getting confused about xref variables and paragraph tags

[Jim Owens]

That big "T" is a marker used by the cross-references to find the target 
paragraph. You seem to be aware of this.

If you've removed it from a paragraph, the cross-references to that 
paragraph will be unresolved.

As far as I can tell from your description, the cross-references are 
still set to use the "Company Name" tag, but they are not pointing to 
any particular paragraph tagged "Company Name."




Deirdre Reagan wrote:
> Hi all:
> 
> FM 8.0 on Windows XP.
> 
> I have inherited a multi-chapter book template and it's giving me trouble.
> 
> On the title page, most of the lines of text are variables.  I double
> click the text, up pops the variable dialog box, I change the generic
> information to the specific information, I close the variable dialog
> box and update the book.  The variables update cross references
> throughout the chapters just fine.  The source variable has a fat
> black T in front of it, indicating that it's being used as the source
> of a cross-reference somewhere else.
> 
> One line of data is not a variable.  It is simply a line of text that
> has it's own paragraph tag -- Company Name.  We changed this line from
> generic text (Client Name) to specific text (Joe Blow Airways).  We
> also erased the fat black T at the start of the line.  Now the other
> pages don't update.
> 
> That fat black T seems to be the answer, but -- the source line is
> still tagged Company Name and the cross references are still pointed
> to the source tag called Company Name.  So why won't the cross
> references update without the fat black T?
> 
> My question is three-fold:
> 
> 1.  If we are crossreferencing back to paragraph tags, and we change
> the source paragraph tag, do we have to keep the fat black T?  That
> seems awfully picky, since we just want to double click the line of
> text and type in our new text.  To keep the T, we would have to click
> and backspace.  Plus that T doesn't preceed the original cross
> reference.  It appears only to indicate that this line of text has
> already been cross referenced. So it's absence shouldn't affect FM's
> ability to update cross references, right?
> 
> 2. What was the original writer doing, making this line of text a
> paragraph tag and not a variable, like every other line of text on the
> page?  Is there a good reason for this? (Probably a rhetorical
> question, but I thought I'd throw it out there, in case there is
> something everyone but me knows.)
> 
> 3.  Shouldn't I get rid of all these cross references and change them
> all to variables?  That way I can update the variable once and it
> changes everywhere and there are no fat black Ts to worry about and no
> broken cross references for me to get super frustrated over. Or would
> I have to change the variable in each individual chapter?
> 
> I'd appreciate anyone's advice.
> 
> Frustratedly yours,
> 
> Deirdre
> _______________________________________________
> 
> 
> You are currently subscribed to Framers as jowens at magma.ca.
> 
> Send list messages to framers at lists.frameusers.com.
> 
> To unsubscribe send a blank email to 
> framers-unsubscribe at lists.frameusers.com
> or visit http://lists.frameusers.com/mailman/options/framers/jowens%40magma.ca
> 
> Send administrative questions to listadmin at frameusers.com. Visit
> http://www.frameusers.com/ for more resources and info.
> 
>