Continuous Numbering in framemaker

[Combs, Richard]

Tammy Van Boening wrote:

> Ok - a quick follow-up to this. For the "empty" paragraph 
> tag, you need some kind of source text for the paragraph to 
> select for the x-ref, so what I did was set up an auto-number 
> format with the phrase "TotalPageCount" and set the color to 
> white so it doesn't show and I have a cross-ref. format 
> called TotalPageCount set to pick up only the page number of 
> the paragraph. I set this up on the master page footers and 
> it works like a charm. Thanks Fred.

Stuart Rogers replied: 
 
> You can also use autonumber text consisting of only a thin 
> space (or other fixed space), by typing backslash-s-t. When 
> you create the x-ref, you can then see and select "\st" in 
> the pgf list. This avoids the risk of having your 
> TotalPageCount autotext show up inadvertently, either in 
> print or when selected or in search results.

FWIW, neither is necessary if you're willing to insert an xref marker at
the end of the book first. This method doesn't require white text (with
its potential pitfalls). It doesn't even require a separate pgf. It does
require continuous page numbering (unlike the FM help's method), but if
you're using the <$pagenum> building block for the xref, I assume that
isn't an issue. 

Here's how: 

1. Go to the last file in the book and put the cursor on the last page
at the end of the text flow.* 

2. Open the Marker dialog (Esc s m). Set Marker Type to Cross-Ref. Type
a meaningful string in the Marker Text box, such as "LastPage," and
click New Marker. 

3. Put the cursor where you want the last page number (e.g., after "# of
" in each master page footer throughout), and select Special >
Cross-Reference (Esc s c). 

4. In the Cross-Reference dialog, set Document to the last document in
the book, and set Source Type to Cross-Reference Markers. 

5. In the Cross-Reference Markers list, find and select the marker text
you inserted in step 2 (e.g., "LastPage").** Then set Format to your
<$pagenum> xref format and click Insert. 


* If this file is set to make page count even, and the text ends on an
odd page, you have to come up with some sort of workaround. If you're
putting some kind of "Intentionally Blank" message on that "empty" last
page, you can add the xref marker to it.


** This is a potentially annoying part if you have many, many xrefs
already. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to the order of
the markers. All the ones inserted automatically when you selected a pgf
as a destination start with the pgf tag name -- so don't use marker text
that starts with, say, "Head." :-) 

HTH, no warranty expressed or implied, YMMV. ;-)

Richard


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Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-777-0436
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