Inspiring

Question

Page master convert Text Variables script

Forum|Forum|1 year ago
March 11, 2024
2 replies
826 views

Hi, I have text variables in the header of a document. The header shows 3 variables: the chapter name + the starting chapter number + " - " + ending chapter number.

For example: Recipes 1-2.

BUT sometimes the header shows the same chapter number, for example: Recipes 5 - 5. Because there is only one.

My question is how can I replace "5 - 5" to "5" or "8 - 8" to "8" if they are non-editable text variables?

I know there is a indesign function and other scripts to convert variables into editable text

BUT.... being on a master page I think it is not that simple.

Any ideas?

I have tried exporting in PDF, editing and finding/replacing text in Adobe Acrobat But you have to do it one by one and the even-numbered pages leave the text justified on the left instead of on the right.

Scripting

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E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Can you use Character Styles instead - and for the variables for the Running Heads can you select the Character style instead

That way - you can apply style 1 to 5 and style 2 to - 5

And running head char style 1 will show 5

and running head char style 2 will show - 5

Any page that does not have - <number> will not show

I guess I need a visual on what you are doing

It might just need another Parent Page applied to pages after the main chapter that has different variable data to capture/show.

S

SamLCAuthor

Inspiring

Thanks Eugene. Sorry... but I don't understand the procedure you explained. 
All chapter numbers have the same character style so that header variables can recognize them.
Effectively I can create another master page with only END chapter (or Initial chapter) 
for those pages that contain a single chapter. But I'm trying to find another solution, 
it's 1000 pages, and there must be something more automatic.

E

Eugene Tyson

Community Expert

Yeh I can't think of a good way around this - the only option I see is different parent pages - but logistically that would be a nightmare to manage.

The only option I could find was to use

Running Header - First on Page

Running Header - Last on Page

But hard a weird result - as 1-2 were on my first page

but the variable returned 1-3

3 and 4 were on the same page

but the variable showed 3-5

It did work the first time I set it up

so page headers did read 3-4 for the spread.

But somehow it completely broke and I couldn't get it back.

There's a paid for option that might do what you want - I'm not 100% sure but you could contact them and find out more

http://in-tools.com/products/plugins/power-headers/

P

Peter Kahrel

Community Expert

You'll have to go through the text page by page, then on a page with a range with the same numbers (e.g. 5-5), override the frame on to the page (Shift+Ctrl+Click or its Mac equivalent) and change the text. (This could be scripted in principle but it's very messy.)

S

SamLCAuthor

Inspiring

Thank you very much Peter! It is a good idea. 
By selecting all pages I have been able to unlink all headers outside of the master page. 
Now I would have to convert the variables of those frames into editable text.

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