Running Head Text Variables on parent page won't Convert to Text

[bracewell4213]

I've worked plenty with text variables to create running heads. In this particular case, I'm going to have to convert to text when the project is paginated, so I can run Find/Replace on the resulting text. In my test file, the RH paragraph is working (picking up Day 2) and the RH char is working (picking up just the styled number). Great.

Parent page

When I select the variable and convert it to text, it simply shows the text variable now on every page. This is true if I select the variable and Right Click (here showing I've changed just the recto one), or if I go into Define > Convert to text, in which it changes both pages.

It's not just this variable. It's true for the RH Char style number-only one as well.

Is there something fundamental that I don't understand about Convert to Text? 

[Mike Witherell]

Hi Bracewell,

Convert text variables to text

• To convert a single instance, select the text variable in the document window, and then choose Type > Text Variables > Convert Variable To Text.

• To convert all instances of the text variable in the document, choose Type > Text Variables > Define, select the variable, and then click Convert To Text.

[Barb Binder]

Hi @bracewell4213:

Unfortunately, that's how it works for Running Header (Paragraph Style) or Running Header (Character Style). User variables will convert to the displayed definition—and so does the RH variable—but they do it on the parent pages and then display their new content on the body pages. At that point, they can no longer collect content from the pages so that's never going to be a desirable outcome..

I'm not clear why you need to convert them, though. Can't they just stay as RH variables to the end?

~Barb