Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Hi all:
Searched for this in the FM community but didn't find this exact thing...
We were using FM 2019 and this worked. Created a file with all the cross reference text. In the final file, indicated the cross reference text. Because subscripts did not work, we went back and created a subscript character style and applied it to the source in the cross reference file. Saved, replaced the cross references in the final file and voila! Subscripts.
Recently, we updated to FM 2022 and this does not work. If you can suggest another way around this or what we're doing wrong, we'd be very appreciative!
Thanks so much!
Fran H.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
If the subscripts (and a number of other text variations) are done by applying an override or Character Format
☑ Superscript
that causes the active region of the referring hypertext to end at that character boundary. This happens both with deliberate Xrefs, and entries in generated lists, such as ToC & IX. It has ever been thus in FM.
The fix, font support permitting, is to stop doing supers and subscripts as Character Formats, and instead use the natively super & sub Unicode code points.
Here's a cheat sheet: ⁰¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹⁺⁻ˣˢᵗʰᴱ₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉₊₋ₙ
I would do these as Variables, but without override or Character Format. Variables (otherwise lacking character formats) don't break hypertext.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Thank you Bob! I will try this and report back. MUCH APPRECIATED!!!
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
This is a brilliant solution - any idea why the superscripts are working, but the subscripts are not?
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
re: …any idea why the superscripts are working, but the subscripts are not?
It depends on what they are and how implemented. For example, because these four (⁰¹²³) are usually part of legacy 8-bit extended Latin character sets like Windows 1252, FM has long supported them as \x## specials requiring no font override or Character Format.
The {possible} core issue here isn't sups per se, it's how FM defines the end of a hypertext field, because there is no specific Marker for that. It's nornally end of para (¶), but any applied Character Format also serves, possibly even one that is empty {entirely As-Is}.
Where the problem is interrupted hypertext in generated lists, another hack still useful is to make sure the list file (e.g. TOC.fm, IX.fm) omits that Character Format from its catalog. This, of course, isn't always desirable, esp. when using codepage/overlay fonts.
Copy link to clipboard
Copied
Once again - THANK YOU! I will keep working on this with your hints in mind.