Question about flow and background text frames

[Combs, Richard]

Andy Kass wrote:
 
> I'm working on templates and having an issue with background text frames.
> What I'd like is for the Glossary and Index template files to have
> permanent headings, that is cannot be edited on the body pages.
> 
> After reading the help, it sounds like I need to put the heading in a
> background text frame on a First master page. But to make a background text
> frame, it must be untagged and unconnected, which means the heading it
> contains no longer shows up in my Table of Contents.
> 
> Does anyone know a workaround or another way to achieve this?

The primary purpose of background text frames is to hold text that repeats on multiple pages -- yes, you may have a First master page that occurs only once per file, but it's the exception that proves the rule. :-) 

The functionality you'd like really can't be made to exist without significant change in how FM works. 

A TOC consists of hypertext links (go to markers) to specific points in the flow (destination markers). If the destination marker were on the master page, how would the link work? FM would have to somehow replicate that destination marker on each body page (floating on the page somewhere, since there's no text location for it) where the background text appeared. 

If there were more than one such body page, which one would the link in the TOC point to? FM would then have to make each replicated marker unique so that each link pointed to a unique destination. 

The "workaround" is to put the heading in the main flow at the top of the first body page. And then don't edit it. It's only going to change if someone consciously edits the text. Is it really that hard for you and/or your co-workers to refrain from doing that? :-) 


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