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Re: Font Selection, Name Changes, and Fainting Goats
Subject:Re: Font Selection, Name Changes, and Fainting Goats From:"Dick Margulis " <margulis -at- mail -dot- fiam -dot- net> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Wed, 24 Apr 2002 13:51:21 -0400
Johanne,
Using variables for product names is not a new strategy, XML or otherwise. Interleaf offered that capability as well.
The trick is to plan ahead. Sometimes a couple of variables are needed (such as a longname and a shortname, or a productname and an indefinite_article [a vs. an]), but in the example you cite, all you have to have done in the first place is have the productname variable set to "the CoolThing system." Admittedly you would need to have some way of capitalizing "the" at the beginning of a sentence (depending on the sophistication of the software); otherwise you would still need two variables, one for use mid-sentence and one for use initiating a sentence.
Variables, like any other tool, are more valuable if you practice with them.
Dick
---------- Original Message ----------------------------------
From: johanne -dot- cadorette -at- locusdialog -dot- com
Reply-To: johanne -dot- cadorette -at- locusdialog -dot- com
Date: Wed, 24 Apr 2002 11:11:8
>
>Well, here's an irritating (hypothetical) situation that throws that
>solution out the window in FrameMaker, anyway: A product, let's call it
>CoolThing, is always referred to as "the CoolThing system" in the doc (as
>in, "The CoolThing system enables the accomplishment of miracles,"). A name
>change occurs. The product is now CoolThingSS, where SS stands for Special
>Solution. The writer changes the variable 'product name' to CoolThingSS,
>but is now faced with countless instances of "the CoolThingSS system" and
>must now search the book for all the instances of CoolThingSS system and
>remove system (because it can't be a solution system), as well at "the."
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