FM72. Tool to quickly makes loads of cross-refs?

[Combs, Richard]

Avraham Makeler wrote:
 
> Hi Art. Thanks for the response.
> 
> >> First, if I were you, I'd resist this. I think it's unnecessary and
> could
> become a potential maintenance nightmare.
> 
> >> I think it's unnecessary
> I think this is standard fare in programmer's and API reference guides. So
> they want what they see elsewhere.

Agreed. In online programmer/API documentation, users expect references to other classes, methods, functions, etc., to be links to them. Although I suspect/hope "every other word" is something of an exaggeration. :-)
 
> >> could become a potential maintenance nightmare.
> That is definitely a point. It never occurred to me before; maybe because
> none such document that I ever worked on ever actually realized that
> horrifying potential in practice.

If you use FM cross-references, I don't see why it would ever become a maintenance problem. Presumably, all these cross-references would use the <$paratext> building block to retrieve the text of a heading pgf that contains the name of the software object being referenced. If a function's name changes from getAnotherFoo to getNextFoo, you change the name in the heading, and FM updates all the xrefs to that heading automagically. 

As for automating your task, it could be done with FrameScript (www.framescript.com) or FrameAC (www.mekon.com/index.php/pages/knowledge_zone/frameac/products/technologies/manage). Since you have VB experience, the latter makes more sense for you if you want to "roll your own." Alternatively, you might want to get a quote from Rick Quatro (www.frameexpert.com) for a custom FrameScript solution. 


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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