Running Header using previous chapter title

[Guest]

I have a set of files for a User Guide. Chapter 2 is split up into four separate files.

Chapter 2First

Chapter 2A

Chapter 2B

Chapter 2C

For the book I have set the numbering properties of 2A, 2B, and 2C to be "Use Same Number As Previous File". I have a running header on the Right Master Page that displays the chapter number and title. I want the running header of these parts files to also show the chapter title of Chapter 2First.

Is there any trick to make this work? Or is the only solution to insert a user variable in the Master Pages in place of the running header?

Thanks for any helpful hints,

Val

[FieryPantone]

Last time I pondered a similar question, Val, I think I decided a user variable was the only way to go. As far as I could determine, there's no way to access the document property fields (File > File info) through variables – pity!  Of course, if we're both in luck, someone will post an answer that both solves your problem and reduces my ignorance ...

[peter minneapolis]

Val McDermott wrote:

I have a set of files for a User Guide. Chapter 2 is split up into four separate files.

Chapter 2First

Chapter 2A

Chapter 2B

Chapter 2C

For the book I have set the numbering properties of 2A, 2B, and 2C to be "Use Same Number As Previous File". I have a running header on the Right Master Page that displays the chapter number and title. I want the running header of these parts files to also show the chapter title of Chapter 2First.

Is there any trick to make this work? Or is the only solution to insert a user variable in the Master Pages in place of the running header?

Thanks for any helpful hints,

Val

I'm away from my  FrameMaker, so I can only work from memory. IIRC, there's a numbering option that can repeat the value of the previous book file. Perhaps someone can fill in the blank here. I've never used it, but I recall that when I first discovered it, it seemed to be what's needed in this situation.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

[Arnis Gubins]

Val,

There are a few things that you can do, but each has some potential maintenance issues, so you have to pick out the eaisiest route for the long term yourself.

At the book level you could use the $volnum or variable, if you're not using this already. Set it to text (instead of one of the numbering options) and enter the title of the respective chapter for each group of files that need this "common" variable. The alternative is to use a "user" variable as Niels suggests.

With FM9, you could consider using a hierarchical book structure with folders & group those files to allow the $sectionnum and/or $subsectionnum variables to be used as the common one for all. Note: in folders, the $chapnum variable is automatically a constant and does not change.

You could use a cross-reference in the  A,B,C chapters to the Chapter Title in the First one. However, if you're making interactive PDFs, it will become an active link.

[Art Campbell]

In addition Arnis' suggestions, you can also use your first file as a container and import the other three as text insets, specifying to use the "current document" settings as the default. If you did that, it would automatically solve your naming/numbering problem.

[Arnis Gubins]

Just as an addendum to Art's excellent suggestion, if the different chapter component files were split out because of varying page size or orientation requirements, then using insets may become an issue.

[Guest]

Those are all interesting suggestions. I now have some things to play around with to see what works best for me. Thanks so much!