How to create a rule in body text

[nancy33534756]

Hello.

I am using FrameMaker 2015 in Windows 10.

We are writing a Reference section that will cover many programming functions. We'd like to use a horizontal rule to separate each section. We will be publishing to PDF and .chm, so the rule needs to expand and contract with the width of the browser window.

i know how to create a rule, put it on a Reference page, and attach it to a paragraph format, but that width is fixed. I need a rule that will expand and contract as necessary.

How do I do it?

All suggestions gratefully received.

--Nancy

[Bob_Niland]

I'm not familiar with the HTML workflow in current FM, but it seems like there might be some way to map a specific bit of content to an HR tag in the later workflow. If not...

Most word processor and desktop pub apps have the concept for horizontal rule (although FM isn't one, it appears, but LibreOffice Writer is). On the assumption that if an app with a supported hr object, and a supported save-to/as HTML workflow, it would likely map that to an HR element. Checking this theory for Writer, it appears that Writer in fact doesn't do that. It generates a borderless table, except for the border where you want an HR. That might suggest a hack that would work in FM.

I haven't fully explored tab stops and custom leader glyphs.

[TomSchenck]

Hi Nancy,

You'll need to edit the settings file in the Publish pod.

Style Mapping tab and choose your paragraph style.

Edit the style and Add a Border.

This Border is full with in the output window.

[Bob_Niland]

Tom's suggestion implements the rule as a CSS border style, and might be the most elegant way to handle it.

It turns out my HR mapping hack also works, sort of (tested in Basic HTML path). You can create a Paragraph format, called say "HR". It would ideally have no content when used, but might include a Conditional/color/strike/through autonumber string for visibility during edit.
In Publish → Style Mapping, for Paragraph Style HR

Map to HTML tag

---

This results in an actual HR tag in the output, but oddly rendered as:
<hr dir="ltr" class="FM_HR">&​nbsp;</hr>

I would have expected to see:
<hr dir="ltr" class="FM_HR" />

<hr>…</hr> is not valid html.
The non-breaking space (&​nbsp;) is extraneous.

Firefox renders it as expected, but I can't speak for all browsers.

This still leaves open the question of how to implement an HR-equivalent that renders for all workflows (including Ps, PDF, eBook, etc.)