[Framers] Importing a single variable. WAS: Preventing 2-word product name from line breaks

[Roger Shuttleworth]

Hello Tino

You are right. The amended instructions are given by Winfried Rend at 
https://forums.adobe.com/thread/450601?tstart=0. The answer is to save 
the "MIF snippet" as a text file, then import the text file by copying 
into the document. I tested this and it works fine; all system variables 
are untouched.

Roger

On 07/04/2016 11:43, Heiko Haida wrote:
>
> Hi Roger,
>
> one objection:
>
> Although the mif-file contains only a single variable, FM will add a 
> set of default system variables to it.
> By importing the variables into another file, all changes in the 
> definition of system variables (like added character formats e.g.) 
> will be discarded there.
>
> Best regards -- Tino H. Haida
>
> Roger Shuttleworth:
>
>> This discussion seems to have morphed into one about importing 
>> variable definitions in a situation where your work environment 
>> doesn't allow you to install plugins. Here's my two pennorth:
>>
>> Monique Semp said:
>> "Yes, but that presupposes that you want *all* the variables from the 
>> sourcefile. But in my case, I have different variables in different 
>> FrameMakertemplates (for frontmatter, ToC, chapters), with only some 
>> variables, suchas the doc's part number, in all the templates. So by 
>> using BookVars, I caneasily change/add only the desired variable, to 
>> all files in the book,without affecting any other variables."
>>
>> There is a way to import a single variable into your doc. This method 
>> may be familiar to those as long in the tooth as I am, but new to the 
>> younger generation. I append an answer that was given by Framers 
>> years ago, with my acknowledgments to the original author, whoever 
>> he/she was.
>>
>> Importing a single variable into a template
>>
>> Create a small text file with the variable and save it with a .mif 
>> extension. If you then open that file in FrameMaker, it will appear 
>> to be a regular blank FrameMaker document, but you'll know for sure 
>> that the only thing it actually contains is the one variable 
>> definition you want to import.
>>
>> There are two ways that you can use the variable created in the .mif 
>> file: Use that .mif file the same as you would any file from which 
>> you are importing formats; or from the File menu, choose Import > 
>> File, and then select the Copy into the document radio button.
>>
>> If you need to change the variable definition, edit the text file. 
>> See the following example for more information.
>>
>> Example:
>>
>> <MIFFile 6.00>
>> <VariableFormats
>> <VariableFormat
>> <VariableName `CompanyName'>
>> <VariableDef `Your definition here'>>
>> # end of VariableFormat >
>> # end of VariableFormats
>>
>> Note that the opening quote symbol for the variable name and its 
>> definition is actually the left slanting character below the tilde on 
>> your keyboard. The closing quote is a straight single 
>> quote/apostrophe. Note also that if you want to include more 
>> variables, you just need the whole group of four lines for each 
>> variable. For example, if you added a CompanyShortName variable, the 
>> MIF snippet file might look like this:
>>
>> <MIFFile 6.00>
>> <VariableFormats
>> <VariableFormat
>> <VariableName `CompanyName'>
>> <VariableDef `The Fish Dance Slapstick Ballet Company, Ltd.'>>
>> # end of VariableFormat
>> <VariableFormat
>> <VariableName `CompanyShortName'>
>> <VariableDef `Fish Dance'>>
>> # end of VariableFormat>
>> # end of VariableFormats
>>
>> Caveats:
>> I'm not sure whether you would need to change "MIFFile 6.00" into 
>> something a bit more up-to-date, but I doubt it. Also, I've not 
>> tested this on recent FM versions, but see no reason why it wouldn't 
>> work.
>>
>> Hope this helps.
>> Roger