Strategy for Handling Conditional Text

[Combs, Richard]

Field, Karen wrote:
 
> Question along these lines: I've got docs that I split into different
> version numbers and company branding. One document spins into 6
> different ones when I combine the version numbers with the branding.
> (For example: v. 2.1 Company A; v. 2.1 Company B) I do apply conditions
> at the word level; Any ideas on how to get around that?

I wouldn't use conditional text for such differences. That's what variables are for. I'd recommend this: 

1) Create user variables called, say, Version and Brand. 

2) For each of your 6 outputs, create an "Output X definitions" FM doc that contains the Version and Brand variables defined as they need to appear in that output. 

3) Prior to producing a given output, import variables from the corresponding variable definitions doc to all the files in the book. 

Obviously, you can include other output-specific things in your "Output X definitions" doc -- additional variables, conditional text settings, even brand-specific page layouts or format definitions -- and import those as well. It all depends on how much customization you need for each output. 

But for simple redefinitions such as those you cited as examples, stick to variables. 
 
> Also, because I've been working in these docs for years, I've got tons
> of condition tags I'd like to delete. When I delete them from one doc
> (using the FM Help instructions), the changes don't port to other docs
> when I import formats. Is there a way to get rid of unneeded condition
> tags from a bunch o' files at once?

Importing formats is additive -- FM doesn't remove what's already there (and you wouldn't want it to without giving you some control over whether or not to do that). 

Electropubs.com has a nifty little plug-in called Clean Import that lets you replace existing formats with the ones you import (all kinds of formats or just the ones you select). So you could delete the unneeded conditions from one file and then Clean Import conditions from it to all the other files, and that would remove all the unneeded ones. 

HTH!

Richard G. Combs
Senior Technical Writer
Polycom, Inc.
richardDOTcombs AT polycomDOTcom
303-223-5111
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rgcombs AT gmailDOTcom
303-903-6372
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