Footnote Structured Frame Bug

[Daniel Emory]

--- "Lynne A. Price" <lprice at txstruct.com> wrote:
Thank you Lynne for confirming that this bug has been
propagated through all releases of structured
FrameMaker.
====================================== 
> 1) You comment that it doesn't matter whether the
> text range is defined as 
> an inclusion or contextual element. This is correct;
> formatting is 
> completely independent of whether an element
> structure is valid and, if 
> valid, how it is defined.
------------------------------
Because an element of type Footnote is kind of an
oddball, I thought it likely that the bug is expressed
only for footnotes because the programmer overlooked
something about its oddballness. So, I tested all
possible variations in the way a text range could be
specified to see if that made any difference. That's
the customary way in which programmers try to isolate
the cause of a bug. Your comment assumes that the bug
couldn't possibly be caused by differences in the way
valid structure is defined. My assumption was that it
might, so I tested for it. so that others wouldn't
have to.
=================
 > 2) You claim that you need to reapply element
> definitions to restore the 
> desired formatting. This is not correct. You can
> reformat an individual 
> element by changing it to itself. In your case, you
> can reformat the 
> footnote by changing the Footnote element to a
> Footnote. 
=============================
Of course, the way you suggest is an option, but it
assumes that the author spots each and every
occurrence of the bug at the moment it is expressed,
and proceeds immediately to correct it in the manner
you describe. The way I suggested is the only CERTAIN
way to be sure that ALL INSTANCES of the bug are
corrected before saving the file. In other words, I
offered the MOST PRUDENT way to assure that all
instances of the bug have been corrected.
===============================
I should add that, since it is standard practice in
footnotes to italicize the name of a referenced book
or journal appearing in a footnote, this bug
represents one more major irritant (the other being
inability to produce End Notes) for those who use
structured Frame to produce scholarly works.


Dan Emory & Associates
FrameMaker/FrameMaker+SGML Document Design & Database Publishing
<danemory7224 at sbcglobal.net>