothered with adding template frames to the master pages, so there is no text available from themplate frame to be brought into the LOP . I have done this in a previous trial files. While I need to work on the formatting/layout I think I have this part sorted.

As you will see there are no page numbers listed on the LOP body page.  If I understand you correctly the page numbers should appear in the LOP file.

The <$curpagenum> variable is present in the list of variables for the master page of the parent file and the LOP file. As you can see the page <$pagenum> variable shows up on the LOP reference page of thre LEOP file.

[AlanB1958]

I've been playing around creating other LOP's and I think I might have figured it out.

You need to have chosen a paragraph to list before a page number is generated. Doh!!!!!!! While I had done this previously I hadn't made the connection about the page number being automatocally added and I had been trying to add in the page number and got confused with what was being produced on the LOP.

Let me spend some more time here and I'll come back if I need more help.

Thank you to everyone for their help so far.

[Barb Binder]

Hi Alan:

Your LOP reference page looks correct, so far. To verify, you will need to add the template frames and revision info to at least one of the files so that the LOP (List of Paragraphs) can pull in data. As the content is pulled in, the page number will appear to the right of the revision info and will be preceded by a space, based on your reference page.

<$paratext> <$pagenum>

<$paratext> <$pagenum>

LOEPs are not intuitive to set up, especially for a novice user. As I said on that post—LOEPs require knowledge of master pages, reference pages, variables, books and generated files prior to getting started.

~Barb

[AlanB1958]

Hi Barb,

Late yesterday I think I had it figured out. I did a dummy run which worked. Just had to reverse  from <$paratext> <$pagenum> to <$pagenum> <$paratext> in the Reference page to get the layout I wanted and adjust the spacing.

This isn't my main job and I've come back to it after a two year break, which was also a two year break from using Framemaker.

I know my way around Master pages and Reference pages, I'm nowhere an expert on them but can do what I need to do with them.  They're not something I use everyday as I'm not creating new documents on a regular basis. I'm having to refresh myself on a few things especially after a break away.

I tried to make things more complicated than they needed to be while trying to create the LEOP initially. In the end it was a simple process especially with the tips in your excellent blog post.

Thanks again for your help.

Alan

[LinSims]

Even though you don't need this anymore, I just wanted to remind everyone that Silicon Prairie has a LEP plugin. I haven't used it, but I have a bunch of his stuff and it's solid.

[Barb Binder]

That's fantastic news, Alan. Thanks for letting us know. 😊

~Barb