[Framers] Putting Text in a gray box? - Can it be a para tag?

[David Artman]

   Looks like you have a lot of options already. My suggestions, in order
   of ease of typesetting:

   0. Be sure to setup 3 paragraph formats: "C1 - Code First", "CB - Code
   Body", and "CL - Code Last". [That's my general approach to format
   naming: keep the accelerator keys efficient: no more than four
   keystrokes.] They should be set to no language (ignore for
   translation).

   A) Rely on frame above and below and whitespace.

   1. Make two Reference Page images, taking into account your page
   margins, left and right indentation on your code paragraph formats, and
   'inherent' whitespace you want between each image and the code (extra
   white at bottom of Frame Above and at top of Frame Below). You can even
   use the image to suggest a screen, with rounded 'corners' instead of
   just a line or what-not.

   2. Set C1 to Frame Above Pgf, Space Before 0" (or a value greater than
   the reference image height, if you want to offset more than the image's
   whitespace). Set its Next Pgf to CB.

   3. CB is pretty normal. Just get line spacing and space before/after
   right for consistency with C1 and CL. Next Pgf=CB.

   4. Set CL to Frame Below Pgf and the inverse of C1's Space Before as
   CL's Space After.

   You should then be able to typeset a code block with F9... C1,
   paste/type, Enter, paste/type [now in CB]... etc... etc... [last line]
   F9... CL, final line paste/type. Alternately, paste a whole block and
   change first and last line's pgf format.

   PRO: Super fast. Flows normally between breaks (column or page).

   CON: Not identical to what you wanted.

   B) Table style for fill and border and cell padding; single "Code"
   paragraph format.

   PRO: Identical to your stated goal, all driven by the table format
   (that is, no tweaks to paragraph format table cell padding or
   anything). Single paragraph format for Code. Table positioning can be
   creative (e.g., in a side column.

   CON: Tedious to typeset. Cannot break across pages (unless you go with
   the SUPER-tedious-to-typeset method where each code line has its own
   row!).

   C) Place an anchored text frame and put code into it (as text inset?
   Can a text inset go into a text box frame? It's been a while since I
   messed with fancy frame tricks).

   PRO: You can do just about anything to position, float, resize,
   runaround, etc the text box frame.

   NEUTRAL: Not in main flow. Maybe OK (translation avoidance?); maybe a
   nightmare (can reflow strangely).

   CON: Probably more tedious than table cell(s) method(s), unless you can
   control the border and background shading with an object format (again,
   it's been so long I haven't SEEN object formats in use, yet!).

   My choice would, obviously, be A for the speed and for the flexibility
   WRT Frame Above/Below Pgf, three-format fine tuning of pre- and
   post-code spacing, and cleanliness in terms of flow/cursor movement by
   keyboard.

   HTH;

   David

   -------- Original Message --------

   Subject: [Framers] Putting Text in a gray box? - Can it be a para tag?
   From: Caroline Tabach <[1]caroline.tabach at gmail.com>
   Date: Thu, May 10, 2018 2:25 am
   To: "An email list for people using Adobe FrameMaker software."
   <[2]framers at lists.frameusers.com>
   Hi,
   I am going to import a set of Word files to Frame.
   I am working on setting up a template in Frame which contains styles
   that
   look like the styles in Word (where this is feasible)
   The Word template put program code in a little grey box.
   i.e the text is courier etc. with a border around it, and pale grey
   fill.
   Can such a paragraph tag be made in FrameMaker? If so, how?
   I do not mind spending time setting this up, but after this I would
   want to
   use it easily using keyboard shortcuts (F9 etc)
   Thanks
   --
   Caroline Tabach
   Technical/Marcom Writer
   e-mail: [3]caroline.tabach at gmail.com
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