RE: Single-Sourcing with FrameMaker: How do I do it? (long)

["Glenn Maxey" <glenn -dot- maxey -at- voyanttech -dot- com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michele Marques [mailto:marquesm -at- autros -dot- com]
> Sent: Friday, September 07, 2001 10:04 AM
> To: TECHWR-L
> Subject: Single-Sourcing with FrameMaker: How do I do it? (long)
> 
> 
> (3) Text insets. Sometimes information within one chapter 
> must be presented in a different order for two different manuals - or
the same 
> information must appear in two different chapters. 
> 
> If you are using technique #3, you will need to spend more 
> planning time.
> How much time depends on how much information must be presented in a
> different order and whether it is possible to keep the same 
> relative heading
> levels or whether they will vary. Note that you could have 
> different style
> guides for different manuals so that headings look different 
> (e.g., some manuals get a flatter style with fewer heading levels),
but 
> this will only work if you can do this consistently.

Something else to consider when PLANNING for using text inserts is the
amount of cross-referencing you want to do.

If your text insert references things outside of itself (or outside of
other text inserts), no problem. You'll be able to use that text insert
multiple times. This would be used, for instance, to refer readers to
introductory material.

If your text insert references things that are inside of a text inserts
(itself or others), you'll have problems based on 2+ usages of the
target inserts. 

Specifically, FM has unique identifiers for each occurrence of a format.
This is what allows FM to locate the exact target for cross-references
in the first place. When the target is inside of an insert and when that
insert is used multiple times, FM can have problems resolving a
cross-reference to a single (or correct) instance of the text insert.

Hence, when PLANNING for using text inserts, sometimes it is better to
have headings _inside_ the container document and _outside_ of the text
insert. The headings would be unique for the book/container documents
and would allow a cross-reference from anywhere in the book to that
point. The heading would be followed by the multi-use text insert. 

Glenn Maxey
Voyant Technologies, Inc.
Tel. +1 303.223.5164
Fax. +1 303.223.5275
glenn -dot- maxey -at- voyanttech -dot- com


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