[Framers] Cross reference format (what do you use?)

[Bernard Aschwanden (Publishing Smarter)]

Here is a simple question that I'm sure will have a LOT of opinion. I
hope...

Building some print-friendly xref formats, and I'm curious what people here
actually use. We're all familiar with the function (I think) or at least, we
should be.

You may have text like this:

Chapter 1. Canada
Blah blah
1.A Alberta
Blah blah
1.B New Brunswick
Blah blah

Plus you have tables, figures, equations, sections, examples, steps, etc,
etc, etc.

You link to stuff like "Canada" or "Chapter 1" or "Chapter 1. Canada" or
even "Canada on page 23" or whatever. Some xref content may be "See
<$paratext>" or "<$paranumonly>" or "step <$paranumonly>". You may also
choose to put in sentences like "For more information see section
<$paranumonly> on page\ <$pagenum>. " so that it is a self-contained
sentence.

I don't know. There are a LOT of ways to xref to stuff though.


My question is this: What would be the top 3 or 4 ways *you* xref something?
Not the steps to insert an xref, but the way it looks in your output.

What does the code or the xref look like? Do you put in full sentence xrefs?
Do you use words in them? Do you use quotes around content? I know that
there are a bizzilion ways to xref stuff, so input would be greatly
appreciated.

Lastly, I'm not concerned about online as that can be changed at publish
time. What do you do though in the print materials? For example, if I use
"For more info see pg <$pagenum>. " as a sentence in the online I can just
replace it with <$paranumonly>, or <@paratext>, or whatever. The issue for
me is "what do people do for print" in regards to the numbering, text,
quotes, etc.

Thanks to all.

Bernard



Bernard Aschwanden
bernard at publishingsmarter.com

www.publishingsmarter.com

Write Less. Write Better.