Importing text

Report · Mar 31, 2011

Is there a way to import text at any other level besides the file level, such as at heading level? The menu obviously says Import > File, but I was hoping I overlooked something that allows me to import less than an entire file's content.

I'm using FM 9 on Windows 7.

Thanks.

Report · Mar 31, 2011

Aaron_EC wrote:
Is there a way to import text at any other level besides the file level, such as at heading level? The menu obviously says Import > File, but I was hoping I overlooked something that allows me to import less than an entire file's content.
I'm using FM 9 on Windows 7.
Thanks.

I can't guess what you expect the import to do, perhaps replace existing headings, or insert themselves at particular locations. Well actually, those were guesses, I just can't be sure they're correct guesses.

* If you want to extract all headings of a certain paragraph format from a file, you can create a table of contents that specifies those paragraph formats.

* If you want to capture headings that are in one file in a different file, use cross-references.

For details, search Google for phrases like "framemaker cross-references," or "framemaker table of contents," without quotes.

HTH

Regards,

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

Report · Mar 31, 2011

Aaron_EC wrote:
Is there a way to import text at any other level besides the file level, such as at heading level? The menu obviously says Import > File, but I was hoping I overlooked something that allows me to import less than an entire file's content.
I'm using FM 9 on Windows 7.
Thanks.

I can't guess what you expect the import to do, perhaps replace existing headings, or insert themselves at particular locations. Well actually, those were guesses, I just can't be sure they're correct guesses.

* If you want to extract all headings of a certain paragraph format from a file, you can create a table of contents that specifies those paragraph formats.

* If you want to capture headings that are in one file in a different file, use cross-references.

For details, search Google for phrases like "framemaker cross-references," or "framemaker table of contents," without quotes.

HTH

Regards,

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

Report · Mar 31, 2011

Thanks for the reply. I now realize I did not provide nearly enough detail in my post.

I have two FM files that are part of separate books. File A has five sections. In file B I want to include just three of those sections (I don't want the entire file contents) so they are text insets. Can I use the import function (or some other function) so that I don't have to keep updating both files when changes occur?

Thanks again.

Report · Mar 31, 2011

Aaron,

Just put those three sections you want to use in more than one place in a separate document in a separate folder (named "Master" or similar). Then you can import the content of this file at both places and you also made clear where the master resides.

- Michael

Report · Mar 31, 2011

Aaron_EC wrote:
Thanks for the reply. I now realize I did not provide nearly enough detail in my post.
I have two FM files that are part of separate books. File A has five sections. In file B I want to include just three of those sections (I don't want the entire file contents) so they are text insets. Can I use the import function (or some other function) so that I don't have to keep updating both files when changes occur?
Thanks again.

Thanks for the refinement.

One approach, probably the simplest to create and maintain, is to make the content for each inset a separate file and import it into every file that will need it. Updating the original will cause the insets to update when their containers are opened.

Another approach takes advantage of FM's import feature to import a single text flow, like "Flow A:" the usual single flow in a FM document. You can create separate flows with names like B, or 'special stuff,' etc, not just a single letter. You can select the desired flow from File > Import File. Usually a FM doc is a single flow, so it seems that you can only import a whole document.

You can also import a named flow that's on a reference page, whether from the same document, or another document. So, you can have source content in a named flow on a reference page in one document, inset it into the same document, or into other documents. However, reference pages can't flow across page boundaries, so you can only have a one-page reference flow for an inset.

Search Google for terms like "framemaker text insets" without quotes for more info.

HTH

Regards,

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

Report · Mar 31, 2011

Thank you, Michael and Peter.

Making separate files was something I don't want to do, but it may be unavoidable.

I will look into the possibility of using separate flows.

Thanks.

Aaron