Snippets in FM10 (unstructured)

[Sreekanth_S]

Hi

I am creating a FM10 template (unstructured). I have some standard paragraphs that the user can insert in multiple places while creating documents based on this template. Now, is it possible to create snippets of these paragraphs?

I am not keen on using variables for this, as the text I intend to reuse will have lot of formatting and may include a logo as well.

Update: I explored Text Inset option as well. Though it serves the purpose of reusing paragraphs with formatting and images, it requires me to create a new file for each (reusable) component. Is there a way I can have all the required components in one file (say MS Word doc file), and extract only a part of it as required? Also, is it is possible to map MS Word styles to FM tags while importing (similar to Robohelp)?

Please advise.

Sreekanth

[Bob_Niland]

> Is there a way I can have all the required components in one file (say MS Word doc file), and extract only a part of it as required?

Yes, but I would avoid using MS anything.

The snippets can be separate Flows in a single FM file, and imported individually as insets, with or without formatting.

They can also be separate paragraphs in a single Flow of an FM file, and merely cross-referenced.

If they don't require elaborate formatting, they could also be Variables, all defined in a single external FM file, and format-imported.

We use plaintext files, one per inset.

[Bob_Niland · Accepted solution]

> The snippets can be separate Flows in a single FM file, and imported individually as insets, with or without formatting.

How this works is:

Assume the snippets are all to be in a file named boilerplate.fm.

For each snippet, create a separate disconnected page, using whatever Master Page. This is the one snippet per page model. You can also use a separate text frame for each, with multiple snippets per page.

Select the text frame.

Rename Flow: Tag: [A] to a string that uniquely identifies that snippet, such as [Disclaimer].

Deselect [_] Autoconnect.

[Set]

<*> Rename Current Flow Only

[Rename]

In the text frame, enter the text snippet.

In importing documents:

File > Import > File

File: boilerplate.fm

<*> Import by Reference {usually}

[Import]

<*> Body Page Flow [Disclaimer]

Formatting and Updating as you prefer.

[Import]

Insets are treated as complete paragraphs, although you can sometimes work around that with run-ins. If you need paragraph fragments, consider Xrefs or Variables.

[Sreekanth_S]

This worked perfectly. Thanks a ton.

[Arnis Gubins]

You could also have a look at the AutoText plug-in (see: http://www.siliconprairiesoftware.com/Products.html).

[Sreekanth_S]

Thanks Arnis. Unfortunately, getting anything that involves $$ takes time in my company. But I have bookmarked this site for future references.

[peter minneapolis]

If it's a major problem for a company to buy a proven and respected $10 productivity tool, IMO there's really a MAJOR PROBLEM at the company. You can try it without buying to test its productivity value in your workflow.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

Sreekanth_S wrote:

Thanks Arnis. Unfortunately, getting anything that involves $$ takes time in my company. But I have bookmarked this site for future references.

[Bob_Niland]

> If it's a major problem for a company to buy a proven and respected $10 productivity tool, IMO there's really a MAJOR PROBLEM at the company.

And if your department manager doesn't have at least $500 signature authority, you really need to find a job at a sane organization.

I don't know how the SP AutoText plugin is implemented, but there are some significant limitations to the FM named Flow inset technique. Some that I've run into include:

• The inset is treated as a complete paragraph. Without using run-in tricks, you can't use the technique for arbitrary text strings.
• Any autonumbering in the inset may or may not mesh with the same AN in the hosting flow. This prevents us from importing snippets that have anchored frames with figure numbers, for example.
• Unresolved cross-references can be very tricky to find.
• You need to verify where Xrefs nav to when they become hypertext links.
• The inset gets a PgfLocked Yes tag. Under some circumstances (inset as only content for example), you can delete the inset and find that your entire hosting Flow A is locked, and cannot be unlocked without a MIF hack.

That said, insets can be quite powerful. We use them to import entire conditionalized manual files for badge engineering. They flow into completely different page layouts, with substantial content differences, all from a common authoring source.

We also use them (from plaintext, one per file), to import boilerplate used in all manuals. If you already have a stewardship process for imported images (reference numbers, common repository, logfile or database), it's a simple matter to treat text insets the same way. We just assign 'em a number and stow 'em in the same directory structure.

[peter minneapolis]

Error7103 wrote:

I don't know how the SP AutoText plugin is implemented, From the product page:

Auto-Text

Auto-Text is a FrameMaker plug-in that allows you to define a set of text or graphic items and easily insert them into any FrameMaker document just by making a menu selection or pressing a key sequence. It's like using items from a document's reference page, only easier! Items that you can use as Auto-Text include styled text, plain text, graphics, anchored frames, and tables.

To use an Auto-Text item, open the document in which you want to insert an item. Place the insertion point where you want the item to appear. Then choose the item from the AutoText menu. The item will be inserted. When you insert an Auto-Text item, it is copied from the AutoText.fm file, then pasted into your current document.

The latest version of Auto-Text allows you to add sub-menus to the AutoText menu, allows storing Auto-Text items in external files, and allows external files containing Auto-Text items to be shared by multiple users over a network.

Auto-Text is $10 for a single-user license, $100 for a site license, and is available for FrameMaker 7.x, 8, 9, 10, and 11 on Windows and FrameMaker 6 and 7 on Macintosh.

IOW, it automates typing stored text.

HTH

Regards,

Peter

_______________________

Peter Gold

KnowHow ProServices

[Bob_Niland]

The AT items are "pasted", and thus don't appear to be copied by reference. Do they auto-update? are they even flagged/tagged as having been sourced from external objects? I'm guessing not. I'm willing to be mistaken.

If there is tagging, what happens when a later user opens the document in an instance of FM that doesn't have the plugin?

[Mike Wickham]

The AT items are "pasted", and thus don't appear to be copied by

reference. Do they auto-update?

If graphics are set up as referenced in AutoText, they will also be

referenced when pasted into a document. And, yes, they will then

autoupdate. Since the content is stored in an FM file, it's exactly like

copying and pasting content from an FM document, except that there are

menu items or shortcut keys to grab the content.

are they even flagged/tagged as having been sourced from external

objects? I'm guessing not. I'm willing to be mistaken.

I'm not sure what you mean by that, but inserting an AutoText item gives

the same result as if you keyboarded in the content live. I am an

unstructured user, so don't know offhand how things might be different

for structured users.

If there is tagging, what happens when a later user opens the document

in an instance of FM that doesn't have the plugin?

Other users don't need the plugin.

[Mike Wickham]

I don't know how the SP AutoText plugin is implemented

It stores snippets of FM content in a separate autotext.fm file and

creates menu items for each entry (and optional keyboard shortcuts). You

can store text, tables, graphics, and blocks containing combinations of

these. Items can be set to import with or without formatting intact.

It's really handy-- kind of like having a macro-key program to import

predefined bits of content. One thing I use it for is to import

predefined tables that have graphic icons and titles already in place.

Though FM natively can create a specialized table style, it doesn't

store predefined content in them.