Modification Date Variable

Joseph panopticon23 at gmail.com
Fri Feb 6 10:45:29 PST 2009 

Hi Art,

Unfortunately, I don't think your solution works in my case.

This book is a features and specifications document, consisting of about 600
or so different frame files. The content of each frame file is mostly
independent of one another.  The update process is based on the information
provided to us by the engineers, which is piece meal and inconsistent. We do
not know when we will receive additional content nor are we generally
provided with all the information at once.

As a result, there's no set time or set amount of information that dictates
when and what files will be updated in this book. On top of that there are 3
different writers all updating different files at different times. This
situation in combination with our workload (working on 500 things at once),
means that our team is forgetting to manually update this one aspect of the
frame file. Since we don't have the power to change the workflow, we have
two options.

1. Either train ourselves to start updating this date manually
2. Or find a process that would automate it, thus removing the possibility
of human error

With your solution, it would still require someone to remember to do this .
In addition, it would seem even more complicated to the other writers then
simply typing in the current date.

Sincerely,
Joe

On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 11:31 AM, Art Campbell <art.campbell at gmail.com>wrote:

> Joseph,
>
> You're making this too complex, although there isn't a clean way to do
> it automatically AND circumvent the flagging of invisible-to-users
> changes, which are valid.
>
> 1. Create a new file that you'll use as a template file. In it, create
> your own variable, and just type in the date in whatever format you
> want to use.
> 2. Save the template file.
> 3. In the book file, select all files and Import Formats, selecting
> your new template as the source and only Variables as what to import.
> This will propagate your new variable into all the files in the book.
> Update the files as you open and work on them to use the new variable
> where ever you need it.
>
> 4. At the end of the day, update your template file with the current
> date. Select only the files that you updated from the book and repeat
> the Import Formats process. The new date will roll into the files you
> selected.
>
> You could automate this with a FrameScript pretty easily, I think.
>
> Art
>
>
> Art Campbell
>               art.campbell at gmail.com
>  "... In my opinion, there's nothing in this world beats a '52
> Vincent and a redheaded girl." -- Richard Thompson
>                                                      No disclaimers apply.
>                                                               DoD 358
>
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 12:02 PM, Joseph <panopticon23 at gmail.com> wrote:
> > Hi Bodvar,
> >
> > Thanks for the suggestion, however I am not sure that would work in my
> > situation.
> >
> > There are about 600 different frame files. Each frame file's date could
> be
> > different from all the other files. The reason for this is that these
> files
> > are modified at different times. As a result, the date variable in each
> > frame file must be independent of any other variable in the book. That
> means
> > I would need either 600 different variables, or I would need to update
> that
> > variable 600 different times.
> >
> > In addition, it would not be automated. With the modification date
> variable,
> > the value is automatically updated, whereas with a user variable it would
> > need to be manually updated each time.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Joe
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Feb 6, 2009 at 5:39 AM, Bodvar Bjorgvinsson <bodvar at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> You could use a variable. Keep a single page fm file with only one
> >> variable, e.g. IssueDate. Update this and import into the book.
> >>
> >> Bodvar
> >>
> >> 2009/2/5 Joseph <panopticon23 at gmail.com>:
> >> > Hi all,
> >> >
> >> > In one of the books I am working on, I need to insert a date into each
> >> frame
> >> > file when the text is modified. For example, if I add a paragraph to
> >> Frame
> >> > File 1.fm, then I need to insert 4/05/09. Since this book consists of
> >> > several hundred frame files, more then one person uses this book, and
> >> people
> >> > will forget to update the date manually, I would like to automate this
> >> > process.
> >> >
> >> > At first, I thought the Modification Date variable would address this
> >> > problem. It only updates the date when you make a change to the frame
> >> file
> >> > and save. However, I realized that when you perform a book update, the
> >> date
> >> > is changed regardless of whether any change occurred in that
> particular
> >> > frame file (eg creating a TOC or updating a text inset).
> >> >
> >> > Is there a way to set up a variable so it only updates the date when
> the
> >> > user makes an actual change to an individual frame file, while
> ignoring
> >> > book-level updates?
> >> >
> >> > --
> >> > Sincerely,
> >> >
> >> > Joseph Lorenzini
> >> > _______________________________________________
> >> >
> >> >
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> >> >
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> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> --
> >> "It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so
> >> ingenious."
> >>  -- Edsel Murphy, dec.
> >>
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > Sincerely,
> >
> > Joseph Lorenzini
> > Naperville, IL
> > 309-319-4487
> > _______________________________________________
> >
> >
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>



-- 
Sincerely,

Joseph Lorenzini
Naperville, IL
309-319-4487

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